Long Road Trip Ahead for Laramie Basketball Teams

It’s back on the road for both Laramie High School basketball teams, who play in Casper and Sheridan on Friday and Saturday.

Laramie faces Natrona County on Friday night in a girls-boys doubleheader at 6 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday has LHS at Sheridan to face the Broncs in another girls-boys twin bill at 12:30 and 2 p.m.

Laramie Plainsmen

The Laramie boys are coming off a huge 82-65 victory over fourth-ranked Thunder Basin last Saturday. They accomplish that without leading scorer and rebounder Christian Mickelson, who was out sick.

Laramie (9-6) now makes a swing for the other two games in quadrant cross-over play against the Mustangs and Broncs.

Plainsmen head coach Jim Shaffer says it’s been another good week of practice, but he knows they’ve got to be ready for two tough opponents.

“Sheridan is really, really good. They’ve got the two big kids that are both 6-7 (Sr. Gus Wright and Jr. Sam Lecholat). They’re both really skilled, really good big kids. To be honest, we haven’t talked or prepared too much for them. They’re the second game. We spent most of the week preparing for Natrona County. They changed a little bit from earlier in the year. Earlier, they were running a lot of side ball screen-stuff, and now they’ve gone to some more 5-out, 4-out motion, and dribble-drive and kick kind of stuff. They’ve changed how they play. They’re not very big, but they’re really quick, really athletic. Not great basketball players, but really good athletes. They’re just trying to play downhill and use their quickness.”

Natrona County is 4-10 entering this weekend, while third-ranked Sheridan Broncs are 9-6 heading into this weekend’s games.

Laramie Lady Plainsmen

The Lady Plainsmen have dropped five in a row after getting swept by the Gillette schools last weekend. They fell to Campbell County, 70-44, last Friday and third-ranked Thunder Basin, 65-45, last Saturday.

Laramie (3-12) will take on the Fillies and Broncs this weekend to conclude quadrant cross-over action.

LHS girls’ head coach Rod Tyson is still encouraged with his team’s progress. He says they must continue that.

“We’ve been working on rotating in our defenses, talking more on defense, if you’re open take a shot because we go through lulls where we don’t even get a shot up. Of course, we turn it over sometimes during that lull. Also, tightening up on defense.”

As for this weekend’s opposition, Tyson says these two teams, Natrona and Sheridan, will utilize some things we do or have in our arsenal.

“Natrona will play a 1-3-1 defense in three-quarter court and also in the half-court. Then, they play some zone, 2-3 or a 1-2-2. We have two different offenses against that, so hopefully, that will work. As for Sheridan, they sort of run our ‘14-press.’ We should know how to beat that, though we turned it over like four times (down the stretch) last time we played them (Jan. 10 in Cheyenne). They’re at home, so they’ll be pumped up and ready to go. Hopefully, we’ll be ready to go and make some shots.”

The Natrona Fillies are 9-5 on the season, while Sheridan is 2-13.

Broadcast Coverage

KOWB will provide live coverage of both days of action. Friday night’s games in Casper against NC will be on KOWB radio (AM 1290), available through the KOWB app or online. Coverage will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Saturday’s games conflict with Wyoming Cowgirls basketball on KOWB. Thus, it’s the second straight week for a “streaming-only” broadcast. The only way to listen is from www.network1sports.com/station/kowbnet. You can still listen on a smartphone, tablet or computer. That broadcast will start at noon on Saturday.