Buffs rally late, tame Cougars

It took a fourth-quarter rally, but the Greybull Buffs clawed their way back to the .500 mark with a 46-30 win over Wind River Saturday afternoon at Buff Gym.

The now 4-4 Buffs trailed by two heading into the final frame, but used timely 3-pointers by senior Lucas Bolzer and junior Caden Hunt along with some key defensive stops to notch the win in their home opener.

A traditional power from the Southwest, Wind River dropped to 0-8.

Coach Logan Burningham described it as a “flat” performance by his team. “It’s hard to come out of break,” he said. “That’s why it’s nice to have a game scheduled (at the end of it), because it can serve as a wake-up call.

“It was probably the worst game we’ve played all season, so hopefully we have a bounce-back week, get kids refocused and get the intensity level where it needs to be.”

In addition to the clutch 3-pointers by Bolzer and Hunt, the Buffs also got a good performance from Carter Jacobs, who finished with a team-high 16 points. “He had a couple really nice plays in the fourth quarter, too,” said Burningham.

The coach also credited Cole Wisehart for the intensity he brought to the floor, saying, “If we could get everyone to match it, it would help a ton,” as well as Rex Cooper for providing a strong presence in the paint.

“As a whole, we’re happy to get the win, but realistically, if we play that way against anyone else, we’re going to end up with a loss,” said Burningham.

The Buffs will travel to Ethete Saturday for their first matchup of the season against Wyoming Indian.  The JV plays at noon, the varsity at 3 p.m.

The Chiefs were 2A’s highest-scoring team in December, averaging 77 points per game.  They finished the month at 6-2; both losses were to top-ranked Wright.

After their trip to Ethete, the Buffs will turn their attention to the Big Horn Basin Hoops Classic, which is Jan. 17-18.  The Buffs will star with games against Wyoming Indian and Lovell, the top-ranked team in 3A.

Looking further out, their conference opener is Jan. 24 against Rocky Mountain. 

Wind River     7   9 14   8 — 38

Greybull     6 12 10 18 — 46

GREYBULL — Caden Hunt 2-11 3-4 8, Lucas Bolzer 1-5 0-0 3, Cole Wisehart 1-3 1-2 3, Isaac Vigil 3-8 1-2 7, Rex Cooper 1-2 0-0 2, Yandel Hernandez 3-7 1-4 7, Carter Jacobs 7-11 2-4 16.  Totals 18-of-47 (FGs) 8-of-16 (FTs) 46.

3-POINT GOALS — Hunt, Bolzer.  REBOUNDS — Greybull 39 (Hernandez 7).  STEALS — Greybull 14 (Hunt 5)   ASSISTS  — GREYBULL 8 (Hernandez 2).  TURNOVERS — Greybull 24.