JACKSON, Wyo. — The Jackson Hole Lady Broncs (1-7) finally picked up their first win of the season in Pinedale on Saturday afternoon, less than 24 hours after losing a heartbreaker to Teton at home Friday night.
Head coach Jason Huggins emptied his bench Saturday, rotating no less than 13 players onto the court enroute to Jackson’s 47-40 win over the Pinedale Wranglers. Some of that was a ‘score by committee’ attitude developed after Jackson lost its top point producer Hailey Hardeman to injury early in the second quarter.
Keeping the troops fresh was another reason to cycle in fresh replacements often. Huggins’ uptempo style has the girls pushing the ball up court as fast as possible with every possession. A smothering fullcourt press—which the Lady Broncs apply frequently during the course of a game—also wrings every drop of energy out of players.
Intensity under control is what Huggins is shooting for and the vision began coming together Saturday afternoon. The Lady Broncs never lost their composure in a see-saw game that included numerous lead-changes and the score knotted on some half-dozen occasions.
Forward Bella Gwilliam stepped up after Hardeman’s injury, dominating the boards and pouring in 15 points—most of those put backs after missed shots. Megan Tucker hit two big treys off the bench on her way to a 10-point game. Holland Gaston added 5. Melissa Kussy did a fabulous job of running the offense in Hardeman’s absence.
And that defense. In addition to pressuring the ball and forcing turnovers, Jackson also contested everything in the paint. Against a Wranglers team with good size inside, the Lady Broncs gave back and then some. Anyone headed to the hole was challenged. The Lady Broncs committed 25 personal fouls in allowing no easy buckets.
Boys continue to struggle
The Broncs (0-8) let a winnable game slip from their grasp Saturday. After Friday night’s beat down at the hands of Teton in front of the hometown fans, the Broncs missed a chance for redemption against Pinedale when they watched numerous leads evaporate. The Broncs lost 61-53.
Jackson got an emotional boost with the return of Silas Wotkyns who was supposed to be unavailable with an ankle injury. Wotkyns was on the court to take the opening tap and finished with three field goals for 6 points.
Jackson was in the game every bit of the way but turnovers and foul trouble plagued the team once again. The Broncs struggled to deal with the size of Pinedale. Senior Kolten Hansen (6’1”) gouged the Broncs defense on several dribble drives to the hoop. Seniors Cole Redmond (6’3”) and Radin Keating (5’11”) also gave the Broncs trouble.
Evan Brunner had the hot hand for Jackson, pouring in 22 points on the day to lead the way for the Broncs. He was also a one-man terror on defense for anyone he was covering. Brother Gavin added 12. Most of Jackson’s points came from the perimeter as Jackson had difficulty penetrating inside.
Colter Dawson had an aggressive game in the paint for Jackson, fouling out eventually before scoring 7 points.
