Tiffany Aldinger

taldinger@greatfallstribune.com

Sometimes even a bear needs a hug.

With his team down against Missoula Sentinel on Thursday night at the State Class AA Girls' Tournament, Billings West's mascot was sitting alone at the back of Four Season Arena, head in his paws. And Cooper, 6, was concerned.

"Dad, that bear looks sad," Cooper told Brian Crosby, CMR girls' basketball head coach. And then Cooper took off to comfort the bear.

So Crosby got out his phone and captured the sweet moment of his son giving the bear a hug as West fell to Sentinel 50-29.

The moment has gone viral as Crosby's tweet has been shared and picked up by outlets such as Bleacher Report and SB Nation.

"He's a sports nut, so it doesn't surprise me that something like that would happen," Crosby told the Tribune.

Crosby said they were at the game scouting the teams since CMR was scheduled to play the winner Friday. The Rustlers lost their matchup with Sentinel, which would go on to take second place in the tournament, falling short of the title with a loss to Helena High.