Lovell Middle School cagers pick up wins

The Lovell Middle School boys basketball “A” team won its first game Monday night, defeating Powell at home, 35-28. The Bulldogs trailed 20-10 at halftime but outscored the visitors 25-8 in the second half.

Bradley Mickelson led the team with 14 points, and Dane Wilson added 13 points, Mason Kitchen, Kyson Spanier, Garrett Henley and Landon Asay 2 points apiece.

Powell won the B game 35-15. Brock Butler scored 6 points for the Bulldogs, Camden Koziol 3 and Jackson Sanders, Damion Craw and Connor Harris 2 apiece.

It was tough sledding for the Bulldogs Thursday as the A team fell at Cody 60-12 and the B team lost 31-15. Mickelson scored 10 of the 12 points in the A game, Wilson 2. Sanders scored 9 points for the B team, Miles Bischoff, Butler and Tyler Walker 2 apiece.

Starting the season on January 10 at home against Thermopolis, the A team fell  48-13 and the B team lost 45-12. Mickelson and Landen Peterson scored 4 points each in the A game, Henley and Wilson 2 apiece, Asay 1. Sanders scored 8 points in the B game, Bischoff and Butler 2 each.

Seventh grade

The Lovell seventh-grade squad fared little better this week. The Bulldogs faced Cody last Thursday at home. The A team earned a solid victory, 40-27, but the B team came up short in their game, falling 32–27.

The Bulldogs were back in action Monday in Powell, where they faced tough competition. In the A team game, Lovell fell to Powell 66-37. Dax Mangus led the team with 23 points, providing a strong offensive presence throughout the game. Dallas Romero followed with 7 points, and Kayan Owens added 4 points. Gage Angell scored two points, and Thomas Nichols added 1 point to round out the scoring. 

In the B team matchup against Powell, Lovell was defeated 55-11. Tre Clark led the team with 9 points, and James Sanders contributed 2 points in the loss.

Despite the challenges from the games, head coach Collin McArthur remains optimistic about the group’s potential.

“They’re a very athletic and talented group, even though we are few in numbers,” McArthur said. “The boys have a lot of potential and will have challenging teams to compete against, but I believe they are up for the challenge. We are excited to see where things go this season with this group of boys.”

Looking ahead, Coach McArthur said the team will work on boxing out defensively and staying calm under pressure while still executing their offensive sets.

The Bulldogs will travel to Cowley this evening (Thursday) to take on the Grizzlies. The eighth-grade A game will begin at 4:15 p.m., followed by the seventh-grade A game at 5:30 p.m. and the seventh-grade B game at 7. The seventh grade will then travel to Worland Tuesday, while the eighth grade hosts the Warriors. Games in each location tip off at 4:15 p.m.