Laramie Sweeps Evanston in Successful Home Debut

One went to the wire, while the other featured a strong second half. Laramie beat Evanston Thursday in the first ever games at the new LHS gym.

Nate Burman converted a three-point play with 4.9 seconds left that gave the Laramie Plainsmen a dramatic come-from-behind, 50-49, victory over the Red Devils.

First year head coach Travis Brown reacted by saying,

“It’s a great way to break in a new gym, huh?”

We couldn't have said it any better.

Laramie (3-5) won its second straight game. The Plainsmen led by 13 points in the first half, but faltered in the third quarter. They managed only four points and eventually fell behind by 10, 41-31, in the fourth period. LHS rallied behind guards Brady Epler and Isaiah Martinez. They combined for 10 of Laramie’s 19 points in the fourth quarter.

After two missed free throws by Evanston, the Plainsmen called timeout at midcourt. Burman utilized a screen to get into the lane and knocked down a 12-footer over a defender while being pushed from the side. That tied it, and Burman’s free throw put LHS ahead, 50-49. Evanston missed a shot just before the buzzer for the win.

Brown added about the winner, “What a convenience to say, hey, at the end of the game, do you want the ball in your hands? And he did, and the kids wanted him to have it. They set a great screen to get him open, and a fantastic finish.”

Burman led Laramie with 13 points, while Martinez added 12. The Plainsmen shot 40 percent in the game. They held an Evanston team to 33 percent. The Red Devils came in shooting 48 percent from the field.

Laramie Lady Plainsmen

A strong second half propelled the Laramie Lady Plainsmen to a 59-40 win over the Evanston Red Devils Thursday night. The victory snapped a two-game skid for Laramie.

Jennifer Aadland scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Morgan Bury added 11 points.

Laramie (6-2) led 14-6 after the first quarter. Evanston rallied and tied it twice in the second, but never took the lead. A late surge by LHS gave them a 26-20 edge at half. The Lady Plainsmen pulled away with a 17-9 third quarter and stretched it out to a 24-point advantage at one time in the fourth.

Head coach Laura Pollard said she saw, “A little more composure on the offensive end; a few more boards in the second half; and just some overall positioning. We ran our new zone defense in Sidney, but I think we did a better job tonight.”

LHS shot 45 percent from the field. They held the Red Devils to 39 percent and forced 23 Evanston turnovers.

Both games were part of a re-done schedule for the Taco John's Invitational.