Last weekend was more or less rivalry weekend for the Powell High School boys’ basketball team. Playing against Lovell and Cody on Friday and Saturday, the Panthers faced their foes from the east and west.

Powell proved superior to its neighbors, winning both contests and improving to 8-2 overall.

The Panthers opened the weekend in Big Horn County, taking on Lovell and cruising to a 65-43 win over the Bulldogs. A strong defensive effort paved the way for the lopsided victory, with Lovell scoring just 13 points in the first half. 

Even with a dry stretch in the third quarter, the Panthers shot exceptionally well in the win: The team sank 63% of its attempts from the field, including 50% from beyond the arc.

“We shot the ball extremely well in the second quarter which allowed us to build the 19-point halftime lead,” PHS head coach Mike Heny said. “We had a bit of a rough stretch with some sloppy turnovers in the third quarter but then settled down and stretched out our lead again.”

Three Panthers — Mason Marchant, Zach Ratcliff and Adrian Geller — finished in double figures, with Marchant’s 18 points leading the way. Brock Johnson also added eight points off the bench.

The next day, PHS hosted Cody for the second meeting between the teams this season. Powell completed the sweep of the Broncs, this time winning 60-43.

Heny said having already played Cody earlier in the season helped the team’s strategy in the late stages of the contest. 

“It’s always a little easier to game plan when you have more familiarity with your opponent’s tendencies and personnel,” Heny said. “We had a better idea of their strengths and weaknesses and the kids did a better job of getting out in transition when opportunities were there. The kids also did a better job executing in the half court on offense.”

Mason Marchant once again led the way individually, scoring 17 points, while Landon Lengfelder and Jaden Marchant added 13 and 10, respectively. 

Now on a three-game winning streak, Heny has seen heightened team cohesion in recent performances. 

“They are sharing the basketball and looking to make the next pass so we can get the best shot possible each possession,” Heny said. “They are also getting much better at communicating on the defensive end and learning to work together to get stops.”

Next on the schedule, PHS hosts Pinedale and Kemmerer on Friday and Saturday. The coach noted decreasing the number of turnovers and “working on the little things” on both sides of the ball as focuses ahead of these contests. 

“We are going to continue to work on polishing up our defensive rotations and will look to continue to develop offensively,” Heny said. “There are a couple of things we will install before we take on our quadrant teams for the second time.”

Powell 65, Lovell 43

Points — Mason Marchant 18, Adrian Geller 10, Zach Ratcliff 10, Brock Johnson 8, Jaden Marchant 7, Trevor Groves 6, Dylan Escalante 2, Landon Lengfelder 2, Landon Sessions 2; Rebounds — M. Marchant 8, J. Marchant 7, Ratcliff 6, Sessions 3, Groves 2, Lengfelder 1, Geller 1; Steals — M. Marchant 5; Assists — J. Marchant 7

Powell 60, Cody 43

Points — M. Marchant 17, Lengfelder 13, J. Marchant 10, Geller 8, Groves 8, Toran Graham 2, Sessions 2; Rebounds — M. Marchant 12, J. Marchant 8, Groves 6, Lengfelder 3, Geller 2, Sessions 1, Johnson 1; Assists — M. Marchant 5