Lady Herd end season in narrow loss at regionals

Regardless of how the regular season goes, all teams are even once entering the playoffs – allowing the Glenrock High School girls basketball team to have the same chance as every other team to earn a trip State.

All the Herders needed to do was to find a way to win two games at the 3A East regional tournament in Torrington. However, that lofty goal was too much as they had to take on the No. 1 team in the state out of the gate, coming up short in a close game that ended the Herd season.

GHS’ first game of regionals was against cross-county nemesis Douglas. The Bearcats were relentless defensively and never let up, humbling GHS 73-17.

The Herders were still not out of the hunt, but the road to making State was tougher as they still had to find a way to win two games.

That quest started against host Torrington. Glenrock refused to go down without a fight as it never trailed by more than four points and even led in the third period before time ran out on the season in a heart wrenching 50-49 setback to end the year.

The Herders got the kind of start they needed. Julia Sarvey converted a three-point play and Ann-Marie Young swished the first of many baskets to give GHS a 5-1 lead.

Consistent scoring has slowed Glenrock all season and it continued against Torrington. The group went four minutes without a point which allowed the Trailblazers to score 11 of the next 12 points. A basket by Young ended the scoring silence as GHS trailed 12-8 after one period.

After the break in action, the Herders found a little momentum. Sarvey scored the first three points of the second and Kiley Smith hit her first bucket to reclaim the lead at 14-12. The action heated up like a playoff game as the teams traded baskets and leads where GHS held onto another lead at 16-15 on a shot by Young.

Glenrock had three scoreless possessions which allowed the Trailblazers to jump ahead again. Sarvey, in the final game of her career, fired back with four straight points to put the team ahead 22-21 with 2:54 left in the half.

The Herders never scored again before the break. Meanwhile, Torrington scored the final five points to take a 26-22 halftime lead.

There was no giving up by the Converse County girls. Trailing 28-22, the Herders went on the attack with Gracie Sixbey, Young, Smith and Sarvey all hitting baskets while Caitilyn Williams and Megann Farley came up big defensively to give the team a 31-28 third quarter lead.

Torrington was not contained for long. The hosts scored the final five points to pull ahead 35-34 going into the final period.

The fourth quarter was a fight to the finish with a lot on the line.

Young helped fuel a rally as she scored twice, once on a steal courtesy of Smith. Sixbey sunk another bucket while Young hit a 10-foot jumper and Sarvey swished two free throws to tie the game at 46-46 with 56 second left in the season.

Glenrock went cold at the wrong time and Torrington scored four straight free throws to go ahead 50-46. With time winding down, Young swished a three-pointer as time expired as the Herders fell one point short, 50-49.