Cold as ice Lady Bulldogs swept at home

As the temperatures warmed in north Big Horn County over the weekend, the Lovell Lady Bulldogs were as cold as the previous frigid conditions as they dropped a pair of home games to 3A Southwest foes.

The Lady Bulldogs shot just 29 percent from the field and 30 percent from the foul line in a 40-37 overtime loss to Lyman Friday night, then shot 22 percent from the field and 36 percent at the charity stripe in a 45-23 loss to a physical Mountain View squad Saturday.

Lovell didn’t have a player reach double figures in either game, and both Lyman and Mountain View quickly realized that if they could clog up the middle, they could hold the Lovell scoring down.

“Lyman put their post player in the middle of the key, and there were certain players they weren’t guarding on the perimeter,” head coach Brian May said. “They were sagging and daring them to shoot the ball. That kind of messed with the girls’ heads a little bit, so they started being reluctant to shoot or drive to the basket.”

Recent injuries and other factors may have hurt the Lovell offensive game as different lineups have taken the floor, May said.

“Our shooting wasn’t where it had been,” he said. “I don’t know if it was girls in and out of the lineup, but we didn’t hit shots we needed to at times, and I really think our post defense  wasn’t great at the other end. Their post (Payton Anderson) was getting good looks under the basket. Our goal was three-quarter front high and low on her, and we were getting caught behind, which allowed her to drop step and shoot over the top of us.”

The Lady Bulldogs led for most of the game. They built a 10-3 lead in the first quarter and led 15-9 in the second after a Breeah Jones three-pointer and a power bank shot by Libby Mickelson. When Hannity Felkins hit Kennadee Owens for two, Lovell led 19-13, but Lyman closed the margin to one point at halftime, 21-20.

Both teams struggled in the third quarter, and Lovell led 28-24 at the quarter break, but the Lady Bulldogs scored only two baskets and a free throw in the fourth as Lyman rallied to send the game into overtime at 33-33. Brooklin Clark hit a clutch jumper for the Lady Bulldogs late in the quarter.

Lyman guard Addison Smith stole the ball and scored to start the overtime period, and after a missed Lovell jumper, Smith went back door for two more points. Up 37-33 following a Lovell offensive foul, the Eagles never trailed again, though a trey by freshman Ali Walker kept the home team close with a minute to play. Shooting 3 of 16 at the foul line to that point, Lyman hit two of two at the line with 35 seconds left, and Lovell couldn’t score in the final moments.

The Lady Bulldogs went 6½ minutes without scoring in the late third and early fourth quarters.

“We had plenty of opportunities to hit shots,” May said. “I would have liked more post-up opportunities or offensive rebounds.”

Mickelson finished with 8 points and five rebounds, Jones 7 points and 10 rebounds and Owens 7 points and six boards. Clark added 6 points, Kenadee Rael 4 points and three assists, Walker 3 points and Raegan May 2 points, five rebounds and three steals.

Mountain View

The Saturday game was all Mountain View as the Lady Bulldogs could not throw the proverbial pea in the ocean. The Lady Buffs jumped out to an early 8-0 lead as the Bulldogs failed to score in the first 4½ minutes of the opening quarter, and after a trey by Jones kept Lovell in the hunt down 11-5, Mountain View closed the quarter with a 7-0 run to lead 18-5 at the end of one.

Each team scored just 6 points in the second quarter and 9 points in the third, leaving Mountain View up 33-20 after three. Mountain View outscored Lovell 12-3 in the fourth to win by 22 points, 45-23.

“They’re physical, and we didn’t match their physicality,” May said. “Their post players outplayed us physical wise and scoring wise and were running the floor harder than our posts. We didn’t have the ball pressure necessary to prevent the easy pass into the post, and they killed us on the boards (33-18).”

Jones and Owens led Lovell with 6 points each, and Mickelson added 5, Rael 4 and May 2.

Home finale

The Lady Bulldogs (10-11) will wrap up the regular season tonight (Thursday), hosting Powell at 4 (JV) and 5:30 p.m. at Winterholler Gym. Lovell has lost to Powell twice so far, 50-36 at the Big Horn Basin Classic and 49-36 in Powell but hope to get the Lady Panthers at home.

“The biggest thing is us not turning the ball over and their guards not dictating the game with dribble penetration and threes, plus our defensive transition,” May said.

The Lady Bulldogs will be in Lander March 6-8 for the Class 3A West Regional Tournament.