Bulldogs win 3A West title, gun for State

As the intensity and the stakes grew higher, the Lovell Bulldogs upped their game during the 3A West Regional Tournament in Lander last week and weekend, culminating with a thrilling win over Cody in the regional championship game.

The top-seeded Bulldogs opened with eighth seed Lyman Thursday afternoon and clobbered the Eagles 70-38. In the semifinals Friday, they faced Powell for the fourth time this season and defeated a hot-shooting Panther squad 70-58.

Playing for the championship on Saturday, the Bulldogs turned their game to a high level and defeated a strong Cody Broncs team 49-36 to take home the regional trophy.

It is Lovell’s first regional title at this level (3A) since 1979, when the Bulldogs beat Thermopolis and Jackson in Thermop en route to the state title, though the division at that time was called Class A.

The Bulldogs will enter the Class 3A State Tournament in Casper as the top seed out of the west and will meet Douglas tonight (Thursday) at 8:30 p.m. at the Ford Wyoming Center.

Lyman

The Bulldogs dominated Lyman from start to finish, powering to a 20-4 lead in the first quarter and leading 42-18 at halftime. Sophomore Kaeson Anderson was on fire in the first half, scoring 18 points. Davin Crosby added 10.

Lovell continued to pull away in the second  half, outscoring Lyman 17-5 in the second quarter, though Lyman won the fourth 15-11 as Lovell cleared the bench.

“This was a good one to start with,” head coach Shane Durtsche said. “I didn’t think we played great defense and had the intensity we needed in the first half. You never know what you’re going to get, especially in the first game.

“At halftime we talked about our defensive communication and overall intensity. We did have a better second half.”

Lyman scored just two baskets in the third quarter as Lovell built a 59-23 lead.

Lovell shot 49 percent from the field and held Lyman to 39 percent. The Bulldogs hit 7 of 17 shots from beyond the arc, Lyman 1-8. Lovell outrebounded Lyman 31-19, recorded 20 assists, 17 steals and six blocks and forced 25 turnovers.

Anderson finished with 23 points, Crosby 14, Matthew Newman 12, Owen Walker 10, Jace Nicholls 4, Robert Romero 3, Brody Muller and Kyle Wilson 2 apiece. Walker added 10 rebounds, Crosby six. Nicholls tallied six assists and four steals, Newman five assists.

“Davin had his best game offensively,” Durtsche said. “He hit his shots (five of six) and made good decisions. Kaeson was big for us (four of six three-pointers).”

Powell

There’s an old adage that it’s hard to beat a team three times in a season. Well, how about four times? That was the task facing the Bulldogs as they met familiar foe Powell in the semifinals Friday night.

After Powell took an early 7-4 lead, the Bulldogs responded with an 18-8 run to lead 22-15 after the first quarter as Newman scored 7 points, Walker 6. Anderson finished the quarter with a fast-break bucket and foul shot.

The Bulldogs continued to roll in the second quarter, outscoring Powell and building a 19-point lead at intermission, 41-22, as Walker powered for 9 points and Anderson drained two three-pointers.

And then Dawson Griffin happened. The Panther senior sharpshooter drilled a trio of treys in the third quarter, and Alex Jordan scored 10 points including a three-quarter-court  buzzer-beater as Powell rallied to outscore Lovell 23-10 and cut the margin to six points at the quarter break, 51-45. Powell hit five three-pointers in the quarter.

“We were up 19 at the half and on the verge of blowing them out, and they really caught fire in that third quarter,” Durtsche said. “They hit five three-pointers, and I’m tellin’ ya, those were pretty well contested. Especially the Griffin kid. Everything he was throwing up was going in. … That kid has a high release, and he was just feeling it.”

But the Bulldogs didn’t panic and opened the fourth quarter with a 6-2 run as Nicholls drove for two buckets and Anderson hit a pair at the line. Lovell led 57-47.

Powell battled back to within six at 61-55, but Lovell took the game over in the final three minutes, outscoring Powell 9-3 to win by 12, 70-58. 

“We showed resilience,” Durtsche said. “I felt we were too good to give up that lead. It was good to experience that, though I didn’t love it at the time.”

Walker was a difference maker in the game, finishing with 27 points on 11-of-16 shooting and 13 rebounds. Anderson was hot again and finished with 18 points, four assists and three blocked shots. Nicholls tallied 10 points, seven assists and three steals, Newman 9 points and three assists, Crosby 4 points and Owen Edwards 2.

