State-bound: Boys win thriller match ups to earn Casper trip

Posted 3/10/15

The Panthers (13-10) squeezed past Jackson and Cody before losing the regional title to host Lander Valley. Both wins came on late scores after Powell withstood threats at the very end of the games.

The Panthers now enter the state tournament as …

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State-bound: Boys win thriller match ups to earn Casper trip

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A pair of last-second wins in the 3A West Regional Tournament were enough to earn the Powell High School boys basketball team a berth in the Class 3A state tournament, which opens Thursday in Casper.

The Panthers (13-10) squeezed past Jackson and Cody before losing the regional title to host Lander Valley. Both wins came on late scores after Powell withstood threats at the very end of the games.

The Panthers now enter the state tournament as the West’s No. 2 seed, and will battle the East’s No. 3-seeded Buffalo at noon Thursday.

“We’ve just got to finish this season well ... play as hard as we can,” PHS head coach Chase Kistler said.

Lander Valley 72, Powell 57

After two emotional victories, the Panthers were unable to recreate their previous magic in the 3A West Regional championship game.

Lander overpowered PHS on its way to a 34-25 halftime lead, and continued the onslaught with a 25-point third quarter to jump ahead 59-36.

“That was a tough place to play, a tough team in front of a hostile crowd,” Kistler said. “They were looking. All the players were shooting well and flying around. It was a good game by them.”

Despite the end result, Kistler said the Panthers had been ready for the contest. While he didn’t use it as an excuse, he said the two tough wins prior to Saturday’s bout might have contributed to his team running out of gas against the Tigers.

“[We] were fired up for it. You could tell with their frustration that they were fired up for it,” Kistler said. “Emotionally, they might have been drained with the two close games we had the nights before, but we actually started the game quite well; we were controlling the game early ... a couple mistakes and Lander got rolling.”

PHS actually held an 8-7 lead in the first quarter thanks to a Zach Heny bucket, and was still within striking distance thanks to a Carter Baxter triple later in the frame. But LVHS’ Cooxooeii Black (13 points) began to dominate around the basket, helping the Tigers to an 18-13 lead after the first period.

PHS then found it difficult to keep the ball in its hands, as their turnover total reached eight in the second. PHS was further hindered by aggressive play from Baxter, who picked up three quick fouls trying to check Black. Baxter was sent to the bench, and Lander took over.

“Carter in foul trouble, it hurt us,” Kistler said, but admitted it may not have mattered anyway. “Even with Carter out there ... as well as Carter was playing ... [the Tigers] were clicking.”

Despite the foul trouble, Baxter still led PHS with 15 points. Heny scored 14 and Kalei Smith drained 10. Jayson Simpson paced the Tigers with 23 points.

PHS shot just 40 percent (19 of 47) from the floor for the game, while Lander countered with 46 percent (26 of 56). Powell finished with 14 turnovers to Lander’s eight.

Powell 69, Cody 63

The third time was the charm.

Down 10 with under four minutes to play, the Panthers needed a miracle to advance to the regional title game, and got one.

PHS forced overtime with a miraculous fourth quarter, and then defeated Cody in overtime on Friday night to clinch a berth in the state tourney. The win followed a 73-69 overtime win for the Broncs on Feb. 6 in Powell and a 52-48 win on Feb. 26 in Cody.

But PHS proved how hard it can be to beat a team three times in one season.

“Those two teams, when they play each other, it’s just a whole nother level of intensity,” Kistler said. “For the most part, it was just having our guys calm down and get over the fact that it’s Cody-Powell and it’s just another basketball game they have to go play and win.”

To win, PHS had to do the unthinkable: turn a six-point deficit into a tie with just 12 seconds left in the game.

After Cody’s Blake Hinze nailed two free throws to give the Broncs a 60-54 lead, Smith followed with a long, off-balance 3-pointer to bring PHS within three. The Panthers fouled on Cody’s next possession, the Broncs failed to convert at the line, and PHS grabbed the rebound.

PHS marched down the court, and with the ball in his hands once again, Smith fired a no-look, off-balance trey that somehow found the net as the buzzer sounded.

Of the first Smith shot, Kistler said: “Man that’s a tough shot — oh it went in.”

And of the second: “[The Cody defense was] coming to get him ... [Kalei] pulled up before they get to him and hit that one, too.”

The back-to-back triples sent the Cody fans into a dead silence, and the Broncs were left scratching their heads. Maybe so much so, that they seemed to forget an overtime period was ahead of them.

Smith started the scoring in OT on a feed from Heny, Baxter found the hoop and Smith hit two free throws to give PHS a 66-63 edge. A free throw from Jake Gallagher and two more from Smith finished out the scoring and ended an improbable Panther victory.

“I knew we were in a challenging situation,” Kistler added. “But that’s why you play to the final whistle.”

Powell 59, Jackson Hole 58

With Powell nursing a 59-58 lead against Jackson Hole and the clock reading zeros in the fourth quarter Thursday, a whistle was heard and a foul called on Smith.

Jackson’s Brady Anderson stepped to the line alone, and prepared to shoot a one-and-one. If he made both, the Broncs would win and advance, while Powell would face a loser-out game Friday morning.

He missed and the Panthers escaped with the win.

“I’d even be nervous — anyone would,” Kistler said of Anderson’s miss. “That young man ... so much goes into the game; can’t fault the kid.”

A scramble under the basket led to the Anderson free throws, and Kistler admitted it as the right call, even if it did put PHS in a tough situation.

“I’m not going to lie, that last play, there was maybe five fouls in there,” the coach added. “... bodies flying everywhere ... elbows ... kids scrapping.”

“The ref says Kalei pushed a kid ... it was tough, it was a tough way to end a game,” Kistler continued. “You’re not really letting the players dictate the end of the game.”

The Broncs jumped out to a 10-2 lead early, but Baxter, who had 10 first-quarter points, rallied his team to tie it at 12-12 and then 14-14. Jackson then hit a pair of 3-pointers to take a 20-14 lead.

The Broncs’ star guard, Henry Geraci, was called for a foul at the end of the quarter and Smith hit both free throws before the second period opened. Baxter continued to play hard, scoring and rebounding, and Smith heated up. That included hitting a 3-pointer at the end of the half to make it 33-33 — a welcome change for the Panthers, who’ve been victimized by late long shots time and again this season.

Powell built a four-point lead early in the third period, but Jackson had a one-point lead by the end of the quarter.

“I think I’ve really prepared myself for those kind of games coming into it,” Kistler said. “I knew we were going to be close. With our conference this year, any game can go any way.”

The Broncs built their advantage to five in the fourth, but PHS scrambled back to tie and the lead went back and forth. Jackson had a one-point edge in the final seconds before Smith glided in for the winning bucket.

“I talked to [Kalei] early last week: ‘If you’re still missing those shots ... start visualizing being the hero ... and be surprised when you don’t hit it,’” Kistler said.

The Broncs missed two shots on their last possession. Smith was then tagged with the foul, but Anderson missed his chance to be a hero.

Smith, who averaged more than 25 points this season to lead all Class 3A scorers, matched that average against the Broncs. Baxter added 22, Heny had nine, Kristian Stenlund added two and Jake Gallagher, back from an injury that cost him two games, added one.

(Powell Tribune Sports Editor Joe Alberico contributed to this story.)

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