The Kemmerer High School girls’ hoops team are headed back to the 2A State Basketball Tournament in Casper this week, courtesy of a strong performance at last weekend’s 2A West Regional Tournament in Riverton.
The Lady Rangers won their first two games and earned a spot in the regional title game, guaranteeing themselves at least a No. 2-seed at State. Kemmerer opened the tournament Thursday with a hard-fought 18-13 win over Greybull, then punched their ticket to State – as well as the regional title game – with a 45-44 nailbiter Friday over Wind River. In Saturday’s championship game, Wyoming Indian couldn’t miss a shot – while the Lady Rangers couldn’t make one – in a 50-20 loss, though KHS head coach Phil Thatcher said his team was far from outclassed in that contest.
“I was really happy with the girls,” he said. “They were focused, and worked as a unit throughout. They didn’t let the pressure of the tournament stack up multiple mistakes in a row, especially in the first two games. But even in the third – the championship game – we played well in every facet except shooting. We shot 13% and Wyoming Indian shot 48%. They had the hot hand. We outrebounded them, only gave up seven offensive boards, had more steals and about the same amount of turnovers – they just hit more shots. But the first two games were awesome.”
The Lady Rangers will head to Casper later this week as the No. 2-seed out of the West – not a bad spot to be in. They’ll open play Thursday morning against No. 3-seed Pine Bluffs at Casper College.
“Looking at [Pine Bluff’s] stats, they are very similar to us,” Thatcher said. “They have a little more size than us, but I think we can use our speed to our advantage – especially defensively. It will be a battle. Again, the team that stays level-headed when the other team goes on a little run, or when you make a few mistakes, will probably get to move on. I do like this matchup for us, and my girls are excited for the opportunity.”
Lady Rangers 18, Greybull 13
The Lady Rangers opened the 2A West Regional Tournament Thursday against Greybull, and quickly found themselves in a defensive battle, holding just a 9-6 halftime lead. Scoring didn’t pick up much in the second half, but what little scoring was done, the Lady Rangers did more of it, holding on for a 18-13 win.
“We led the entire time against Greybull, who is a good defensive team with a lot of size,” Thatcher said. “We were patient in our offense, and took the shots when they appeared.”
Sophie Archibald led the charge for the Lady Rangers with seven points, followed by Ella Thatcher with six points, to go along with five rebounds and four steals. Janae Skidmore chipped in three points – to go along with a team-high seven rebounds and two assists – while Hadlee Wood rounded out the scoring with two points.
Lady Rangers 45, Wind River 44
Friday’s game against Wind River featured a lot more scoring, with the Lady Rangers finding themselves in a dogfight from the jump.
The Lady Cougars held a 27-19 lead at the half, but Kemmerer stormed back in the second half to clip Wind River by a point – and secure a berth in the state tournament – 45-44.
“Against Wind River, it was fast-paced, and we got down 12 points in the first and were still down eight at half,” Thatcher said. “I was so proud of the girls for not panicking, and taking it one possession at a time. Each girl made huge plays – on offense or defense – to get that one-point win.”
Ella Thatcher paced the Lady Rangers with 20 points, to go along with five rebounds, five steals and two assists. Janae Skidmore followed with nine points and a team-high six rebounds, while Tyler Thatcher and Natasha Martinez chipped in five points apiece. Sophie Archibald and Micalyn Carlson rounded out the scoring with three points each.
Wyoming Indian 50, Lady Rangers 20
Squaring off against Wyoming Indian in Saturday’s 2A West Regional Championship Game, the Lady Rangers knew what to expect from the No. 2-ranked team in 2A, having played them twice already this season.
The Lady Chiefs took advantage of red-hot shooting, while Kemmerer seemingly couldn’t buy a bucket, though strong play in other facets of the game kept the Lady Rangers somewhat competitive in the 50-20 loss.
Janae Skidmore was a bright spot on offense, recording a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Tyler Thatcher followed with five points, while Ella Thatcher and Sophie Archibald rounded out the scoring with two points each.
