Bobcats have tough week against Greybull, Lovell

The Bobcats charged into conference play last weekend against both Greybull and Lovell, two powerhouse teams with a major height advantage, getting their first real test of what the season has in store for the Thermopolis squad.

First up was Greybull on Friday. The game was played in a packed auditorium in front of scores of cheering fans, but the team spirit did not translate into momentum as the Buffaloes came out of the gate on a relentless scoring streak that could be slowed but not stopped throughout the game.

"They started out hot and heavy, they've got Tristan Tracey who's a great ball player, and our emphasis was to get a hand in his face and he proved what a great ballplayer he was in the first quarter," said coach Kevin Gerber.

The Buffaloes scoring deluge was fast and furious, and Gerber said that the noise and spirit from the crowd could have pumped the Bobcats up too much. "The noise and everything was awesome, and the energy was great in the gym, and I think it over-pumped us up and we were shooting over the rim." By the end of the quarter, the Bobcats had already found themselves down 18-4.

Although the Bobcats stepped up their offense and in the second quarter managed to stay neck-and-neck with the Buffaloes scoring 12 points to the opponents 18, the boys were still down 36-18.

"Unfortunately we came up short still. We won the second half, out scoring them by three points in the second half... and I feel like that is still a win," said Gerber.

This was the game's silver lining according to the first-year coach. Even though the team was pummeled throughout the first and even the second quarter, the Bobcats never gave up hope and fought to the final buzzer.

"I feel like that's still a win," Gerber said of his team's second half performance. "When you can come out and do some things in the second half after a tough first half," he continued.

Dominic Jensen scored over a quarter of the team's total points Friday, shooting five of 12 from the field with three rebounds and two assists and steals. Keegan Robbins scored eight points, shooting 100 percent from the line during his six free-throw attempts. Tyler Cornwell and Eric Herold both finished with six points each.

The Bobcats then went into Saturday's game against Lovell with high hopes of redemption, only to face a six-foot-nine and six-foot-four offensive powerhouse players.

"We came out knowing they had two big players and our emphasis was to stop those guys," Gerber said. "We did a good job. The first time we played them, [the two players] scored 24 and 20 points each. This time, one scored 17 and one scored 15."

Although the team was unable to completely stop Lovell's two big men, the Bobcats defensive performance allowed for a close game throughout the first half, finishing one point behind the Bulldogs at the half, 25-24.

"We came out in the third quarter and traded buckets with them back and forth. We'd go down, get a good look, and score a bucket, then they'd come down and score a bucket," said Gerber.

The Bobcats' fate was sealed halfway through the third quarter when the Bulldogs 'caught fire' according to Gerber. "They hit three three's in a period of about 90 seconds," he said. "It was one of those moments where you tell yourself, 'this is it, they're not going to miss for a little bit, and we've got to weather that storm."

Saturday's game bore a striking resemblance to Friday's in this regard. Although the Bobcats were on the ropes, they never once gave in and fought until the final buzzer.

"The boys did a great job of keeping their attitudes up, their energy up, understanding that basketball is a game of runs... I know Tyler and Eric did a great job of saying, 'okay, there is their run, now we need to counter it and come back'."

The fourth quarter of the game was evenly fought, but four minutes in the third quarter were enough to put the Bulldogs ahead of the Bobcats 65-52.

Noah Schwalbe finished the game with 15 points, shooting six of ten from two and one of one from three. Schwalbe finished the game with seven rebounds. Cornwell scored 13, shooting 50 percent from two, and Herold had another solid performance scoring nine points.

The Bobcats travel to Rocky Mountain Thursday, and then come home for a Saturday game against Shoshoni. The Bobcats defeated Rocky Mountain 44-42 on Jan. 8, and have yet to meet Shoshoni.