HELENA — In coach Ben Dudek's debut for the Helena High girls basketball team, the Bengals faltered at home against the Missoula Hellgate Knights 54-28. At Helena Capital, the Bruins showed they're still a dominant force to be reckoned with in the Western AA, downing the Butte Bulldogs 71-37.
At Helena High, the Knights jumped out to a 6-0 lead inside the first few minutes before the Bengals rallied back slightly to put the score at 10-7 with nearly two minutes left in the quarter. Despite the effort, the Knights never relented and maintained a stout defense to lead all the way through the game to open the season with the 54-28 win.
At Helena Capital, the Bruins are on a revenge tour after the COVID-19 pandemic stripped them of an opportunity to play for the Class AA state title, and they put that on display by scoring nearly twice as many points as the Bulldogs in their season-opening win.
The Knights will play host to the Bruins on Saturday as both teams look to open the season at 2-0, while the Bulldogs will play host the Bengals as both look to get in the win column for the first time this season.
