LMS eighth graders stop Rocky, fall to Worland

By: 
Emily Jensen

The Lovell Middle School boys basketball team competed against Rocky on Thursday, Jan. 23, in Cowley and against Worland on Monday.

Thursday, only the eighth-grade A team played, and they were able to come home with a victory, 40-28. Rocky gave the team quite a challenge in the first half, but Lovell stepped it up in the second, improving their ball movement and boxing out more effectively.

Mac Morgan and Kannon Owens gave the team a boost, both adding 12 points to the scoreboard. Reigo Romero followed closely, contributing 7 points for the Bulldogs. Coach Stephany Durtsche highlighted Owens’ efforts on the court, saying, “Kannon hit a few big shots that gave the team a good push of momentum to get back in the game.”

The team hosted Worland Tuesday, Jan. 28, and the Bulldogs approached the game with a focus on ball movement and taking open shots. Coach Durtsche emphasized tightening their defense and working on their defensive rotations all around the court.

The team fell short at the end by a few points with a final score of 44-40, and Worland proved to be Lovell’s most challenging opponent yet. Durtsche said the outcome could have been different if the team had maintained the intensity they played with in the fourth quarter throughout the entire game.

Seventh grade

The seventh-grade A team fell short against Rocky by one point, 26-25. The Bulldogs played hard, maintaining a lead throughout most of the game, but came up short in the final seconds.   

The B team played an incredibly intense game, coach Collin McArthur said. The crowd was wild, and the game ended up going into overtime twice. The Bulldogs came out with a tight win, beating Rocky 24-20. The team hit a clutch free throw and a last-second basket to secure the double overtime win. Noted Coach McArthur, “The boys showed what it means to fight through and stay on course.”

The team traveled to Worland Tuesday. Worland was strong competition for both teams as the Bulldogs struggled to keep up in both the A and B games. Lovell dropped the A game 52-12, and the B team lost 31-9. McArthur said, “If the teams can get their press breaker down and learn to work a little better under pressure, then they should play a much better game the next time they compete against Worland.”

The Bulldogs will play a few games this Saturday. The seventh graders will host Riverton and Lander at 10 a.m. and noon while the eighth-grade squad plays the same two opponents in Powell at 10 and noon.

LMS plays Greybull Tuesday at 4:15 p.m. with the eighth grade at home and the seventh grade on the road.

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