Lovell won despite Powell hitting 11 of 18 shots from beyond the arc.

Cody

The championship game Saturday afternoon was a classic as the Bulldogs, one of the smallest schools in Class 3A met the largest school in the classification, Cody, in a David vs. Goliath matchup. The Bulldogs came to play, still smarting after a 60-48 loss in Cody on February 14.

“As a coach, you’re more relaxed because we’re in the show (state tournament),” Durtsche said. “We came to win the tournament, but we’re in the show, and that’s what matters.”

Still, playing Cody again mattered.

“I told the kids this is a 4A basketball team that thought they would dominate little, old Lovell,” Durtsche said. “We have had a really good year, but no one cares about your story unless you win.

“Our kids, you could tell they wanted it. They were laser focused. Their defensive intensity never let down ever. Our crowd was unbelievable, the support we get. People who don’t even have kids on the team were there. We smothered Cody’s crowd, and they had the girls championship game before our game.

“I can’t say enough about it. Absolutely our kids feed off of that energy.”

The fired-up Bulldogs jumped on top 7-0 early and never trailed in the game. Lovell forced eight turnovers in the first quarter and jumped out on a Newman steal and score, a Walker inside bank shot and a three-pointer by Newman, who played hard on both ends of the court, not only scoring and directing the offense but guarding Cody star Grady McCarten hard.

Cody battled to stay close, but a late trey by Sniper Anderson helped the Bulldogs lead 12-7 after one.

A long Nicholls-to-Crosby pass over the top for two and a drive and dish from Newman to Walker got the Bulldogs going in the second quarter, and a strong drive by Nicholls finished a 10-5 run before Cody hit a late trey to match Lovell 10-10 in the second quarter. Lovell led 22-17 at intermission.

Lovell outscored Cody 27-19 in the second half, taking charge of the game with a 16-11 third quarter. Early treys by Nicholls and Anderson got the Bulldogs rolling, and after Crosby took a blow to the neck and Cody hit from downtown on a five-on-four advantage, the Bulldogs finished the quarter strong including a falling-down toss at the buzzer by Walker when the big center was hit as he came down. Lovell led 38-28 after three.

The Bulldogs blitzed the Broncs in the fourth quarter. A deep toss from Anderson to Newman launched a 9-2 run that boosted the Bulldogs to a 47-30 lead. Newman converted a Walker block into a flying fast break to complete the run. Lovell coasted from there to win 49-36 as Durtsche cleared the bench.

Lovell shot 50 percent from the field to Cody’s 36 percent and outrebounded the Broncs 24-17. Newman finished with 15 points and five assists, Walker 13 points and six rebounds and Anderson 10 points and six assists. Nicholls tallied 5 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals, and Crosby scored 4 points, Edwards 2.

State tournament

It will be no cakewalk for the Bulldogs (23-2) at the 3A State Tournament in Casper this week if they hope to bring home some hardware. They must open the tournament against a strong Douglas team that was the top team in the east all season, only to stumble a bit at the 3A East Regional Tournament.

The Bearcats finished the regular season 16-6 overall, 9-1 in the 3A East, and were ranked third in the final WyoPreps poll. They opened the regional tournament with a 38-20 win over Burns but fell to eventual champion Torrington 46-45 in the semifinals. Douglas qualified for State by ousting Glenrock 72-56 but dropped the third-place game to Buffalo, 60-59.

Lovell meets Douglas tonight (Thursday) at 8:30 p.m. at the Ford Wyoming Center.

“They’re a nice team. They dominated the east all year,” Durtsche said. “They were 9-0 (in conference), then finished 9-1. (Collin) Roberts is one of the better players in the state (19.8 points per game). He can shoot the three. They have a good point guard (Denton Brown) and a big kid who can take up space inside.

“It will be a heck of a test right out of the gate, for sure.”

Lovell edged Douglas 58-56 at the East-West Classic in Douglas in December.

“It’s a tough draw, but the good thing is we know they’re a very good basketball team. The boys will have to be engaged, locked in and ready to go.

“I don’t mind that we’re on the tough side (of the bracket). I don’t mind the challenge. It’ll make us battle tested if we get to the championship game Saturday. We owe them. Douglas has had our number (at State).”

If the Bulldogs beat Douglas, they will face the winner of the Powell-Wheatland game Friday at 8:30 p.m. at Casper College, a possible fifth meeting between Powell and Lovell. If the Bulldogs fall to Douglas, they will play the Powell-Wheatland loser Friday at 1:30 p.m.