(Riverton, WY) – It was the home opener for the Riverton Wolverines after 61 days of practice and games on the road, but the visiting Star Valley Braves played like it was their home gym in pouring in an impressive 14 3-pointers Saturday evening while rolling to a 73-48 win.
Riverton led late in the first period on a 3-pointer by Eric Smith, 17-15, but it was just a warmup for the blisteringly hot Braves.
Star Valley spread the wealth from the perimeter with five different players pouring in shots from beyond the 19-9 arc.
Lincoln Liddiard and Zack Thompson both hit four 3-pointers, Thompson with four in a row in the third period.
Defensively, Star Valley looked like defending Class 3-A state football champions with good size and an obvious strength advantage over the slighter Wolverines.
Riverton trailed just 35-29 early in the third period, but seven 3-point shots on 11 attempts by the Braves blew the game open.
Riverton hit six treys of their own, led by Clay Sheets with three and Eric Smith with a pair. Gage Treber added the only triple.
Sheets and Smith both tallied 11 points, and Treber 10.
Cooper Lancaster scored 18 to lead the Braves, Liddiard 16, Thompson 14, and Dylan Shumway 11. These four had 13 of Star Valley’s 14 treys.
RIVERTON 17 7 11 13 – 48
STAR VALLEY 17 16 28 12 – 73
Riverton – Eric Smith 2 (2) 1-2 11, Clay Sheets 1 (3) 0-0 11, Jackson 2 0-1 4, Gage Treber 2 (1) 3-5 10, Beau Anderson 4 0-0 8, Dane Cox 1 1-2 3. Totals 12 (6) 6-12 48
Star Valley – Will Linford 1 1-4 3, Cooper Lancaster 4 (2) 4-5 18, Lincoln Liddiard 2 (4) 16, Dylan Shumway (3) 2-2 -11, Roman Erickson 3 1-5 7, Zack Thompson 1 (4) 0-0 14, Crew Lancaster 1-2 1, Mason Kleeman (1) 0-0 3. Totals 12 (14) 9-14