Bulldogs win two of three at East-West tourney in Lander

The Lovell Bulldogs tasted defeat for the first time this season as they ran into a buzz saw in the form of undefeated Douglas Friday at the East-West Classic in Lander, but they rebounded to beat Pine Bluffs and Wheatland to improve to 6-1 on the young season.
“We played a little bit better this weekend against better competition, but we’re still not anywhere near where we need to be. We had moments,” coach Shane Durtsche said. “We haven’t put together a good shooting night, but we made strides defensively.
“You have expectations as a coach, and it’s very frustrating knowing what we can be and can look like, but we’re struggling to put things together as a team. I’m looking forward to the Christmas break to put some things together and change what we need to change and fix what we need to fix.”
The Bulldogs fell to top-ranked Douglas Friday afternoon, 71-45, but they gave the Bearcats all they wanted early, leading during the first quarter and knotting the score 11-11 after the first quarter and 13-13 early in the second. But Douglas took control in the second quarter, outscoring the Bulldogs 20-8 to lead 31-19 at halftime.
“They went on a 10-0 run,” Durtsche said. “We had a few things go against us, and we weren’t able to respond.”
Douglas pulled away in the second half, outscoring Lovell 18-11 in the third quarter and 22-15 in the fourth.
“They shot really well in the second half,” Durtsche said. “We tried a few different things and gave them some new looks, but once a team starts shooting that well and gaining confidence, it’s tough.
“They’ve got kids who have played together a really long time, three seniors who started as sophomores and four who started last year. They have four or five kids who have played a lot of minutes since they were sophomores and have won a lot of basketball games.”
Davin Crosby led Lovell with 10 points, and Robert Romero, Jared Mangus and Owen Walker added 8 points each, Blake Wilson 4, Kaeson Anderson 3, Matthew Newman and Parker Anderson 2 each. Walker led the team with eight rebounds and four blocked shots.
Pine Bluffs win
Lovell rebounded to knock off Class 2A Pine Bluffs Saturday morning, 56-39, starting slow but rallying to win.
The Bulldogs couldn’t buy a bucket early, Durtsche said, though they managed to lead 13-10 after the first quarter and 26-22 at halftime.
“We had so many point-blank shots and must have missed 10 to 12 bunnies in the first half,” he said. “Pine Bluffs is used to winning, and if you let a team like that hang around, you’re in for one. I really liked the shots we were getting and our execution. We just weren’t putting the ball in the hole.”
The Bulldogs took charge in the second half, outscoring Pine Bluffs 11-4 and 19-13 in the final two quarters to win by 17 points.
“We really didn’t change anything,” Durtsche said. “The shots started falling. We played at a little faster pace, but really we just started making shots.”
Walker paced three players in double figures with 14 points, as Parker Anderson scored 13 points, Wilson 11. Newman added 7 points, Crosby 5, Mangus, Kaeson Anderson and J.R. Prosser 2 apiece. Walker led the team with 15 rebounds, and Parker Anderson finished with six rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Final game
The Bulldogs topped Wheatland in a Bulldogs vs. Bulldogs matchup Saturday afternoon, 39-31.
Lovell trailed 9-6 after the first quarter and 16-12 at halftime in a slow-paced first 16 minutes of basketball. Lovell trailed 22-21 after three quarters, then doubled up Wheatland 18-9 in the fourth quarter, turning a 9-0 run into a healthy lead.
“It was a weird game. There was no energy in the gym,” Durtsche said. “The JVs were still playing when we started, so no one (from Lovell) was in the gym. It was dead quiet, like a COVID (year) game. We missed three early layups, and I thought, ‘Here we go again.’ That doesn’t sound like a lot, but they play so deliberate.
“They pressured us (in the fourth quarter), but we were able to beat the press and get a couple of easy baskets. Parker hit a three from the corner to get us going, and Owen hit a 15-foot jumper, Newman a 12-foot jumper. Wheatland is pretty salty. They have good size and are athletic.”
Walker finished with 13 points, Parker Anderson 11, Crosby 7, Newman and Wilson 4 each. Walker led the team with 13 rebounds, four steals and three blocks. Crosby, Parker Anderson and Wilson grabbed five boards each.
Junior varsity
Coach Nicc Crosby’s junior varsity team won two games in Lander, with a third game cancelled.
The Bulldogs topped Douglas 58-45 Friday night, outscoring Douglas 20-8 in the first quarter and staying ahead after that. Kaeson Anderson scored 19 points, Braxton Felkins 8, Parker Steenbakkers 7, Owen Edwards and James Blau 6 each, Brody Muller and Kyle Wilson 4 apiece, Jaxen Clark and Robert Romero 2 each.
Saturday, the young Bulldogs beat Wheatland 41-37. Lovell led 17-15 at halftime and 30-23 after three, then hung tough in the fourth quarter. Wilson poured in 17 points for the Bulldogs, and Steenbakkers added 9 points, Felkins 5, Anderson 3, Edwards, Romero and Blau 2 apiece, Muller 1.