March 8, 2012 I The Lovell Chronicle I 11
Lovell wins battle of the Bulldogs, 66-35
BY DAVID PECK
Despite a slow start
and some cold shooting,
the Lovell Bulldogs blew
out Sundance in the first
round of the 2A State Tour-
nament in Casper Thurs-
day afternoon, 66-35.
Sundance, the second
seed out of the East de-
spite an 8-16 record, was
no match for the Bulldogs,
despite an early lead. Sun-
dance came out strong
and led 7-2, but once the
team in blue found their
rhythm, it was all Lovell
after that.
Lovell was cold early.
After Dylan Hultgren con-
verted a steal into a layup,
Sundance scored 7 straight
including a three-pointer
by senior Kyle Shamion
to cap the run. In the first
five minutes of the game
the Lovell squad was 1-8
shooting and had three
turnovers, but in the final
three minutes of the first
quarter the Bulldogs out-
scored Sundance 8-2.
"I think it was jitters
and nerves and wanting
to do well," coach Brian
May said about the slow
start. "I think the kids
maybe forced some things.
But they settled down and
started getting comfort-
able. With our defensive
pressure we were getting
plenty of turnovers. It was
just a matter of convert-
ing.
"You worry that a team
like Sundance that wins
its pigtail game and goes
DAVID PECK
Lovell junior Dylan Hultgren is not to be denied as he slashes to the basket
despite a foul during Lovell's 66-35 win over the Sundance Bulldogs in the first
round of the state basketball tournament Thursday afternoon at Casper College.
to Regionals and wins a
couple of games are click-
ing pretty good. You don't
know the players. But once
you're in the game and see
them, you are comfortable
that you're going to take
care of that game."
Colin May got the
run starte'd with a trey,
then Morgan Baxendale
found Cody Savage in-
side for two. After a Sun-
dance deuce, Savage hit a
free throw and Ryan Clark
scored inside to give Lovell
a 10-9 lead at the quarter
break.
The second, third and
fourth quarters were all
Lovell as pressure defense
led to numerous turnovers
and scoring opportuni-
ties. A Steven Pickett trey
launched a 9-1 run early
in the second quarter that
included a pair of pow-
er baskets inside by Cody
Savage, a steal and layup
by Hultgren and another
Pickett bucket on an assist
from Hunter Hinckley.
Lovell went on to out-
score Sundance 23-11 to
lead 33-20 at the half.
A personal 6-0 run by
Colin May that included
-a three-point play (basket
and free throw) off a steal
and a trey put Lovell up
39-20 early in the third,
and after Sundance whit-
tled the deficit to 15, Lovell
finished the third with
a 7-0 run to lead 50-28.
Hultgren had, five points
during the run, including
a trey, and Baxendale fol-
lowed his own miss inside,
was fouled and hit the free
throw.
The Bulldogs kept up
the pressure in the fourth
quarter, starting the quar-
ter with a 12-2 run that
boosted the lead to 32
points, 62-30. Hultgren
scored 6 points during the
run. Lovell went on to out-
score Sundance 16-7 in the
fourth to win 66-35.
The Lovell Bulldogs
were actually outshot by
the Sundance Bulldogs 36
percent to 35 percent, but
they got 35 more shots
than the team from Crook
County - 71-36 - thanks,
in part, to the pressure de-
fense. Sundance" finished
with 34 turnovers, Lovell
16. Lovell also won the bat-
tle of the boards 45-32.
Hultgren finished with
21 points on seven-of-10
shooting and added seven
rebounds and five steals.
Savage added 15 points on
seven-of-12 shooting and
nine boards, Colin May 14
points on four-of-19 shoot-
ing and five steals. Clark
finished with seven re-
bounds, Pickett 7 points
and three assists.
"I thought Dylan had a
nice game shooting," May
said. "He was probably our
most consistent shooter in
that game, with his jump
shot."
The box score:
LOVELL (66)
Colin May 4 4-5 14, Collin McArthur
0 0-0 0, Steven Pickett 3 0-0 7,
Hunter Hinckley 1 0-2 2, McKayan
May O 0-0 0, Brandon Wolvington 0
O-0 O, Austin Ellis 0 0-0 O, Morgan
Baxendale 1 1-1 3, Dylan Hultgren
7 5-6 21, Ryan Clark 2 0-0 4, Cody
Savage 7 1-2 15, Calm McArthur 0
0-2 0. Totals 25 11-18 66.
SUNDANCE (35)
Derek Yeadon 1 4-4 6, Jeremy
Adams 1 0-1 2, Skyler Wagaman 2
O-0 4, Trent Peplow 2 0-0 4, Kory
Butts 2 1-3 5, Kyle Shamion 2 0-0
5, Kayman Martens 1 0-0 2, Shan-
non Morris 1 2-2 4, Caleb Moeller
0 1-2 1, Lane Carter 1 0-0 2. Totals
13 8-13 35.
