GLASGOW — Twice certainly feels nice for the Shelby boys basketball team.
For the second time in seven days, the Coyotes defeated Rocky Boy in a championship game, winning the Northern B title contest 65-55 on Saturday evening. Shelby beat Rocky Boy 57-46 last weekend in the District 1B finale.
Aaron White poured in 29 points, 13 coming from the free throw line, while TJ Reynolds added 25 for the Coyotes, who trailed 21-10 after the first quarter. Rocky Boy opened the game on fire from downtown, hitting four 3-pointers in the first eight minutes. Kordell Small had a pair of 3s and seven points in the first frame, while Ben Iron Eyes added seven of his own. Iron Eyes ended the contest with 26 points for the Northern Stars.
Shelby flipped the switch in the second quarter, outscoring the Stars 24-10 to take a 34-31 lead. Reynolds did the majority of his damage in the period, scoring 15 points on three 2-point field goals and three more from beyond the arc. Logan Watson scored all five of his points in the quarter.
A balanced third period saw Shelby take a one-point lead into the final eight minutes, 45-44, but White sank all 10 of his free throws to lift the Coyotes to victory. Shelby advances to the State B tournament in Missoula, which begins on March 8.
Rocky Boy will face Fairfield in a challenge game on Monday evening, after the Eagles defeated district rival Choteau 75-70 in the consolation game. Ethan Schenk scored 23 points for Jordan Ratliff’s squad, while Keeley Baker (14) and Kolbe Pitcher (13) added 27 combined points for the Eagles. Sayer Patton ended his junior campaign with a team-high 24 points for Choteau, and Jonathan Moore capped his senior season with 20 in the loss.
Rocky Boy and Fairfield will tip off at Great Falls CMR on Monday, with the game scheduled for 7 p.m.
