Our boys battled in Wheatland. We ended up playing their style of game the entire first half. Once we were able to settle in and be more efficient, we made progress.”

Coach Logan Barker

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THS hosts Rawlins on Friday at 7 p.m.

TORRINGTON – A scrappy battle by the Torrington High School Blazers to overtake the Wheatland Bulldogs in the second half of a heated conference game ultimately resulted in Torrington coming up short by two possessions in double overtime, 56-52.

On Saturday, the Blazers squared off against conference rival Douglas at home. Torrington fought back to overcome an early lead by Douglas to control the scoreboard through the second and third quarters. Douglas ultimately pulled up with a points run in the fourth quarter to post the win, 64-49.

Wheatland

The first half between Torrington and Wheatland found the Bulldogs ahead, 27-16. 

Digging deep, the Blazers fought back in the third quarter, topping the Bulldogs in scoring, 18-8.

Junior Landre Greiman commenced the third with a steal and went on to net a jumper. Senior Mac Hibben grabbed a steal and scored on a fastbreak

Fellow senior Brayden Hime snapped up a steal, setting up Greiman to drain a 3-pointer. Hibben found an opening inside the paint for a bucket and senior Weston Dyer netted an outside shot.

Dyer snatched a steal and Hibben scored on another fastbreak, closing Wheatland’s lead to a single possession, 33-30.

The Bulldogs scored a pair of free throws before Hime went on a four-point run.

The third quarter ended with Wheatland up by one, 35-34.

In the first 25 seconds of the fourth quarter, Hibben picked up a steal and Dyer scored on a fastbreak to place Torrington ahead, 36-35.

Wheatland regained the lead by one, 40-39. Greiman responded with a jumper the Blazers pulled ahead, 41-40.

The Bulldogs went on a five-point run and the advantage returned to Wheatland, 45-41.

Hibben answered with four points and the game deadlocked at 45 at the final buzzer.

Both teams scored two points in a physical dogfight in the first overtime period, resulting in a 47-47 stalemate. 

In the second overtime period, Wheatland outmaneuvered the Blazers, 9-5. A 3-pointer by sophomore Gabe Jackson briefly closed the Bulldogs’ lead to a single possession, 54-52.

Three Blazers scored double digits against the Bulldogs, led by Hibben with 16 points, Greiman 12 and Dyer 11. Hime contributed seven points with three each by Stromski and Jackson. 

Greiman posted his first double-double for the season with 11 rebounds. Stromski delivered three assists and Hibben snagged seven steals. Hibben and Greiman both reached up for three blocks.

“Our boys battled in Wheatland,” coach Logan Barker said. “We ended up playing their style of game the entire first half. Once we were able to settle in and be more efficient, we made progress. Mac Hibben and Landre Greiman really stepped up as leaders coming out of halftime and put us in a great spot to end the game in our favor.”

Douglas

Douglas opened the game with a 10-1 run.

Torrington responded with a 15-3 run, including shots by Greiman, Stromski and Dyer, to narrow the Bearcats’ lead to a single possession, 16-13, at the end of the first quarter.

The Blazers turned the tables in a whirlwind second quarter that saw Torrington outmaneuver Douglas, 22-9.

A pair of free throws by Hibben and an outside shot from Dyer placed the Blazers up, 18-16. Stromski netted a 3-pointer and a close-range shot. Greiman and Hibben each scored twice from inside the perimeter and Dyer tossed in a jumper and the halftime score favored the Blazers, 35-25.

Douglas tied the game at 35 points in the third quarter. Stromski answered with an outside shot to return the advantage to the Blazers, 38-37. The Blazers widened their lead, 45-39, with five points from Stromski and a fastbreak by Hibben. 

Torrington remained up, 45-44, as the fourth quarter began.

Douglas topped the Blazers in scoring, 20-4, in the final eight minutes of regulation.

Stromski set the pace for the Blazer offense against Douglas with 19 points. Greiman collected 12 points, Hibben 10, Dyer seven and Hime one.

Stromski led on the boards with seven rebounds. Hibben and Greiman both rustled two steals while Hibben made two blocks.

“The boys fought extremely hard to overcome (a 10-1 deficit) and eventually took the lead going into half,” coach Barker said. “We sustained that lead until the fourth where we started to run out of gas. I am proud of the effort and fight these kids have. We will see Douglas again very soon and we cannot wait.”