Warrior Basketball Win West Regional

The Worland Warrior basketball team finished the regular season 17-3 overall and the Northwest Quad Title.

Heading into the West Regional Tournament in Mountain View the Warriors would be the number 1 seed and ranked number 2 in Wyoming 3A Basketball.

Worland had won 16 in a row and hadn’t lost since January 5th.

All of that is out the window when an elimination tournament is ahead.

The Warriors would open the tournament against the host team Mountain View Buffalos.

Mountain View was 2-20 this season and the 4th seed from the Southwest Quad.

The Buffalos didn’t know.

At the end of the 1st half Mountain View had the lead 20-19.

Worland would answer in the 3rd period with 20 points while holding Mountain View to 3 points ending the 3rd 40-23.

With a low-scoring final period, Worland put up 5 and Mountain View 4.

The Warriors held the Buffalos to 7 points in the second half winning 45-27.

Carter Clark led the Warriors in scoring with 15.

Listen to the rebroadcast of the Mountain View game by scrolling below.

2022-23 3A West Boys Regional Basketball Tournament 3A West Boys

With the win, the Warriors would face a familiar opponent the Lovell Bulldogs.

Worland had beaten Lovell 56-39 at the Big Horn Classic, 57-40 at home in conference play, and 54-44 in Lovell also a conference game.

The regular season means nothing in tournament play and Lovell was going to prove it.

The Bulldogs came out and took a lead they would hold onto finishing the first period up 17-9.

Not giving in and led by their outstanding point guard Joel Padilla who scored 14 in the 1st half the Bulldogs would hold an 8-point lead going into the half 23-15.

Worland would score 17 in the 3rd period, but again Lovell would match with 14 of their own.

The game would finish regulation with a tie and Overtime would determine a winner.

In post-season basketball, a game will continue until a winner is determined.

Going into the second Overtime with 4.7 seconds remaining the Warriors would run a football-looking play that included a hook and ladder.

Why not an All-State Quarterback in Kade Weber with a football toss to one of his Wide Receivers Carter Clark who would shovel the ball to All-State Wide Receiver Brock Douzenious for the tie to send it to a second overtime.

To complete the comeback and win Junior Chase Harris would hit the final free throw to give the Warriors a 2-point lead.

With 5.4 seconds left the Bulldogs would lose the ball and the Warriors would secure a double Overtime win.

The Lovell Chronicales Samual Smith certainly had a hand in creating an amazing finish to an incredible game.

R.I.P. Sam, you will be missed.

The Warriors were led in scoring by Court Gonsalez with 23, 8 of those from the free throw line, followed by Brock Douzenis with 19.

Lovell got 20 from Parker Anderson and 19 from Joel Padilla.

Worland would move on to the West Regional Championship Game against Lyman.

Listen to the exciting rebroadcast of the Double Overtime game by scrolling below.

In the Championship the Warriors would face a 15-6 Lyman team that was the number 1 seed from the Southwest Quad.

As the brackets would follow chaulk in the Championship it would be the second time the Warriors would play the Eagles this season winning in Worland 68-54 and a game that saw Braydon Bradshaw score 29.

Worland would lead at half 24-17 and would never trail in the game to the end.

Clark had 20 with Gonsalez and Douzenis each with 8.

Worland held Braydon to 16 points.

Listen to the rebroadcast of the Championship below.