Better effort on boards a key for Buffs

Losers of four straight, Buffs are looking for spark

Coach Logan Burningham believes if there’s a positive to take away from his team’s weekend losses to Shoshoni and Big Horn, it may be that the two games revealed an area of weakness that must be shored up before this weekend’s Class 2A West Regional.

“Looking at the films and the stats, it was pretty apparent that the biggest difference between us winning and losing was offensive rebounding,” Burningham said. “We gave up way too many second chance baskets and that kind of summed up our whole weekend.

“Everyone rebounded better than we did.”

The Buffs had a lot riding on their game Friday night in Shoshoni.  They’d beaten the Wranglers 56-55 in their first encounter and a sweep of the season series would have given them a No. 3 seed for the regional.

But it just wasn’t their night.  The Wranglers outscored the Buffs 18-5 in the second quarter and built on their lead in the second half, eventually winning 68-43. Carter Jacobs was the only Buff in double digits with 12.

“Shoshoni must have had 13 or 14 offensive rebounds in the first half — in fact, of their 35 points, I bet 15 were on put-backs,” said Burningham.  The Buffs hit nearly 50% of their shots, but only attempted 38, which wasn’t enough.

The second quarter woes continued the next day against Big Horn.  The Buffs were within a point in late in the first quarter, but the Rams closed it out with a 7-0 run and outscored the Buffs 19-6 in the second to build a 35-17 halftime lead.  

“Again, it was lot of offensive rebounds and second-chance points that really hurt us,” said Burningham. “I talked to the kids (in the second half) and told them, ‘You have to get back to rebounding hard’ and ‘I want all of you rebounding hard.’  But only Yandel (Hernandez) took the advice and started doing it.”

Hernandez paced the Buffs with a double-double, 12 points and 10 boards.

On to regionals

The Buffs, the No. 4 seed from the Northwest, will face Southwest Conference champion Big Piney today (Thursday, Feb. 27) in the opening round of the Class 2A West Regional. The game starts at 1:30 p.m. in the Riverton High School gym.

Burningham described the Punchers as “a scary team” to be facing because they have good size and five players who consistently knock down 3-pointers. “A zone killer is a team that can shoot the ball — and that’s Big Piney,” he said. “For us, it’s going to be about making sure we’re flying around and getting bodies on guys when the shot goes up.

“Just looking at the states, ours versus theirs, we don’t really have an advantage in any area, so it’s going to be a battle.  Our big thing this, if we work hard, give the right energy effort, we’ll be able to stay with anyone we play down there.”

The Buffs and Punchers share a bracket with Rocky Mountain and Kemmerer.  Win or lose, the Buffs will face one of them on Friday.  Thermopolis won the Northwest crown and heads the other side of the bracket.

“Last year we went in as a No. 1 and it seemed like everyone was biting at our heels,” said Burningham. “This year, it feels like we are the ones biting at the heels of the top four teams, trying to steal a win against them. 

“If the worst case happens, if we lose our first game and have to beat Kemmerer on Friday, the bracket sets up for us to potentially play Wyoming Indian or Shoshoni to go to state.  We’re a little behind those teams, but it wouldn’t be an impossible task.”

Shoshoni 17 18 12 21 — 68

Greybull 10   5 12 16 — 43

SHOSHONI — Larry Longshore 0-0 1-2 1, Caden Hunt 3-10 1-1 7, Anthony Chacon 0-1 0-0 0, Lucas Bolzer 2-3 0-0 6, Cole Wisehart 2-3 0-0 6, Isaac Vigil 1-2 0-0 2, Cord Edeler 0-1 0-0 0, Yandel Hernandez 4-6 1-2 9, Carter Jacobs 6-12 0-1 12.   Totals 18-of-38 (FGs) 3-of-6 (FTs) 43.

3-POINT GOALS — Bolzer 2, Wisehart 2.  REBOUNDS — Greybull 20 (Hernandez 6).  STEALS — Greybull 8 (Vigil 3).  ASSISTS — Greybull 8 (Hernandez 3).  TURNOVERS — Greybull 18.

Big Horn 19 16 11 13 — 59

Greybull 11   6 18 12 — 47

GREYBULL — Hunt 1-9 3-4 6, William Harlow 1-1 0-0 2, Bolzer 2-5 0-0 5, Wisehart 1-2 0-0 3, Vigil 2-8 0-3 4, Edeler 2-2 0-0 5, Rex Cooper 1-1 0-0 2, Hernandez 5-10 2-3 12, Jacobs 3-16 0-0 8.  Totals 18-of-55 (FGs) 5-of-10 (FTs) 47.

3-POINT GOALS — Jacobs 2, Hunt, Bolzer, Wisehart, Edeler.  REBOUNDS — Greybull 27 (Hernandez 10).  STEALS — Greybull 8 (Wisehart 3).  ASSISTS — Greybull 11 (Hunt 3).  TURNOVERS — Greybull 18.