MISSOULA — In a tournament that has created legends in Montana basketball lore, Reynolds Johnston had an awe-inspiring performance on a historic night for Missoula Loyola.
Johnston scored 17 consecutive Loyola points in the first quarter as the Rams blitzed Lodge Grass from the get-go in a 91-57 win Saturday at Dahlberg Arena to claim their third consecutive Class B boys basketball state championship.
Loyola is the first team to win three straight Class B boys titles since Lodge Grass accomplished the feat in 1988, 1989 and 1990 with Elvis Old Bull wowing fans.
Photos: Champions crowned at State B boys basketball tournament in Missoula
"We spoke it into existence. We've been saying it since our sophomore year that we could do something special like this. Last team to do it was Lodge Grass," Johnston said.
"And we got every team's best shot. Three Forks is a great team, Malta's a great team. Lodge Grass is a superb team, they're awesome, and their fans are incredible, too, and it was just an awesome environment to finish the high school career out."
Johnston elicited eruptions of cheers, each louder than the last, from a strong contingent of Rams fans among a boisterous crowd with an array of moves to help the Rams take control early. Following a TJ Gros Ventre 3-pointer for Lodge Grass that started the game's scoring, Johnston answered with a quick 2.
Ethan Stack gave Loyola a 4-3 lead, and the Rams wouldn't be threatened the rest of the game. Johnston, Stack and Jack Clevenger pushed Loyola's first-quarter lead to 12-6, and then Johnston completely took over. The 2024 Gatorade Montana player of the year scored the game's next 11 points, as the Loyola lead ballooned to 23-6.
A JJ Bends basket for Lodge Grass briefly quieted Johnston's explosion, but he canned two more 3s, the final one evoking an arms-spread, wide-eyed, "I can't believe this happening" reaction from the star himself.
"I lost my mom back in August, she passed away, and I just felt her on that last one, and I felt her energy, I felt her dancing in the stands," Johnston said. "And I mean, it's what I expected. All the work I put in throughout the years, I expected to have a big game in the state championship, especially for her."
"That's who Rey Johnston is, he's just a gamer," Stack said. "And we're doing this for his mom, and I think about it all the time when he goes off like that, he's doing it for her. And she's helping out in a big way. She's his angel, and that's who he does it for, and that's why he's such a bucket."
Loyola led 34-11 at the end of the first quarter, and Johnston had a double-double of 24 points — on 10-of-13 shooting, including a 4-of-5 mark from 3-point range — and 11 rebounds by halftime. Stack, though overshadowed by his teammate's dominance, was also splendid, scoring 13 points on a mix of nifty finishes at the rim in the first half.
"Rey and Ethan are pretty special, and they look for each other and take care of each other," Loyola coach Scott Anderson said. "I've never seen anything like Rey. He's a five-tool guy. Well, we have a bunch of them, but once he gets going and he's having fun and smiling, there's no stopping him."
Lodge Grass had no answer for Loyola's size and athleticism, as the Indians were unable to get clean looks inside against the taller Rams, leaving their only recourse to fire away from 3-point range. They made 4 of 15 from deep, which was not nearly enough. Loyola led 51-23 at halftime.
The game slowed down in the second half, with Loyola content to play at a more patient pace and Lodge Grass unable to mount any sort of a sustained run. The Indians never got the deficit closer than 23 points after halftime. Bends led Lodge Grass with 16 points, and Gros Ventre had 14.
There was one fiery exchange in the third quarter when Johnston was fouled when he went up for a fast-break dunk in the third quarter. He took a hard fall and appeared to have words for the Indians when he got to his feet.
The situation didn't escalate, but both fan bases roared in support of their players when Johnston went to the foul line. He made both free throws, motioning to the Lodge Grass fans after both — first pressing his index finger to his lips to quiet them and then cupping his hand to his ear as if to implore them to make more noise.
Johnston ultimately got his breakaway dunk in the fourth quarter when the game was well in hand, and Finn Haffey punctuated the win with a slam in the waning seconds.
Johnston, who will play at College of Idaho, finished with 31 points and 13 rebounds. Stack added 18 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals, and Jamo Kendrick had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Jack Clevenger also finished in double figures for the Rams with 10 points.
"It's just everything to me," Johnston said. "I know how much my mom love loved the team, the high school, everything about it. She always talked to me about a three-peat, always winning, but more importantly about having fun, playing with heart, playing for your team, playing for each other.
"That's what I felt. I felt her tonight when I was cooking, when my team was cooking. I feel like it was a tribute to her."
Earlier in the day, Three Forks won the third-place trophy with a 73-60 victory over Malta in the consolation final. The Wolves, who also defeated Harlem 68-55 in a loser-out game Saturday morning, were led by Kanon Reichman and Aaron DeFrance with 25 and 24 points, respectively.
