Bailey Miller makes a swift pass during Encampment's third and final regional game against Cokeville. The Lady Tigers lost 27-32.
After two close losses against St. Stephens and Cokeville, Encampment's Lady Tigers left the Wyoming 1A Regional Tournament with a sense of improvement over the 2013-14 basketball season.
The girls may have lost 45-49 in their first game against St. Stephens' Lady Eagles, but they bounced back and stayed in the tourney after a 45-35 win over Farson-Eden. However, the Cokeville game blew Encampment's chance for state, with the Lady Tigers losing 27-32 their last day in Lander.
In the St. Stephens game Thursday, several Lady Tigers stepped it up with points, rebounds, assists and blocks. Cassidy Little had 17 points and 7 rebounds; Alyssa Barkhurst managed 10 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists; Konnar Knotwell grabbed 7 points and 5 rebounds; Bailey Miller earned 5 points; Jennifer Morgan brought in 3 points and 4 blocks; and McKenzie Powell pitched in 2 points.
"We played good team basketball against a tough team, and we gave it our all," said Encampment head coach Amy Clay. "We shot 52 percent from the field, but had 30 turnovers and missed 14 free throws. This one got away from us. We got outscored by ten in the fourth quarter, which was the difference."
The Lady Tigers didn't let the first-game loss get them down, and went on to beat Farson-Eden's Lady Pronghorns Friday by 10. Alyssa Barkhurst came out as the top performer with 21 points, including 7/10 from the field and 7/8 for free throws, and an added 8 rebounds and 5 steals. Konnar Knotwell also did well with 10 points, on 4/5 from the line, and 7 rebounds.
Other contributers were Bailey Miller (7 points, 6 rebounds), Cassidy Little (6 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) and Jennifer Morgan (1 point, 2 blocks).
"The girls stepped up in a must-win situation and made it happen," Clay said. "It is tough to beat a team three times and they never let up. We shot 73 percent from the free throw line."
According to Clay, the third and final game against Cokeville's Lady Panthers was quite the defensive battle. There were only three Encampment scorers in the Saturday game, including Cassidy Little (13 points, 5 steals), Alyssa Barkhurst (10 points) and Bailey Miller (4 points).
"It was 9-10 at the half and we made 73 percent of our free throws in this one, but our girls really stepped up and knocked them down," Clay said. "We shot 61 percent from the field, which is awesome against anyone, but especially a team like Cokeville. It's tough to beat anyone when only three girls score, but we stepped up and gave them everything we had for a chance to go to state. There we several plays and calls down the stretch that made the difference in the game, but that's basketball."
With their 2013-14 season officially over, Clay spoke kindly about her players' performance at not only state, but over the course of the entire season.
"Bailey Miller really stepped up, being put into a starting spot against Farson and Cokeville, and I'm pleased with the effort and focus this group put forth during the tournament," she said. "The girls played hard every possession, and we made huge strides from the first practice to the last game, which is what we strive for as a team. I'm very proud of them and looking forward to next season, and I give thanks to my lone senior, Jennifer Morgan, for four years of hard work and dedication."
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