BUTTE — It was a game of punch/counterpunch between unbeaten heavyweights Box Elder and Scobey in the Class C boys semifinals Friday at the Civic Center.
Despite a stiff test, the Bears again proved to be too much.
In a matchup that could have easily passed as the championship game, second-half flurries from Dreyden Anderson and Tracen Jilot allowed defending champion Box Elder to break away for a 68-55 win and reach the title game for the fifth time in school history.
In the other semifinal, 6-foot-8 Isaac Hoekema had 25 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots as Manhattan Christian took care of Fort Benton 53-39 to advance to the title game, setting up a rematch of last year’s final with Box Elder.
Fort Benton was seeking its first trip to the state championship game since 1960.
Box Elder and Manhattan Christian will play for the championship Saturday at 8:30 p.m. The Bears won last year’s meeting 68-64.
Box Elder 68, Scobey 55
Box Elder’s athleticism, its ability to get to the rim and its full-court defensive pressure dictated the game, especially in a fast-paced opening sequence.
Three-point plays by Anderson and Jilot allowed the Bears (25-0) to take a lead. Anderson’s steal at midcourt and fast-break dunk helped Box Elder go ahead 14-3 at the halfway point of the first.
But John Carney shot the Spartans (24-1) back in the game with a barrage of 3-pointers, and a hoop-and-harm three-point play by Cooper Axtman had Scobey ahead 20-17 entering the second quarter.
“We’ve been scouting (Scobey) kind of all season. We anticipated that we were probably going to run into them at some point,” Box Elder coach Jeremy MacDonald said. “They execute their stuff so well. Coach (Jason) Wolfe is an excellent coach, and they’ve got a talented ball club.”
It was a one-point game at halftime with the Spartans up 26-25, and the lead kept trading hands as the third quarter moved along. But an Anderson flurry allowed the Bears to get some separation entering the fourth ahead 47-41.
In the fourth, Jilot hit a baseline shot, and then made a 3 while getting fouled. He added the free throw to give Box Elder a 55-45 advantage. Anderson had his second dunk of the night off a Scobey turnover with 2:22 remaining to give the Bears a 61-48 lead and put the game out of reach.
“Felt good,” Anderson said. “Electrify the crowd, get them behind our back a lot more, and then, you know, that’s how we knew that was the dagger.”
Anderson had 29 points while Jilot finished with 23. The duo combined to take 46 of the Bears’ 64 shots, making 18 of them. Tuarie Rosette-Stiffarm added 15 points and nine rebounds. Box Elder ended up forcing 23 Scobey turnovers.
Carney had 23 points for the Spartans but couldn’t replicate his first-half shooting performance. He hit seven 3-pointers but shot 17 of them. As a team Scobey put up 30 3-point tries.
Bram Handran had 15 points and nine rebounds for Scobey, which will play in a loser-out game against Lustre Christian on Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
Manhattan Christian 53, Fort Benton 39
Fort Benton trailed by 11 after the first quarter but crept close in the second. That’s when 6-7 Andrew Kimm executed a key sequence to give Manhattan Christian (22-2) a spark.
Late in the second quarter, Kimm scored inside and then quickly stole the ball on an inbound pass and laid it through hoop again to complete a four-point swing in a matter of seconds. The Eagles went to the dressing room leading 30-19.
In the fourth quarter the Longhorns (19-8) got within eight points on a 3 by Brooks Diekhans, but Manhattan Christian’s length was a decisive factor, particularly Hoekema, who had a big night on both ends of the floor.
“Coming in here, knowing I’ve got to get to the hoop and just play basketball,” Hoekema said. “I think being able to shut down some of their closer shots, not letting anything easy down low … it’s definitely a big help letting our other guys get out to contest the 3s.”
Hoekema’s alley-oop layup on a lob from Christian Triemstra with 6:22 left in the game gave the Eagles a 47-35 lead.
Jack Scott added nine points and five assists while the 6-3 Triemstra, despite a tough shooting night, had eight points and six rebounds for the Eagles.
With the win, Manhattan Christian secured its 12th trip to the state title game and its fourth in a row. The Eagles are seeking their fifth state title, but they’ll have to contend with a powerhouse Box Elder team that’s looking for a repeat.
“I think big thing for us is playing with poise and playing together" on Saturday, said Eagles coach Layne Glaus. “They're super talented, and they have a great press and put a lot of pressure on you, and a lot of guys that can score it. I think we’ve got to be disciplined and (we’ve) got to hope they miss a few shots, too.”
Fort Benton fell into a loser-out game Saturday at 11 a.m., where it will face Seeley-Swan.
