Denied By a Bucket: A mere three points end Herders’ shot at State

When it comes to the playoffs, every possession counts more than anything. During the regular season, there is always another game but in the postseason it can end or extend the year.

Unfortunately, the Glenrock High School boys basketball team finished on the wrong side of the win-or-go-home finale at regionals which ended state hopes and the season.

The Herders did nearly everything they needed to do in order to make the state tournament except fall one possession short of that goal. They opened with 64-43 loss the Rawlins and bounced right back to take down Moorcroft 63-37.

That sent Glenrock into huge game against Wheatland in which the winner goes to state and the loser goes home. GHS led in all four quarters but went cold in the final few minutes of the game and the season in falling short by one possession in a 62-59 defeat.

Glenrock started slow and ended slow but was fantastic every minute between those lulls. It went scoreless through half of the opening period as the Bulldogs scored the first eight points of the contest.

The silence wasn’t forever. Senior Mason O’Brien scored the first of his 21 points to erase the goose egg with 4:15 remaining in the draft period.

The bucket was also the spark needed to get the offense on track. It was raining threes as O’Brien got two three pointers, Gavin Zeiger nailed a triple and Casey Sarvey swished a free throw and GHS grabbed its first lead at the end of one quarter, 16-14.

It was a tough race from the start of the second period through an exchange of buckets. The Herders held a slim lead thanks to shots via Ayden Moulton, Sarvey and O’Brien in protecting a 21-18 edge with 2:56 left in the half .

Glenrock took its biggest lead of the game when Charlie Schowengerdt and O’Brien scored to make it 28-21. It didn’t last long as the squad missed five straight buckets and Wheatland rallied to tie the game 30-30 at halftime.

Sophomore Nate Bigford made some noise to start the third period with a three pointer. The Bulldogs scored five straight to grab a short lead before Moulton buried back to back three pointers to put the team back ahead by two.

The Herders stepped up defensively as well. Sarvey blocked a shot while Moulton and Schowengerdt had steals to go along with two three pointers courtesy of Sarvey to take a 50-45 lead into the fourth frame.

The momentum left the building after that and the beginning of the end was inevitable. Three quick turnovers led to Wheatland’s first eight points as it took the lead for good at 58-50 with 3:57 left in the season.

The Herders didn’t score until Moulton hit another three pointer with two minutes to go. That shot made it 58-53 before the Bulldogs connected on just enough free throws to hold off Glenrock’s late run that ended one three pointer short.