Lady Bulldogs headed to state

The Sundance Lady Bulldogs are headed back to the state tournament. Participating in the 2A East Regional Tournament this past weekend, the Lady Bulldogs were able to defeat the Niobrara County Tigers and Pine Bluffs Hornets, and fell to the Lingle Fort Laramie Doggers, finishing in second place and earning another trip to the 2A State Basketball Tournament.

Going into the 2A East Regional Tournament as the number one seed from the north, the Lady Bulldogs opened play against the number four seed from the south, the Niobrara Lady Tigers. It was an evenly matched game throughout the first half of play as the teams traded basket for basket, feeling each other out.

The Lady Bulldogs began to pull away in the second half when their full court press gave the Tigers some trouble. With a 28-18 lead to start the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs spread their offense out, taking time off the clock. The Tigers continued to struggle on the offensive end as the Lady Bulldogs ran the clock out for a 31-25 victory. 

The second round of play put the Lady Bulldogs against the Pine Bluffs Hornets. Trading basket for basket, the two teams were tied, 11- 11 after the first eight minutes.

The Sundance team stepped up their scoring in the second quarter and took a 30-21 lead going into the halftime break. Savanna Williams opened the second half of play for the Bulldogs on fire, hitting from beyond the three-point arc consecutively, helping to increase the Bulldog lead throughout the final two quarters of play.

Williams ended the night with fifteen points, all from behind the arc. The Lady Bulldogs secured their spot in the championship game with a 57-41 win over the Pine Bluffs Hornets.

The 2A East Regional championship game pitted the two number one teams against each other on Saturday afternoon as the Lady Bulldogs faced the Lingle Fort Laramie Doggers. The Doggers had an aggressive defense, which gave the Bulldogs some trouble to start the game.

The Bulldogs regained their composure throughout the second quarter of play and secured a 18-10 lead at halftime. Opening the third quarter with big threes from senior Zoe Skeens and Freshman Jaylin Mills, the Bulldogs kept their lead, 28-22, as they entered the fourth quarter.

Scoring slowed for the Bulldogs in the final eight minutes as the Doggers once again picked up their intensity on the defensive end. With three minutes left on the clock the Dogger defense came up with two big steals to bring them within one point of the Bulldogs, 31-32.

Shortly thereafter, Lingle Fort Laramie would sink a three pointer to take over the lead. The Bulldog offense struggled in the last minutes of play, only gaining points from the free throw line, while the Doggers continued to put points on the board through their offense.

Down 37-35 with less than a minute remaining, the Bulldogs were forced to foul. Making four out of seven free throws down the stretch, the Doggers secured their 2A East Regional Championship with a 41-36 victory over the Bulldogs. 

The Sundance Lady Bulldogs enter the 2A State Tournament the number two seed from the east and they will face Kemmerer, the number three seed from the west, in the opening round of play on Thursday, March 2nd, at 9 a.m. at Casper College.

Boys

The Sundance Bulldogs ended the 2022-23 basketball season on their home floor Friday night, putting up a valiant effort against two tough teams from the south in the 2A Regional Tournament. 

Coming into the tournament the number four seed from the north, the Sundance Bulldogs were pitted against the number one seed from the south, the Pine Bluffs Hornets. The seedings, however, did not deter the Bulldogs from taking an early lead and holding onto it deep into the third quarter.

A scoring drought, on behalf of the Bulldogs, throughout the third quarter allowed the Hornets to make up some ground and tie the score at 25 with eight minutes left to play.

The Hornets came out in a full court press to start the fourth quarter. Breaking a press was something that had plagued the Bulldogs all season.

The Hornets capitalized on the Bulldogs' struggle and gained the lead, 31-28, with six minutes left in the fourth quarter. Sundance was now down, but not out.

The team continued to push the ball down the court and find open shots down the stretch. Pine Bluffs pulled their offense out into a stall, which forced the Bulldogs to foul to get the ball back.

The Hornets went 16 for 20 at the free throw line in the fourth quarter, solidifying their 49-39 victory over the Bulldogs. 

With one loss under their belts, the Bulldogs needed a win in game two to stay alive in the regional tournament. The Sundance Bulldogs were hoping for just that as they faced the Burns Broncs on Friday.

A slow start for both teams put the score at 13-10 in favor of the Broncs at the end of the first quarter. Another scoring drought plagued the Bulldogs throughout the second quarter and put them in a tough position going into the halftime break.

Down 18-32, the Bulldogs went to work in the second half. Keaton Mills opened the second half of the game controlling the defensive rebounds for Sundance, pulling down 13 for the night.

The rebounds helped to fuel the Sundance offense which was able to close the gap as the minutes ticked away. Down by five, 35-40, with three minutes remaining, the Bulldogs were within reach of the Broncs. With only 42 seconds left on the clock, Jake Schommer stepped up to the three-point line and nailed his shot, making it a one-possession ballgame, 42-45. With little time left on the clock, the Bulldogs were once again forced to foul to regain control of the basketball. Unfortunately they were unable to secure one more basket for the win and the Burns Broncs moved on with a 45-42 victory, ending the Bulldog's season.

The Sundance Bulldogs ended their 2022-2023 season with a 6-17 overall record.

Stats

SHS Boys vs. Pine Bluffs: 39-49

Scoring: Schommer 16 (1/2FT, 3/63pt), Mills 9 (¼ 3pt), E.Gill4 (0/2 3pt), Harmon 4, Skeens 3 (½ FT, 0/1 3pt), Fleenor 3 (1/2FT)

Rebound Leaders: Mills 11, D.Gill 7

Assists: D.Gill 2, Fleenor 2

SHS Boys vs. Burns: 42-45

Scoring: Mills 23 (4/8 FT, 1/7 3pt), Skeens 7 (1/2 FT, 2/11 3pt), E.Gill 6 (6/6FT, 0/2 3pt), Schommer 4 (1/2 FT, 1/8 3pt), Harmon 2

Rebound Leaders: Mills 19, E.Gill 6

Blocks: Mills 2, Schommer 2

Assists: Schommer 3, E.Gill 2, Fleenor 2

SHS Girls vs. Niobrara County: 31-25

Scoring: Mills 12 (4/6 FT, 0/2 3pt), Skeens 5 (0/1 FT, 1/2 3pt), L.Marchant 5 (1/7FT), Banker 4, K.Marchant 3 (3/4FT), Gillespie 2 

Rebound Leaders: L.Marchant 9, Mills 6

Steals: Mills 3

SHS Girls vs. Pine Bluffs: 57-41

Scoring: Williams 15 (0/1 FT, 5/6 3pt), Mills 12 (4/7 FT, 0/2 3pt), Skeens 9 (4/5 FT, 1/3 3pt), L.Marchant 8, K.Marchant 6 (3/6 FT, 1/3 3pt), Banker 4 (0/3 FT), Jones 3 (1/2 FT)

Rebound Leaders: Mills 9, L.Marchant 6

Steals Mills 3

SHS Girls vs. Lingle-Fort Laramie: 36-41

Scoring: Skeens 16 (3/6 FT, 3/7 3pt), Mills 11 (4/8FT, 1/4 3pt), L.Marchant 3 (3/4 FT), Williams 3 (1/4 3pt), Jones 2, Banker 1 (1/5 FT)