SE boys facing stiff competition

Erick Starkey
Posted 3/2/18

The Southeast Cyclones boys basketball team kicks off the state tournament against third-ranked Rocky Mountain at the 2A State Tournament, with four of the five ranked teams in the state tournament.

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SE boys facing stiff competition

Posted

CASPER – The Southeast Cyclones boys basketball team kicks off the state tournament against third-ranked Rocky Mountain at the 2A State Tournament, with four of the five ranked teams in the state tournament.

Rocky Mountain comes into the tournament with a 21-3 record, with their most recent loss coming at the 2A West Regional Tournament against fourth-ranked Wyoming Indian, 71-58, sending the Grizzlies to the third seed from the west, setting up a first-round matchup with the second-seeded Cyclones.

The matchup between the Cyclones and the Grizzlies was on Thursday after press time. If Southeast picked up the win, it moves on to take on the winner between No. 1 Wind River and Wright. If Southeast lost Thursday, they play the loser between the Cougars and the Panthers.

Wind River comes into the tournament with a 21-4 as the top seed from the west. Wright, with a 16-10 record, comes in as the fourth seed from the east. Wright’s last run in with Southeast came in a 58-57 double overtime win for the Cyclones. Southeast has not faced Wind River this winter.

On the other side of the bracket, Pine Bluffs is the top seed, toting a 24-1 record. Wyoming Indian (20-6), Upton (19-6) and Big Piney (16-11) round out the competitors at the state tournament. Southeast is 0-3 against the Hornets, including a 71-52 loss in the 2A East Regional Tournament. The Cyclones have not faced Big Piney this year, but they do own a 59-54 win over Upton this past weekend.

With an opening round game against a tough Rocky Mountain team, Southeast will need to hit the ground running in Casper. If the Cyclones can win their first matchup, they can continue to ride the momentum they built last week.