Big Horns fall in first basketball games of the season

Rebels, Eagles defeat Big Horn teams on LPHS turf

By Gabrielle Gasser EBS STAFF

BIG SKY – The bleachers were full and cheers were deafening in the Bough-Dolan Athletic Center when the Lone Peak Big Horns basketball teams hit the court on Dec. 3 for their first games of the season. 

Although the Big Horns came out energized on their home court, they have yet to claim a win after losing all games. 

Friday marked the first night of play, pitting the Big Horns against the Manhattan Christian Eagles.

The varsity Big Horn boys took the court against the Eagles in a fast-paced contest. The taller Eagles came out strong, stifling the Big Horn’s offense with an aggressive full-court press. 

The Big Horns kept up their hustle but several three pointers and fast break opportunities for the Eagles allowed Manhattan Christian to build a commanding lead.

The Eagles emerged victorious, ending the game 86-21. Junior Max Romney led the Big Horns with 9 points for the evening.

The Lady Big Horns stepped onto the hardwood next. With only seven eligible players, the Lady Big Horns faced a definite disadvantage in their rotation.

The score stayed low in the first quarter with the Lady Big Horns holding the Lady Eagles to 6 points to the Big Horns 0 points. Some accurate shooting from the three-point line allowed the Lady Eagles to build a significant lead heading into halftime. In the third quarter, the Lady Big Horns fought back scoring 17 points. In the end, the Lady Eagles emerged victorious with a final score of 62-25. 

Lady Big Horns Head coach Loren Bough said he was proud of the team’s effort and attitudes.

“Manhattan Christian finished 4th in the state tournament last year so a great test for our team,” Bough wrote in an email to EBS. “We played even with them for two quarters but some defense lapses in the later part of each half let Manhattan Christian garner a win.”

The Big Horns JV boys team, LPHS’ sole JV basketball team this season, also lost the Eagles. 

The Big Horns returned to the court the following evening, this time against the Shields Valley Rebels. 

The JV boys played a half game against the Shields Valley Rebels due to a shortage of Shields players and lost by just one point.

For the first varsity match, the Big Horns kept their energy up for all 32 minutes of play according to Head Coach John Hannahs. 

The Rebels quickly built a lead in the first quarter but a change of momentum in the second quarter allowed the Big Horns to close the gap, ending the half at 17- 26 Rebels. 

The evening ended with a 73-43 Rebels victory.

Hannahs praised Romney, who scored 20 points, for keeping the Big Horns’ offense alive. Junior Colter Marino and sophomore Aidan Germain also did a great job of coming off the bench and providing a spark Hannahs said. 

“It definitely was not the outcome we hoped for, but we got to test our mettle against two very strong teams which proved valuable in helping expose some of the things that we need to work on,” Hannahs wrote in an email to EBS. “Full court pressure was an issue in both games so we will be addressing our press break this week and working on sharpening our passes.” 

The Lady Big Horns came out fighting against the Lady Rebels during the third game of the evening, keeping the score tight throughout most of the game. At the end of the first half the Lady Rebels led 28-23. 

The Lady Big Horns kept consistent energy throughout the game. Senior Carly Wilson was the high scorer for the evening with 13 points. The Lady Rebels claimed victory for the evening with a final score of 55-42.

Head coach Loren Bough said that his team faced an uphill battle against a starting lineup of five Rebel seniors and a team that was a top finisher in the district tournament.

“LPHS exhibited a much-improved fast break style game and created a number of scoring opportunities,” Bough wrote in an email to EBS.  “We scored four 3-pointers and out rebounded Shields Valley as a team.”