MISSOULA — Missoula Loyola and Lodge Grass won a pair of thrilling semifinal games Friday at the Class B boys basketball state tournament at Dahlberg Arena.
Loyola, the two-time reigning state champion, earned a hard-fought 82-70 win over Malta, and Lodge Grass outlasted Harlem for a 72-61 win.
Missoula Loyola 82, Malta 70
Though an eventual coronation of Missoula Loyola might be expected, nobody should have thought it would come easy.
Malta gave Loyola all it could handle Friday, but the Rams' size and strength broke through as they pulled out an 82-70 win to advance to the Class B state championship game for the third consecutive season.
"It's what we expected (after) we saw them sophomore year in the state championship," said Loyola senior Reynolds Johnston, who was the 2024 Gatorade Montana player of the year and is a surefire candidate for this year's award. "So, we knew it was gonna be bloodbath (Friday) and that we just had to stick to our game, keep playing the way how we wanted to play."
Photos: Missoula Loyola, Lodge Grass win in State B boys semifinal round
Johnston finished Friday's semifinal game with 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. What's more, he was the Rams' catalyst any time they needed an answer for a Malta run.
The Mustangs shot the lights out from 3-point range, making 8 of their first 12 shots from beyond the arc to keep the game close — 42-37 — at halftime. To start the third quarter, Loyola frequently went to Johnston. He scored nine points in the period as the Rams built a 57-43 lead.
But Malta finished the frame in a flurry, making 3s on four consecutive possessions, including three bombs from Bohdi Brenden, to close within 60-55 going to the fourth quarter. Brenden's last 3 of the run came from well behind the 3-point line and elicited a high-5 from Johnston.
Johnston then put an end to Malta's spurt to start the fourth quarter, though. He scored the first six points of the period, and Loyola ultimately went on a 12-0 run to gain separation down the stretch.
"I've spent so much time in the gym, so it's just I know I can get a bucket for the team," said Johnston, who will play at College of Idaho. "I know anyone else on the team can get a bucket if we need it, but it felt good that they have confidence in me to go get a bucket at the end of the game, low shot clock. It just shows what kind of team we are. They're unselfish, and if anyone else is cooking, I'd give them the ball."
"He's intelligent. I mean, he's just a great decision-maker," Malta coach David Costin said of Johnston. "He's patient. He'll hold that ball, those other kids are good about cutting, finding a spot in our defense where he could pass the ball to him and get easy baskets. Besides, he just scores it well from the inside and scores it well from the outside and handles the ball well. I mean, he's a total package."
Ethan Stack added 25 points for Loyola, including a logo 3 from about 40 feet to end the first quarter. Vincent Lincoln added 14 points, and Jamo Kendrick had nine.
Brenden led Malta with 22 points, including six made 3-pointers, and Stockton Oxarart had 16 points. The Mustangs made 16 of 37 3s in the game but were just 8 of 23 inside the arc. Malta will play Glasgow in a loser-out game at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Loyola made 30 of 53 field goals in the game, scoring 56 of its points in the paint. The Rams will play Lodge Grass or Harlem for the state championship at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
"It's awesome (to be back in the championship game). You know, we spoke this into existence since our sophomore year," Johnston said. "We've kind of been the number one team for a while now, but we've got to stay locked in and hopefully we can get the title (Saturday)."
Lodge Grass 72, Harlem 61
Lodge Grass and Harlem have history.
It was the Wildcats who ended Lodge Grass' bid for its third consecutive state championship in 2022. Harlem beat the Indians 69-67 in the semifinals that season.
This time it was Lodge Grass' turn, as the Indians walked off the court under a shower of boos from the Harlem faithful after a 72-61 win.
"It's always a good time playing Harlem, because we played him in the beginning of the year, the season, and that was a good game, too," Lodge Grass coach Tyson Gros Ventre said. "I think we barely beat them then, and we meet up back up at state semis, so ... they probably wanted to get revenge back on us from the first game.
"And then our big guy, Treston Cole, he has his family from up there, so yeah, you know, there's some kind of rivalry and then there's relationships, too, you know? Kind of like a Native thing, you know?"
The game played out in front of a frenzied crowd at Dahlberg Arena, and both teams gave their fans plenty to cheer about in the early game. It was a tight, back-and-forth contest with neither team gaining much separation through the first 16 minutes. They were tied at 19 after the first quarter, and TJ Gros Ventre 3-pointer at the second-quarter buzzer gave Lodge Grass a 39-32 lead going into halftime.
TJ Gros Ventre, the coach's son, made big shot after big shot on his way to a game-high 24 points. He made five 3s in the game, all of them seemingly coming at pivotal moments for the Indians.
"I was on fire and when the first shot went, I knew I was going to have a good game," said TJ, a sophomore guard. "It all started from there."
"He's just born for the moment," his dad said. "I guess he just knew what to do. He's a pretty good shot, so I told him to get open and try to make it. But it was a team effort. ... If he didn't make a play, it'd be one of the others."
Lodge Grass kept Harlem at arm's length for much of the second half, but the Wildcats pulled within 57-54 on a Lance Morgan bucket in the fourth quarter. The Indians called timeout, regrouped and closed the game on a 15-7 run with TJ Gros Ventre, Colvin Wyles and JJ Bends making game-changing plays down the stretch.
Bends finished with 22 points for Lodge Grass, and Wyles had nine. James Dust added eight points and seven rebounds.
"It's all heart, man. It's all heart," TJ said. "We made it to the state championship."
Morgan and Cody McCabe each scored 20 points for Harlem, and Tayden Colliflower chipped in 10. The Wildcats will play Three Forks in a loser-out game at 9 a.m. Saturday.
Lodge Grass will meet two-time reigning state champion Missoula Loyola in the championship. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
"They're gonna be tough," TJ said of Loyola. "We have to go out there and give our all, play with heart, and maybe we can get them."
