LIVINGSTON — A milestone night by Brandon Johnson led Livingston’s boys’ basketball team to a 55-46 non-conference win over Butte Central Tuesday night.
The senior guard scored 29 points as Livingston salvaged the regular-season split with the Maroons. That included his 1,000 points late in the second quarter.
Johnson will take 1,016 points into his next game. He shot 9 for 10 from the free throw line for the Rangers, who scored 14 second half points from the stripe.
Sage McMinn added 13 points for Livingston (12-5), which trailed 21-21 at halftime. The Rangers outscored BC 35-25 in the second half.
Braden Harrington’s 13 points led the Maroons, who fell to 15-3 in the regular-season finale. Matt Simkins scored nine, Gator Yelenich tossed in eight, Luke Heaphy scored six, Jared Simkins tossed in five, Ryan Wahl sank a three, and Trevor Neumann netted two.
Harrington and both Simkins brothers fouled out.
Butte Central will head into next week’s Western A Divisional tournament as the No. 1 seed for the Southwestern A next Thursday.
BUTTE CENTRAL (15-3) — Jared Simkins 2 0-1 5, Luke Heaphy 2 2-4 6, Matt Simkins 4 1-2 9, Braden Harrington 4 4-5 13, Trevor Neumann 1 0-0 2, Gator Yelenich 2 3-6 8 Wahl 1 0-0 3, Aaron Richards 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 10-19 46.
LIVINGSTON (12-5) — Wyatt Searle 2 0-0 6, Rylee Watt 1 1-1 3, Jack Gauther 1 1-1 3, Tristan Stenseth 0 1-2 1, Sage McMinn 3 7-9 13, Nick Battrick 0 0-1 0, Brendon Johnson 9 9-10 29, Eli Lanclos 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 19-24 55.
Butte Central 9 12 14 11 — 46
Livingston 11 9 18 17 — 55
3-point goals — BC 4 (J. Simkins, Harrington, Yelenich, Wahl. Livingston 4 (Searl 2, Johnson 2). Fouls — BC 21, Livingston 12. Fouled out — J. Simkins, M. Simkins, Harrington.
