“So we knew that they could play,” Repscher said. “And when they turned it on, we had to stay calm, had to stay ready, because we know that they’re going to go on runs and we just have to be ready for that to happen and then control the game.”

The message in crunch time was to get “game-winning stops,” Claxton said, the same sentiment that helped Gallatin hold off Billings Skyview in the divisional semifinals. It worked again in a 71-65 win for the East No. 2 seed Gallatin boys over West No. 3 seed Butte in a Class AA first round game Thursday at the Adams Center.

The Raptors will next face East No. 4 seed Great Falls CMR in the boys semifinals at 6:30 p.m. Friday. It’s the first time in program history Gallatin has advanced to the state semifinals.

“It’s great for the program, great for everybody,” Repscher said. “We’re all super excited and I’m just happy I can be a part of it.”

It wasn’t quite the fireworks show that occurred in Gallatin and Butte’s matchup at state last year. But it doesn’t matter what the final score is in tournament play, Claxton said, as long as the Raptors come out on top.

“It feels good for us to get the job done and, to be quite honest, to answer that momentum that Butte carried in that fourth quarter,” he added. “We were able to answer and step up to that call when the game was tight and the momentum was swaying back and forth.”

Repscher led the Raptors with 22 points. Senior Troy Hugs (12) and junior Mac Melin (11) also scored in double figures. Junior Kale Fasting added nine and senior Zad Rodarte scored eight.

Repscher said he loves that the Raptors’ depth allows for anyone to step up.

“I scored the ball particularly well (Thursday),” he added, “but tomorrow could be Zad and the next day it could be Troy. It’s amazing to play on a team with all these scorers.”

Hudson Luedtke (22), Lee (13) and Tempel (12) led Butte in scoring. Luedtke was guarded by committee Thursday, facing a rotating group of Fasting, Repscher, Grant Vigen and Carter Dahlke. Repscher compared Luedtke to Bozeman’s Kellen Harrison with the variety of ways they can score.

Claxton added that the Raptors did “as good as you can against a guy like him” given Luedtke’s ability to beat defenders off the dribble. That meant Gallatin’s help rotation had to be in-sync.

“He played a great game, but I think our team defense was just better and we had that mindset going in, it’s not going to be one guy who’s going to go out there and stop him,” Repscher said. “We all have to give help where we can and we did that.”

Luedtke helped Butte get off to a 17-13 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Raptors came out hot in the second quarter, though, with a 3 and a layup from Repscher to take back the lead. Gallatin outscored Butte 16-2 in the frame to go up 29-19 at halftime.

Claxton credited Gallatin’s defensive effort during that stretch.

“I feel like as a team, we did a better job of slowing the ball down and containing (Luedtke),” Claxton said. “That translates to us playing our tempo and getting the ball up the floor.”

That continued into the second half, with a buzzer-beating jumper from Rodarte putting Gallatin up 52-39 entering the fourth. A pair of Repscher layups and free throws from Fasting later gave the Raptors a 58-39 lead.

Butte answered from outside, with Tempel and Lee combining for a trifecta of triples to cut it to 10. Later in the frame, another Lee 3 made it 65-60. Fasting and Butte’s Rueso Batterman traded buckets before Gallatin closed it out with defensive stops and free throws.

Repscher said he’s always dreamed of playing in a Division I gym and can’t wait to continue Gallatin’s state run Friday. Claxton added that the Raptors will have to regroup quickly as they prepare for the Rustlers — who pulled off a massive 55-54 overtime win over defending champion Missoula Hellgate Thursday.

“We approached this game today with an expectation that we belong and that we should win today,” Claxton said. “We worked for the result we wanted.”