LMS cagers power through busy stretch

The Lovell Middle School Bulldogs faced some stiff competition Saturday. The seventh and eighth graders played a doubleheader against Lander and Riverton. The seventh graders played in front of the hometown fans in Lovell while the eighth graders played on a neutral court in Powell.

Eighth grade

Playing Lander first, the eighth-grade A team started strong in the first half, running out to a lead. They played hard offensively and defensively, working well as a team. The boys made some good steals and pushed the ball down the court well. Lander picked up their game in the second half, making it a much tighter game. 

Unfortunately, Mac Morgan and Kannon Owens fouled out early in the fourth quarter, which had a major impact on the team. After that, the Bulldogs struggled to get the ball back. Due to pressure, Lovell fouled quite a bit in the last few minutes of the game, and Lander made their foul shots. This resulted in a Lander win with a final score of 55-52.

The B team played hard, taking the game into overtime.

“The boys played strong with excellent defense, coach Stephany Durtsche said. Keeping their momentum from the beginning of the game, the Bulldogs fought hard, leading to another overtime. Due to this balanced matchup, the referees declared the winner as “next team to score wins.” Unfortunately, Lander made the next basket, and the Lovell B team lost in double overtime.

Stepping up to play Riverton, the A team bounced back from their loss against Lander with a 42-36 win. Durtsche was very proud of the players’ movement and passing. The team struggled with boxing out but played a solid game, resulting in a much-needed win.

The Lovell-Riverton B game was yet again another tight matchup. The Bulldogs struggled with working together, Durtsche said, adding, “Next week we will strongly emphasize the importance of passing the ball and working with each other, not against each other.”

Seventh grade

The seventh-grade A team played a very talented Riverton squad. The Bulldogs held pace in the first three quarters, keeping the game tight. Riverton hit a buzzer-beater to end the third quarter, extending their lead, and the Bulldogs weren’t able to close the gap. The game ended in a 40-26 loss for the Lovell team. The B team also lost by the final score of 22-10. Coach Collin McArthur was still very proud of his team for giving everything they had.

In their next game against Lander, both the Bulldog A and B teams came away with wins. The A team came away with a score of 33-28, and the B team won 25-17. Both teams ran offense a lot better and worked as a team. McArthur said he can already see a major improvement from the beginning of the season and enjoys working with his players.

Tuesday games

On Tuesday, the Bulldog eighth graders hosted Greybull. The Greybull team was yet another challenging competitor. The boys still successfully ran a press and got many steals but struggled at the rim. Coach Durtsche was still very proud of the players for their teamwork, overall determination and persistence. They never gave up, though Greybull pulled ahead in the third quarter and never gave it back. Greybull prevailed 45-31.

“Moving forward, we will focus on mentally handling strong ball pressure and making the right choices on the court,” Durtsche said.

The B team dominated Greybull in their game, winning 37-24. With a focus on sharing the ball, they played much better. Durtsche emphasized Mike Cornia’s efforts, saying, “He played with a lot of confidence on the court, which the team needed immensely offensively and defensively.”

The seventh-grade squad traveled to Greybull to meet the Buffs. The Bulldogs came into the game with the same strength and teamwork they had over the weekend. Gaining a lead of 16 points, Coach McArthur was able to give more kids quality time and experience, building their confidence on the court. Proud of the boys he has playing for him, McArthur said, “Worland is going to be a tough competition this coming week, but if the boys compete the way they have these past few games, they have a lot better shot this time around.”

Both A and B teams came out with a win. The A team won 36-14, and the B team’s winning score was 30-27.

The Bulldogs will play Worland today (Thursday) at 4:15 p.m. The seventh grade will play in Lovell while the eighth grade travels to play on the Worland court.