A year ago, BHS won the consolation game after losing to Helena Capital in the first round.

After falling to eventual champion Missoula Big Sky in the semifinals on Friday, the Hawks came back Saturday morning to defeat Capital 42-31 in a loser-out game at Butte High School. Elli Graff scored a game-high 17 points, two short of her season high, and grabbed 13 rebounds, also a game high, to push her team to victory. Kellie Cole scored 14 points.

Saturday represented the final appearance for seniors Gabriella Krevat, Coriann Clark, Emilee Grubb, Breanna Winters and Graff.

Bozeman closed the season at 18-7.

Missoula Big Sky won its second consecutive championship Saturday night with a 56-46 victory over Butte.

Helena Capital 54, Bozeman Boys 51

Matt Miller’s three-point play with 2.8 seconds left lifted Capital into the consolation game and ended the season for the Bozeman boys in a loser-out game Saturday morning at Butte High School. Bozeman, which trailed 47-40, had tied the game on an alley-oop pass from Gabe Rucker to Jacob Owsley.

Owsley led the Hawks, who finished the season with a 17-6 record, with 14 points and a game-high eight rebounds. P.J. Burns had 12 points and Tanner Roderick 11, including three 3-pointers.

Ben Ternes led Capital with 17 points and five 3-pointers.

The game was the final one for seniors Zach Brown, Will Waylander, Andy Ballinger, Matt Mullins, Rucker and Burns.

Bozeman girls 42, Capital 31

Bozeman 11 5 11 15 — 42

Capital 10 7 4 10 — 31

Bozeman (18-7) — Jenna Banks 0-4 0-0 0, Coriann Clark 0-5 0-0 0, Lindsay Manning 1-5 0-0 3, Emilee Grubb 1-5 2-3 4, Alexa Dawkins 2-6 0-0 4, Elli Graff 7-8 3-9 17, Kellie Cole 4-8 6-11 14. Totals 15-42 11-23 42.

Capital — Kalli Heller 0-2 0-0 0, Sammi Bignell 2-11 0-0 5, Kelsi Brekke 4-13 4-7 14, Caity Pilgeram 0-1 0-0 0, Alecia Wilson 0-5 1-4 1, Kaci Matthies 0-1 0-0 0, Jordan Johnston 4-8 1-6 9, Kelsey Grey 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 11-43 6-17 31.

3-point goals — Boz 1-14 (Manning 1-4, Banks 0-4, Clark 0-2, Cole 0-2, Grubb 0-1, Winters 0-1), HC 3-19 (Brekke 2-8, Bignell 1-8, Heller 0-1, Pilgeram 0-1, Wilson 0-1). Rebounds — Boz 40 (Graff 13), HC 32 (Bignell 10, Grey 7).

Capital 54, Bozeman boys 51

Bozeman 15 7 10 19 — 51

Capital 12 17 7 18 — 54

Bozeman (17-6) – Tanner Roderick 4-17 0-0 11, Will Waylander 0-1 0-0 0, P.J. Burns 3-6 5-5 12, Gabe Rucker 3-8 0-0 7, Jacob Owsley 6-8 2-2 14, Andy Ballinger 0-2 0-0 0, Matt Mullins 3-6 1-2 7. Totals 19-48 8-9 51.

Capital — Ben Ternes 6-10 0-1 17, Chris Darlow 0-2 0-0 0, Kelan Farry 1-3 0-0 3, Matt Miller 6-14 3-5 15, Carter Bignell 1-2 1-2 3, Josh Dirks 1-2 2-6 4, Tyler Erickson 5-12 2-4 12. Totals 20-45 8-18 54.

3-point goals — Boz 5-16 (Roderick 3-8, Waylander 0-1, Burns 1-2, Rucker 1-5), HC 6-15 (Ternes 5-7, Darlow 0-2, Farry 1-1, Miller 0-4, Erickson 0-1). Rebounds — Boz 29 (Owsley 8, Mullins 7), HC 32 (Miller 6, Dirks 6).

NICK WOLCOTT/CHRONICLE Kellie Cole battles at the net during Friday night's game against Great Falls.

But on Friday night, his Lady Hawks’ season almost ended without her.

Graff sat out the majority of the third quarter due to foul trouble, and without her Great Falls was able to take the lead over the No. 2 seed with just under five minutes to play.

But with Graff reinserted, the senior took a dish inside, downed a jumper and was fouled. She missed the free throw, but the bucket put the Hawks up one and highlighted the 10-4 run that secured Bozeman’s 45-41 Class AA playoff win and berth into the state tournament.

“Elli’s played big in really big games and it hurt us when she had to go to the bench,” Rustan said. “That basket she made coming back in was huge. But we also had some other kids come in and perform in her absence and we gutted it out.”

With Graff out, the Hawks turned to Lexi Dawkins down low. The Hawks’ other post led all scorers with 14 points and also collected five rebounds.

But even with the freshman stepping up, the Hawks struggled with Great Falls down on the block.

“We handled their size down low in the two games prior but this game with a ton riding on it, (Great Falls) executed really well,” Rustan said. “We have to get some of that cleaned up a little bit, but we’ll be okay.”

Great Falls coach Chris Lander was proud of her girls’ effort on the inside duo that Rustan has routinely dubbed “one of the best in the state.”

“We talked about it all week,” Lander said. “They’re so talented inside; we had to make them take the toughest shot possible. Our posts really worked hard on positioning and I thought it paid off tonight.”

The Lady Bison did more than stick with the Hawks (16-5). Through the first 11 minutes of the second half, Great Falls went on a drawn-out 12-4 run with Graff on the bench to erase a six-point halftime deficit and take a two-point lead.

It was only the second time the Lady Bison was ahead, and it was highlighted by the play of Brittany Kumm, who scored six of her seven points over the stretch.

“It would have been great to come out with a win, but I have nothing to complain about,” Lander said. “I thought the kids played their hearts out. Bozeman’s a great club, they’re number two. We made them earn everything they got. That’s all you can ask.”

“We gave them a little momentum and they ran with it,” Rustan said. “We got a little tight. We gave them a chance, but we stepped up and made plays when we had to.”

Despite not putting Great Falls away, Rustan was happy his team was able to pull out a close one.

“You’d obviously like to have a blow out but I think this game will ultimately help us as we move onto the state tournament,” he said.

Bozeman opens the state tournament on Thursday at noon against the No. 3 seed out of the West at Butte Civic Center.