WHEATLAND – The Wheatland boys basketball team used a 20-2 run in the first quarter to sprint past the Glenrock Herders 69-26 Friday in Wheatland and completed a weekend sweep of Converse County Saturday with a 33-31 win over the Douglas Bearcats.
Wheatland hosted the Herders in a rematch from the Bulldogs third game of the season, a 55-53 nail biter. Glenrock jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first period, but the Bulldogs responded, scoring 20 of the next 22 points and never looked back.
Trigg Peasley put up all of his game high 10 points in the first quarter. Senior Brayden Billing made sure Glenrock had no chance of coming back with nine points in the fourth.
The Bulldogs sophomores got a chance to contribute. Luke Anderson added nine pionts, Mitch Pollock had eight and Kobey Preuit chipped in six points. Senior Trevor Vaughn hit two three-pointers to end with nine points, Jamison Brown had six, Clayton Iacovetto contributed six points and seven rebounds. Zac Gunter had five points and Colton Caves chipped in one point. The Bulldogs dominated the game and finish with a season high 69 points.
Wheatland shot 9-of-24 from three-point range and 46 percent from the charity stripe, both big improvements from earlier this season.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs traveled to face the Douglas Bearcats in another rematch. This time, the Bulldogs would be underdogs after losing 43-34 to the Bearcats in early January at home. In that game, the Bulldogs shot 24 percent from the field.
If Friday’s game was all about the improvement in the Bulldog’s offense, Saturday’s would show just how stingy and improved their defense has become. Wheatland shut down Douglas, holding the Bearcats to a season-low 31 points with a 33-31 victory.
Wheatland also shut down Douglas’ leading scorer Harley Rhoades, keeping him in check with five points.
In a back-and-forth battle, the Bulldogs took a 15-12 lead to the half. At the end of the third quarter, the Bulldogs pulled ahead 24-15 for their biggest lead but would need the underclassmen to step up and finish a key conference game.
Peasley, Vaughn and Iacovetto missed the entire fourth quarter with foul issues and the Bearcats would creep back, scoring 13 points from the free throw line.
Douglas grabbed a 31-30 lead with just over a minute left in the game. With 1:14 left, Douglas senior Greg Underburg rebounded a missed Bulldog shot and it looked like the Bearcats would take the game. Anderson made the play of the game with a steal from the unsuspecting Underburg. Anderson made a quick layup to put Wheatland up 32-31.
Mitch Pollock made a clutch free throw on the next missed possession.
The Bearcats scrambled at the end and Rhoades missed a contested three to end the game. Peasley led both teams with 10 points. Vaughn finished with six, Gunter four, Pollock four, while Anderson, Caves and Preuit each had three apiece. Gunter, Anderson and Peasley all pulled down five rebounds.
Wheatland finished 29 percent form the arc and 56 percent from the line. Wheatland has now won three of its past four and looks to pull off more upsets in the last two weeks of the regular season. The Bulldogs travel to Torrington on Friday and will host the No. 1 Buffalo Bison Saturday afternoon for Senior night.