Lovell 10 23 17 16-66
Sundance 9 11 8 7-35
Three-point field goals - Hultgren
2, C. May 2, Pickett 1; Shamion
1. Fouled out - none. Total fouls -
Lovel118, Sundance 18.
Bulldogs win semifinal thriller over Wind River
BY DAVID PECK
To say that basketball
is a game of streaks and
momentum doesn't even
begin to describe the "un-
be-lieve-able" game be-
tween the Lovell Bulldogs
and the Wind River Cou-
gars in the state semifi-
nals Friday night that had
fans first giddy with ex-
citement, then sweating
and clutching their chests
and finally relieved and
wondering what they had
just seen in Lovell's 79-52
win.
The Bulldogs and Cou-
gars have traded top spots
in the Wyopreps.com poll
all season, and fans, play-
ers and coaches expected a
donnybrook at the Casper
Events Center.
They got it.
The Bulldogs played
perhaps their best half of
basketball this season in
the first half, leading 17-
11 after the first quarter
and blowing the Cougars
out 25-5 in the second to
lead 42-16 at halftime.
"That was an excep-
tional first half," coach
Brian May said. "Playing
against that caliber of a
team, both offensively and
defensively I would have
to say it was an excellent
first half."
But the talented Cou-
gars came back in the third
with fire in their eyes, out-
scored the Bulldogs 28-15,
then chopped Lovell's one-
time 26-point lead to five
early in the fourth before
they flamed out and the
Bulldogs scored the final
22 points of the game to
win 79-52.
Wind River led ear-
ly, 6-2, but the Bulldogs
clamped down on defense
and executed the inside-
outside game perfectly
on offense, outscoring the
Cougars 15-5 the rest of
the first quarter to lead
17-11. Lovell forced six
turnovers in the quarter.
"We didn't press them
the first time (in Decem-
ber)," May said, "but we
pressed them this time.
We felt it confused them
and frustrated them. They
turned the ball over and
were not able to score like
they're used to.
"Our energy was up.
We were active and mov-
ing our feet. We were trap-
ping when we were sup-
posed to and rotating in
the press they way we're
supposed to. We contested
their shots and got hands
in their faces. We didn't
give them many open looks
or second-chance baskets."
Down 6-2, junior cen-
ter Cody Savage got it go-
ing for the Bulldogs with
a power move and a baby
hook, then Dylan Hult-
gren drained a three-
pointer in transition to put
the Bulldogs on top, 9-6.
With Lovell up 10-6, Hult-
gren converted a Colin
May steal into two, then
swooped to the hoop for
two more. Lovell led 14-6
and went on to lead by six
at the quarter break.
The second quarter
was an amazing display
of basketball for the Bull-
dogs, who ran away from
the frustrated Cougars
and outscored the crew
from Pavillion 25-5. Co-
lin May was red hot and
started the quarter with a
trey. Savage followed his
own miss for two as Lovell
doubled up Wind River
22-11. Hunter Hinckley
dished to Ryan Clark for
two, and after a Wind Riv-
er free throw, May scored
seven straight: a jump-
er, steal and layup and a
trey. Lovell led the shell-
shocked Cougars 31-12.
Up 35-16, the Bulldogs
scored seven consecutive
points in the final 1:08 -
two free throws by Steven
Pickett, a bank hook by
Savage, a swooping hook
by Morgan Baxendale and
a Baxendale free throw.
Lovell led 42-16 at the
half.
"When we have our pe-
rimeter game going and
our inside game going
we're pretty tough," May
said. "Colin and Cody and
the other kids were con-
tributing. When we have
DAVID PECK
Lovell senior guard Steven Pickett slices to the
basket against the Wind River Cougars during
Saturday night's semifinal game at the Casper
Events Center. Pickett came back strong late in
the season after severe leg injury suffered during
football season.
that bench going it's hard
to beat us."
The Bulldogs expect-
ed the Cougars to make
a run, and they did so in
the third - big time. For a
while, the two teams trad-
ed baskets. During that
stretch May found Savage
inside for two, then hit two
free throws after a techni-
cal foul on the Wind River
coaching staff. May hit a
trey a minute and a half
later that kept the Bull-
dogs up by 24 points, 52-28.
"Everything seemed to
come so easy in the first
half," May said. "We were
stale offensively in the
first four or five minutes
of the third quarter. We
didn't execute at the offen-
sive end."
The final three and a
half minutes of the third
belonged to Wind River
as the Cougars made a
monumental push to get
back in the game. Junior
guard Roger Wagon was
a one-man wrecking crew
for the Cougars. Having
already scored 8 points
in the quarter, including
a pair of treys, he scored
seven straight on a drive,
a fast-break bucket and a
trey that cut the margin to
17, 52-35.
