Bobcats see overtime against Lander

It was another busy weekend for the varsity boys basketball team, taking on Lander Friday night and travelling to face Big Piney Saturday.

Friday night's game went into overtime after a three-pointer from Lander near the end of regulation play tied things up at 42 points. Unfortunately, the Bobcats weren't able to score any more and lost 42-50.

Coach Kevin Gerber said it was a great game for Hudson Roling, who had 10 points, and a breakout game for Noah Schwalbe, who had 16. Schwalbe also played some amazing defense, Gerber said, keeping Antonio Coando to only 12 points when the Lander player has been averaging 20 or more per game.

It was also an impressive game for Cade Zupan, who "was a beast," Gerber said, with 21 rebounds - eight offensive and 13 defensive.

Among the goals of the team, Gerber said, is to be No. 1 in the state in rebounding, but to also have one of the players be number one in rebounding. "It's one of our strengths. It's one of the things we've done really well." Going into the weekend, Thermopolis was No. 4, and Zupan stepped up to the challenge.

The coaching staff was also challenged earlier in the week to step up what they were doing, Gerber said, and he asked the team step up and set some high expectations. He noted when they first played Lander earlier this season, it was nearly a 30-point loss with a final score of 65-38, but this time they were able to have the lead with just over three seconds left, which was about when Lander hit the trey to tie the game.

There's not always a chance to look at a certain statistic and say if it had been different the Bobcats might have won, but in the game against Lander, Gerber said the free throw percentage was definitely a factor, as the boys made only four of 17.

"We had a three point lead for quite a while. We got fouled numerous times, went to the line and had a chance to put it away, and we left that door open."

Though it was another loss for the Bobcats, Gerber said the attitude in the locker room was positive, and players applauded Zupan for his high number of rebounds. "That just goes to show our boys are appreciating the work everybody's putting in . . . It really is a number of guys stepping up and doing a lot of really good things."

The coach said Lander also didn't expect how hard Thermopolis would come, holding them to five points in the first quarter. "For us to be right there was really good, then going in at halftime with a three-point lead felt really good." Thermopolis outscored Lander 8-5 in the first quarter, and both teams scored 14 in the second.

Lander came up to tie things up in the third quarter, outscoring Thermopolis 11-8 before the fourth, which saw 12 points from each team.

The game was a "heartbreaker" for sure, Gerber said, but to go into overtime against a team they previously lost to by almost 30 points shows just how far they are coming along as a team and how the boys have stepped up their efforts.

As to the three-pointer that led to overtime, Gerber it was the only basket made by Max Mazurie during regulation. Addressing Mazurie after the game, Gerber told him to cherish that shot, though there was some contesting as to whether Lander should have had possession.

Scoring against Lander: Schwalbe - 16, Roling - 10, Zupan - 7, Jarron Mortimore - 4, Sterling Gerber - 3 and Sean Miller - 2.

Saturday's game saw a 62-56 loss against Big Piney. Spirits seemed high following the game against Lander, Gerber said, but it is a fairly long ride. "I think that's Wyoming basketball," he said with a laugh. "Nothing's too close."

The first quarter was a bit rough, with Big Piney outscoring 19-7. The Punchers came out in a defense the Bobcats hadn't seen, Gerber said, so it took some time for us to get our feet under us and learn how to run it. The boys responded well and were able to change things up and outscored Big Piney 19-13 in the second quarter so they were only down 32-26 at the half.

"It felt really good to come back," Gerber said. "It think we actually got down by 15 at one point so they responded really well and we went on a good run in the second quarter."

Though outscored again in the third quarter, the Bobcats certainly shored up the deficit, scoring 14 to Big Piney's 18. The Cats would outscore the Punchers 16-12 in the fourth, but it wasn't enough to take the win.

"I would love to say it was something different, but it came down to our free throws again," Gerber said. The boys made eight of 17.

This weekend also saw Jarron Mortimore's first start as a sophomore, and the coach said he did a phenomenal job. "He played really well. He ran our offense from the middle when we went to Big Piney . . . He was looking for passes, and looking to attack." Mortimore also saw eight rebounds - four offensive and four defensive - and three steals.

Zupan continued his rebounding work, racking up another eight, four each on offense and defense.

Four players also hit double digits, and Roling saw seven rebounds - one offensive and six defensive. Dustin Harvey, Gerber noted, showed his grit by working through a sprained ankle he suffered at the Lander game, and Sterling Gerber's defense was really good with very few points given up.

The coach noted Gerber had a great JV game, which shaded his way for Big Piney to try to take him out. Though he didn't score, his being out there opened up his teammates to score some buckets.

Scoring against Big Piney: Schwalbe - 13, Roling - 12, Mortimore - 11, Zupan - 10, Harvey - 5 and Sean Miller - 5

Gerber said free throws will definitely be a point of emphasis moving forward, and he is proud of the boys for being able to meet the challenge and get to the line more.

"We got ourselves to the free throw line," Gerber said. "We just didn't respond in the way we like to." He let the boys know that it isn't one player's fault, as the free throws in the first quarter are just as important in the fourth. "We need to make sure that we focus on them always, and not only worry about the ones at the end of the game."

Gerber said it's fun to watch the boys improve, and it's great to see the older players talk about how much they came together as a team and how much better they got during the weekend.

The boys will enter conference play with a game here against Worland this Thursday, Jan. 18. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. They will travel to play Buffalo the following day at 7 p.m.