HAMILTON — The 2021-22 Butte Central boys’ basketball team will go down in history.
The Maroons finished the regular season with 17 wins and 1 loss. That is the best regular-season record in school history.
It is better than Maroons’ six state championship teams, including 2020.
Central finished off that remarkable regular-season record, and a .944 winning percentage, with a 60-67 Southwestern A win over Hamilton Saturday.
The Maroons, though, will have to settle for the No. 2 seed at the Southwestern A District tournament next week in Dillon. BC and Dillon tied at 11-1 in conference, and the Beavers won the tiebreaker by 1 point.
Dillon will have a first-round bye, and BC opens the tournament at 8 p.m. Thursday.
Central, which opened the season with 10 straight wins, has closed the regular season with seven victories in a row.
On Saturday, the Maroons jumped out to a 36-23 halftime lead and held off the Broncs, who head to the postseason at 11-7 and 6-6.
Dougie Peoples poured in 24 points to lead three Maroons in double figures scoring. He sank four 3-pointers in the game.
Eric Loos scored 15 points, and Kyle Holter tossed in 11. Jack Keeley scored five points for the Maroons, who got two apiece from Drew Badovinac and Bryson Sestrich and one from Joseph Sehulster.
Zane Moodry also contributed for the Maroons.
Asher Magness hit three 3-poitners and scored 25 points to lead the Broncs. Eli Taylor scored 11, and Tyson Rostad tossed in seven.
BUTTE CENTRAL (17-1, 11-1) — Bryson Sestrich 1 0-0 2, Drew Badovinac 1 0-0 2, Dougie Peoples 9 2-3 24, Kyle Holter 4 2-2 11, Eric Loos 7 1-2 15, Jack Keeley 2 0-0 5, Joseph Sehulster 0 1-2 1, Zane Moodry 0 0-0 0. Totals 24 6-9 60.
HAMILTON (11-7, 6-6) — Colter Kirkland 1 0-0 2, Tyson Rostad 3 1-2 7, Eli Taylor 3 3-4 11, Liam O’Connell 1 0-1 2, Asher Magness 8 6-10 25, Cole Dickemore 0 0-0 0, Max Cranflone 0 0-0 0, Hudson Bain 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 10-17 47.
Butte Central 20 16 12 12 — 60
Hamilton 15 8 12 12 — 47
3-point goals — BC 6 (Peoples 4, Keeley 1, Holter 1), Hamilton 5 (Magness 3, Taylor 2). Fouls — BC 18, Hamilton 15. Fouled out — Badovinac.
