Prep Basketball: Bison playoff doubleheader slated

While teams from Great Falls High prepare for a playoff doubleheader Friday night at Swarthout Fieldhouse, squads from C.M. Russell High get set to hit the road for Class AA loser-out games.

The CMR boys of coach John Cislo will be in Bozeman Tuesday night at 6 for an Eastern AA playoff game, while the Russell girls of coach Brian Crosby travel to Billings Skyview Thursday night at 7.

The winners of both games earn berths in the State AA Combined Tournament, slated March 12-14 in Butte.

Meanwhile, the Great Falls High teams will be home Friday night for a postseason twinbill. Both GFH teams will be meeting Billings Senior.

The Bison girls of coach Gregg Dart play Friday night at 5:30, followed at 7 by the Great Falls High boys of coach Bob Howard.

The CMR boys, who defeated Billings Senior on Saturday night in a regular-season finale, are the No. 6 seed in Eastern AA. The Rustlers face a tall order against the third-seeded Bozeman Hawks of coach Wes Holmquist.

The Russell girls, who have played competitively but have failed to notch many victories down the stretch, are also a No. 6 seed.

Both Great Falls High teams, meanwhile, have the right to play host to playoff games via earning the No. 4 seed.

Teams that automatically earned spots in the State AA Tournament include boys’ squads from Missoula Hellgate (Western AA) and Billings Skyview, and girls’ teams from Helena Capital (Western AA) and Bozeman.