Laramie Gets a Sweet Sweep of South

Both Laramie High School basketball teams rallied for victory over Cheyenne South in a conference doubleheader last Friday night.

The third-ranked Lady Plainsmen came from seven points down early in the game for a 64-55 victory over the South Bison. In the nightcap, the Plainsmen rallied from an early six-point deficit for a 64-54 win over the Bison.

Laramie Lady Plainsmen

Jennifer Aadland posted career-highs of 25 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Lady Plainsmen to their sixth win in the last seven games.

Laramie head coach Laura Pollard felt they had a big advantage with Jennifer inside.

“Especially when I saw her going to the hole and getting some key rebounds. There was a period there in the first half, where I was going to take her out, and then boom, she hit that three. Coach Williams and I looked at each other and said, once she gets on, there’s no tomorrow.”

South came out the aggressor and built a 12-5 lead. Laramie responded with a 19-4 run at the end of the first and start of the second quarters. That gave LHS a 24-16 lead they never relinquished. It was 31-21 at halftime before Laramie grew the lead to 16 points in the fourth. The Bison didn’t go away, but the Lady Plainsmen kept the lead in double figures until the end.

Aadland went 10-18 from the field, which included four-of-five from beyond the arc. Four of her 16 rebounds were on the offensive end. Lexi Pulley added 12 points and Olivia Dorrell chipped in 11. LHS shot 42 percent from the floor. They also had a 46-34 edge on the glass. The Lady Plainsmen snagged 21 offensive rebounds.

Laramie is now 11-3 overall and 2-1 in the 4A East Conference.

South also shot 42 percent for the game, but took 14 less shots and had 26 turnovers. They were led by Gabby Turano’s 22 points. The Bison fell to 2-12 on the season and 0-3 in league action.

Laramie Plainsmen

Frank Crum scored 17 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Plainsmen to their first win in 22 days. It stopped a five-game losing streak and also gave Laramie their first league victory.

Plainsmen head coach Travis Brown said he was really proud of his team.

“They really played for each other, and they played inspired. They wanted this one, and they showed what they can do when they have a consistent energy level that’s very high.”

South jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead on pair of three-pointers. LHS came back and pulled within 16-15 after the first quarter. The Plainsmen took the lead on an Isaiah Martinez three and never trailed after that. Martinez knocked down three triples in the first half and scored 11 points, as Laramie surged to a 32-26 halftime lead. Asa Williams added a big highlight with a steal for a breakaway dunk at the 1:15 mark of the second period.

The Plainsmen added to their lead early in the third before the Bison rallied within 38-35. Laramie answered with a 9-0 run for 47-35 lead. It was 52-40 LHS after three quarters.

In the final period, the Plainsmen struggled with seven turnovers and scored only two free throws in the first four-and-a-half minutes. Behind their defense, Laramie kept the Bison from rallying and pulled out the 10-point win.

Crum scored 15 of his points and snagged 10 of his boards in the second half. He went 7-9 from the floor. Martinez added 14 points. The Plainsmen shot 43 percent and out-rebounded South 40-33.

Brown added, “Isaiah really showed some senior leadership tonight. I think what you saw is that we’ve been banged up and beat up, and it was nice to get some guys out there who could play a little bit with some chemistry and have known each other for more than just this year.”

The Bison shot 38 percent in the game and were hurt by a 17-34 performance at the foul line. Keyshawn Farmer scored a game-high 22 points for South.

Laramie is now 4-10 on the season and 1-2 in league play, while South dropped to 8-6 overall and 0-3 in the conference.

Up Next

Laramie goes on the road for the first time in over a month. Their next game is at Cheyenne Central on Wednesday, Feb. 1. The girl’s game is scheduled for 6 p.m. followed by the boy’s at 7:30 p.m.