32 minutes left in the season

CASPER - The Worland Lady Warriors are 32 minutes away from repeating as the 3A girls basketball state champions.

All that stands in their way is a familiar foe, the Star Valley Lady Braves.

Getting to their second-consecutive title game the Lady Warriors beat the Mountain View Lady Buffalos 57-43 Friday night in a filled-to-the-brim Thunderbird Gym at Casper College.

"We were really good defensively all night and like I was telling the girls between the quarters, it's not a defensive issue but a rebound issue. We were getting the stops we just couldn't grab the board," said WHS girls basketball coach Ben Hofmann.

The semifinal matchup was a battle of defensive wills and each time the Lady Warriors were close to blowing the game open, the Lady Buffs fought back just enough to keep that from happening.

While Worland forced 20 turnovers and had 18 steals, what kept the undersized Lady Buffs in the game was their rebounding as they outrebound the Lady Warriors 40 to 31.

But in the fourth quarter the Lady Warriors kept Mountain View to one-and-done as they went on a 9-3 run to finish off the Lady Buffs.

"We went through a five-minute stretch where we rebounded the basketball. We forced (Mountain View) into tough shots all night but were not able to rebound the basketball. In that stretch we were able to rebound, push the ball and get some buckets on the other end. Really it all came down to rebounding and securing the basketball," said Hofmann.

The Lady Warriors were led by none other than senior forward Lyndzi Rich, who has continued to play like the best player on the floor. Rich pulled down 10 rebounds and scored 23 points on the night for the double-double.

"She was outstanding again," said Hofmann about Rich. "She was the best basketball player on the floor, like she should be and like she is. I was really, really pleased with her effort. She had that stretch where she scored six-straight points. She's a nice safety blanket, the girls know when in doubt get the ball to her. Whether teams are pressing or whatever the case is, she just brings a calming presence. Getting the points and production we got from her was outstanding."

The other two-thirds of the Lady Warriors Cerberus offense added their scoring punch in to the game. Senior Bailey Gibbons scored 10 points and had five rebounds while fellow senior Charlee Townsend had eight points and four rebounds.

Last season the Lady Warriors secured their first girls state championship in school history with a 44-35 win over Star Valley. In today's championship matchup they face that same Star Valley team from last season, and who beat Douglas 50-38 in their semifinal game Friday night.

"They look good and really tough. They're solid and we're going to have to defend and rebound a lot better. We have to rebound the basketball if we're going to have a chance tomorrow," said coach Hofmann.

Preparing for the state championship game coach Hofmann will stick to the routine that they used during the postseason.

"We're going to try and get in a bit of a little workout, get out a bit and walk around then head to the gym and be ready to play some ball," said coach Hofmann.

Tip off is at 3:30 p.m. at the Casper Events Center.