Big Horn basketball playing strong through mid-season

By Tyler Allen Explore Big Sky Associate Editor
BIG SKY – The Big Horns lost to Twin Bridges at home on Jan. 10, but bounced
back with a lopsided road victory over West Yellowstone, and a gritty win at
Lima.
Twin Bridges shot 90 percent from the free-throw line, going seven for eight
from the line in the fourth quarter. The Big Horns struggled with their free
throws, hitting just 11 of 22 in the 66-54 loss.
The ball was falling in the bucket for the Big Horns at West Yellowstone on
Jan. 16 however, as they crushed the Wolverines 62-30.
Junior Trevor House led a balanced scoring attack for LPHS with 16 points,
freshman Eddie Starz pitched in 11, and junior Justin McKillop added nine
points, six steals and five assists.
On Jan. 18, after trailing at Lima at the end of the first half 21-20, the Big
Horns turned it around in the third quarter, taking a 41-33 lead into the
fourth. But they had to fend off a late charge by the Bears, including two
three-pointers by junior Stephen Herriott in the closing minutes.
The Big Horns won 56-54 as freshman James Ramirez lead the team with 19
points and 18 rebounds, and junior Trevor House added 18 points, including
four 3-pointers.

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Junior Tehya Brown scored two quick third quarter buckets against Lima to help seal a win Jan. 18

LIMA – The Lone Peak High School girls’ varsity basketball team is exceeding expectations.

According to a coaches’ poll in the beginning of the season, the team was ranked No. 10 of 11 teams in the district. Now, with a win at Lima (44-37) on Jan. 18, and a conference record of 2-6 (as of press time, Jan. 22), the team has moved up to No. 9.

Although the squad came out with a win against Lima, the score was closer than it should have been, according to Head Coach Cyle Kokot.

Half of LPHS’ first half points came from free throws, and Lima’s top scorer Emily Stosich
was in foul trouble early on, giving the Big Horns an advantage. However, junior Gabrielle Gasser stepped up defensively during the second half and fronted her, which limited her chances of getting her hands on the ball and making buckets.

Having defeated Lima and played competitively against strong teams like Twin Bridges and West Yellowstone the previous week, this young Lady Big Horns team is proving they should not be dismissed.

The West Yellowstone game (35-50) was a disappointing loss for the Big Horns, as it could have gone either way. However, the Wolverines pulled away in the fourth quarter. Kokot attributes the loss to poor free-throw shooting and rebounding, as well as the players’ lack of experience in close-game situations.

Moving into the second half of the season, Kokot has set a tough goal of achieving a 4-4 record in order to move up to the No. 6 or 7 seed. In order to reach that goal, they must log wins against Sheridan, White Sulphur Springs, West Yellowstone, and Lima.