HELENA — Through three quarters of play, the Helena High Bengals kept their girls basketball matchup with the Helena Capital Bruins close. But the Bengals stumbled late, falling to their crosstown rival 44-28 on Friday.
The game did not start close as the Bruins jumped out to a 10-2 run before Helena High was forced to call a timeout to regroup. Out of the timeout, the Bengals were on the attack, pulling within one possession to end the first quarter, 14-12.
Early in the second quarter, the Bengals snatched the lead for a brief moment, but a fast break by the Bruins shortly thereafter shifted the lead back in their direction at 16-15.
For the remainder of the second quarter and the entirety of the third quarter, the Bengals stuck close to the Bruins and kept the deficit to just six points, hoping for a spurt of momentum to shift the game in their favor late.
Unfortunately for the Bengals, it was quite the opposite. The Bruins jumped out to a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter and held the Bengals to just three points in the final frame to win the game 44-28.
Capital's Dani Bartsch finished the night with a double-double consisting of 15 points and 13 rebounds. Audrey Hofer and Jaymee Sherdian also added eight points each to the Bruins' total.
Liz Heuiser and Kylie Lantz led the Bengals with eight points each while Heuiser also totaled 10 rebounds.
Up next, the Bengals and Bruins boys will square off one final time this season at Helena Capital at 3:45 p.m. Saturday.