Clark scored inside
for Lovell, but Wind River
outscored the Bulldogs 9-3
in the final two minutes
of the quarter including a
deep trey by Jesse Brown
and a steal on the ensuing
in-bound play from Ward
Gordon. Lovell clung to a
57-44 lead after three.
Lovell suffered from
nine turnovers in the third
quarter.
"When they hit some
threes their energy picks
up. They run the floor bet-
ter and execute better,"
May said. "We got back on
our heels and got a little
tight. We called a time out
or two, and after that they
got within five."
Wind River continued
to rally'in th fourth quar-
ter - at leaat,• for a time.
Wagon drained a trey
from Glenrock, then Ty-
son Lonebear scored a trey
and sprinted home on the
fast break. Now it was the
Bulldogs who looked shell-
shocked and tentative as
Wind River was close at
57-52.
But in the final six
minutes the Bulldogs not
only righted the ship, they
left the Cougars in their
wake. Savage hit one of
two at the line, and May
slashed to the basket for
two: 60-52. Wind Riv-
er leader Brown fouled
out, and Hultgren calmly
hit both free throws, Af-
ter May hit one of two at
the line, the Bulldog stole
the ball and Savage fed
the streaking May for two
more: 65-52.
"Jesse,..he's their
guard. He runs the offense
and gets people in the spots
they're supposed to be in,"
May said. "Defensively, we
did a good job on Brown
and Lonebear. Wagon got
a few. He got hot and hit
some deep ones with kids
closing out on him.
"We held Lonebear to
14 and he averages 20. We
held Brown to 7 and he av-
erages 16."
Baxendale powered
home an offensive fol-
low shot to put Lovell up
67-52 and it was obvious
that the tide had changed.
The Bulldogs hit seven of
10 free throws down the
stretch, plus two more to
baskets to win 79-52, hav-
ing scored the final 22
points of the game against
the wilting Cougars.
"I was just proud of our
kids," May said. "Many
people felt Wind River and
Wyoming Indian would
be in the championship
game."
In the final analysis,
the Bulldogs shot the ball
well - 56.7 percent (17-30)
in the first half and 50 per-
cent (10-20) in the second
to finish at 54 percent, and
Lovell got to the foul line
31 times, hitting 19.
Wind River shot 21-7
percent (5-23) in the first
half and 40.6 percent (13-
32) in the second includ-
ing six of 15 three-point
attempts to finish at 32.7
percent. The Cougars
also had 25 turnovers to
Lovell's 18.
Another key statistic
was the play of the Lovell
reserves. Lovell had 19
points off the bench, Wind
River zero.
May finished with 22
points on 7-of-13 shooting,
and had four assists and
four steals. Savage add-
ed 18 points, 11 rebounds
and four assists, hitting
seven of his eight shot at:
tempts.
Hultgren added 12
points, five assists and
four steals, Clark 6 points
and 11 boards. Off the
bench, Baxendale scored 6
points, Collin McArthur 5
and Pickett 4.
The box score:
LOVELL (79)
Colin May 7 5-9 22, Collin McArthur
1 2-2 5, Steven Pickett 1 2-2 4,
Hunter Hinckley 0 2-4 2, McKayan
May 1 0-0 2, Brandon Wolvington 1,
0-0 2, Austin Ellis 0 0-0 0, Morgan
Baxendale 2 2-6 6, Dylan Hultgren
4 2-2 12, Ryan Clark 3 0-0 6, Cody
Savage 7 4-6 18, Calin McArthur 0
0-0 0. Totals 27 19-31 79.
WIND RIVER (52)
Ward Gordon 2 0-0 4, Joe Tidzump
0 0-0 0, Zach Landstadt 0 0-0 0,
Joe Lupher 0 0-O 0, Ryan Weliever
1 4-8 6, Drew Antone 0 0-0 0, Tyson
Lonebear 6 1-2 14, Roger Wagon 7
2-2 21, Jesse Brown 2 2-2 7, Tyler
Rupe 0 0-0 0, Brodie Miller 0 0-0 0.
Totals 18 9-14 52.
Lovell 17 25 15 22-79
W. River 11 5 28 8-52
Three-point field goals - C. May 3,
Hultgren 2, Co. McArthur 1; Wagon
5, Lonebear 1, Brown 1. Fouled
out - Gordon, Brown• Total fouls -
Lovel113, Wind River 24.
we Fount
of gou,
DsIlan Hu/tgren.
Congrats on a great
season[
Morn Dac[
SERVICE MANAGER
Gillette, WY Branch
Cummins Rocky Mountain, exclusive distributor of Cummins/
Onan products for the Rocky Mountain area is looking for a
Service Manager in our Gillette, WY branch,
Please apply online at www.
cumminsrockymountainiobs.com Rock,_Mountain.
EEO/AWM/F/D/V
Congratulations,
Colin May,
on a great
state tournament
and senior season.
Love,
Morn, Dad,
Ashton and Dylan
: • :'i i I
