Blazers go 2-2 at Burns Winter Classic

Andrew Towne
Posted 12/14/22

BURNS – The Torrington High School boys’ basketball began and ended the annual Burns Winter Classic in the loss column as the Blazers went 2-2 over the three-day tournament.

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Blazers go 2-2 at Burns Winter Classic

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BURNS – The Torrington High School boys’ basketball began and ended the annual Burns Winter Classic in the loss column as the Blazers went 2-2 over the three-day tournament.

On Thursday, the Blazers opened the season with a 54-49 loss to the Burns Broncs.

Burns grabbed a 15-9 lead in the first quarter, holding the lead on two brief occasions, and by the end of the third, Torrington trimmed the deficit to 40-37. The Blazers briefly tied the game in the third quarter but couldn’t regain the lead.

Torrington went 2-for-14 from the free-throw line and 1-of-16 from 3-point range in the loss.

Senior Ben Firminhac led the team with 12 points, while senior Ryan Baker and freshman Landre Greiman added nine points each. Senior Skyler Sargent and sophomore Ned Nelson tossed in eight apiece. Sargent grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.

On Friday afternoon, Torrington jumped out to a double-digit lead en route to a 59-49 victory over 3A East Regional opponent Thermopolis.

It took less than five minutes for the Blazers to push their lead to 13-3.

The Bobcats chipped away at the deficit and took their first lead of the game with 2:21 left before halftime.

Less than two minutes later, Baker drained a 3-pointer to put the Blazers back in front 23-21.

Torrington never trailed for the remainder of the game, and the Blazer lead reached as many as 13 in the fourth quarter as THS picked up its first win of the season.

Firminhac led the team with 15 points, while Baker added 14. Nelson tossed in 10. Baker and Sargent led the team in rebounding with eight each.

As a team, Torrington went 22-of-28 from the charity stripe.

In the night cap, the Blazers defeated Arvada, Colorado 70-45.

Torrington never trailed in the victory, and the Blazers led by as many as 27 late in the game.

Saragent led the team with 17 points, while Greiman added 15. Baker tossed in 10, while junior Adam Bartlett had 10. Sargent tallied with nine rebounds, while Baker had eight.

On Saturday, the Blazers wrapped up the classic with a 68-58 loss to the defending Class 2A state champion Pine Bluff Hornets.

Pine Bluffs grabbed an early lead, but Torrington did take a lead early in the third quarter before the Hornets pulled away late.

Pine Bluffs held as many as a 14-point advantage in the fourth quarter.

Firminhac scored a team-high 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while Sargent added 15 points. Greiman tossed in 11. Firminhac and Sargent led the team with six rebounds each.

Tuesday’s home opener against Alliance, Nebraska was postponed and rescheduled for Saturday, Jan. 7. Torrington’s next game is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 16 at Sidney, Nebraska. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.