(Photo by Levi Loggins)
By Bruce Sayler
The intensity wasn’t about to be cut, only spread around to be enjoyed.
Butte High sprang a bit of an upset Tuesday night as the Bulldogs toppled Missoula Sentinel 71-65, the Spartans’ first Western AA Conference loss this season, in a boy’s basketball game.
Rugged defense, sufficient offense and solid bench play drove the victory and it was all focus.
“It was awesome,” Butte High head coach Matt Luedtke said. “Our guys came out and got out from the get-go. Hudson really played well and got everybody involved.”
The ‘Hudson” is Hudson Luedtke, son of the coach and a four-year Bulldog starter with three years of All-State selection behind him and a definite for a fourth. The 6-foot-2 senior thrives as the team leader.
“It was as intense as it looked out there,” Hudson Luedtke said. “It was a dogfight from the first (quarter) through the fourth.
“We were kind of playing with a chip on our shoulders. We have 10 seniors and had three games left, two guaranteed. So, we played our hearts out. It’s what we have to continue to do the rest of the season.”
Sentinel won their earlier meeting, 77-36 in a thumping delivered to the Bulldogs in Spartan Gym in Missoula. The beating created the chip on the shoulders Hudson Luedtke mentioned.
The 6-foot-8 Rogers still got 32 points for Sentinel Tuesday night, 13 while leading a fierce Spartan comeback in the fourth quarter. It only highlighted the intensity.
“They made some tough 3s to make a run at us,” coach Luedtke said. “But everybody stepped up for us tonight. Raeder Grey came in and we had him faceguard Rogers and he a helluva job. Plus, he got a basket.
“Brady Hanson had a great game. He scored 19 points and stepped up and showed everybody how good he can be.”
The 6-9 Hanson, a sophomore, starred with short jumpers over a tall Sentinel defense packed in the key, and some dunks slammed home, including one on a spectacular rebound he jammed through the hole without touching the floor after grabbing the missed shot by a teammate.
The Bulldogs lent an outsized amount of attention to Rogers as Josh Liston, Grey and James Pearston rotated some work shifts to guard him. Coach Luedtke went to his bench early to keep regulars fresh and minimize bothersome foul trouble. They ended Sentinel’s win streak at 15 games.
“We played good defense,” Hudson Luedtke acknowledged. “And, the guys who came off the bench, kept up the defense.”
The challenge was Sentinel’s late rally, closing to within 68-65 of the Bulldogs after trailing them by 62-48 early in the fourth quarter.
Hudson Luedtke grinned.
“No worries, I knew we were going to win that game,” he said.
As important as Butte High’s defense was probably the team’s passing on offense, especially from inside the perimeter. The tactic runs off Cayde Stajcar’s quarterbacking from the paint, getting the ball to open scorers near the basket. It was installed to counter opponents trying to use zone defenses to force the Bulldogs outside for lower-percentage shots. They hit those, too, though.
“It’s about time we started figuring out those zones,” Hudson Luedtke said.
The 62-48 bulge for Butte High followed a six-point outburst on baskets by Stajcar, Rhett Arntson and Luedtke. However, instead of the stretch delivering the knockout blow, the Spartans rose from the canvas. Rogers scored his 13-points in the period over the next four minutes and it was a 68-64 game with 19 secnds left on the clock.
Jayson McLennon missed a 3-point try for Sentinel, but teammate Gavin O’Reilly grabbed the rebound. Luedtke quickly fouled him and O’Reilly missed the first free throw, but netted the second. Butte High was to get the ball out of bounds, but Sentinel subbed in Kaden Thennis, who had not been registered in the scorebook prior to tip-off. Therefore, he was an ineligible player. A technical foul was assessed against the Spartans and Luedtke went to the foul line with 8 seconds showing on the clock. He converted the charity tosses, then sank one more after being fouled on the inbounds play as the Bulldogs kept possession on the technical call ruling.
A Sentinel shot at the buzzer missed.
Hanson had 19 points, Luedtke 16, Arntson 13, Mike “Mitch” Verlanic 13 and Stajcar nine in as balanced an offensive effort as the Bulldogs have enjoyed all season. Kendel Noctor also played and contributed well to the defense.
Rogers led all scorers with his 32, Beau O’Reilly had 15 for the Spartans and Stellan Ridley notched 10.
Butte High took its lead in the first quarter when Hanson took a pass from Luedtke in for a layup to break a 9-all tie, then Liston snatched a steal and took downcourt for a layup. The Spartans never caught the Bulldogs, but chased them hard all game.
The first-quarter difference was 22-14 and Butte High enjoyed a 41-32 spread at halftime.
Sentinel is now 16-2 for the season, 12-1 in the Western AA. Butte High is 14-4 and 9-4 and will be home on Friday against Missoula Big Sky to finish the regular season. Coach Luedtke said a quick rematch with the Eagles is then likely for next week in a play-in game toward the state Class AA tournament.
MISSOULA SENTINEL (16-2, 12-1) – Gavin O’Reilly 0-2 3-4 3, Lincoln Rogers 11-19 7-9 32, Beau O’Reilly 6-10 0-0 15, Zeke Glidewell 1-2 0-0 3, Stellan Ridley 4-7 2-4 10, Jayson McLennan 0-1 0-0 0, Tucker Laslovich 1-4 0-0 2, x-Kaden Thennis 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-45 12-17 65.
X – denotes ineligible player entry.
BUTTE HIGH (14-4, 9-4) – Cayde Stajcar 4-5 1-2 9, Hudson Luedtke 5-11 4-7 16, Mike “Mitch” Verlanic 4-7 0-0 10, Josh Liston 1-2 0-0 2, Brady Hanson 8-18 3-4 19, Rhett Arntson 4-9 3-5 13, Kendel Noctor 0-0 0-0 0, James Pearston 0-0 0-0 0, Raeder Grey 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 27-53 11-18 71.
Sentinel 14 18 12 21 – 65
Butte High 22 19 10 20 – 71
3-point goals – Sentinel 7-21 (G. O’Reilly 0-1, Rogers 3-8, B. O’Reilly 3-6, Glidewell 1-2, McLennon 0-1, Laslovich 0-3), Butte High 6-18 (Luedtke 2-5, Verlanic 2-5, Liston1-2, Arntson 2-6). Fouled out – none. Flagrant fouls – G. O’Reilly, Luedtke. Total fouls – Sentinel 18, Butte High 16. Technical – Sentinel bench (ineligible player). Rebounds – Sentinel 21 (Rogers 6), Butte High 29 (Stajcar 8, Luedtke 7). Blocks – Sentinel 1 (Rogers), Butte High 2 (Hanson). Assists – Sentinel 15 (Rogers 6), Butte High 17 (Luedtke 5, Liston 4). Steals – Sentinel 7 (Glidewell 3, Ridley 3), Butte High 6 (Liston 3). Turnovers – Sentinel 14, Butte High 10.
