(Casper, WY) – The Lander Tigers’ state tournament run came to an early end Thursday, falling to the Torrington Trailblazers 51-43 in first-round action.
Paxon Hollingshead battles with Torrington’s Kaleb Booth for the tipoff in the first round of the state Tournament. h/t Carl Cote 
Darion Hereford applies pressure on defense for Lander. h/t Carl Cote Noah St. Clair guides the Tigers in transition after stealing the ball Thursday in Casper. h/t Carl Cote Finn McFadden makes his way to the rim for two. h/t Carl Cote Senior Quincy Guina makes a pass to Darion Hereford on the wing. h/t Carl Cote
Lander kept it competitive for much of the contest, refusing to let the Trailblazers pull away and staying within striking distance deep into the game. But when it mattered most, missed free throws and turnovers proved to be their undoing.
Turnovers were a persistent thorn in Lander’s side all night, repeatedly killing momentum and gifting Torrington extra possessions and points. The Tigers also struggled at the charity stripe, connecting on just 2 of 10 free-throw attempts, adding up missed opportunities that loomed large in an eight-point defeat.
Offensively, Lander got contributions from their top two scorers. Senior Paxon Hollingshead led the way with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting, while junior Finn McFadden matched him with 14 points of his own on 7-of-16 from the floor. Together they accounted for the bulk of Lander’s offense, but couldn’t quite get enough support to push the Tigers over the top.
The Lander bench cheers for Quincy Guina after he made an and 1 bucket in the 4th, pulling Lander within 4 points. h/t Carl Cote Junior Finn McFadden drives from the top of the key Thursday against Torrington. h/t Carl Cote Paxon Hollingshead rises up for two in the paint over Torrington. h/t Carl Cote Noah St. Clair looks for a passing lane in the 4th against Torrington. h/t Carl Cote Darion Hereford daps up Finn McFadden after Mcfadden scored after being fouled. h/t Carl Cote
In the paint, senior Noah St. Clair showed plenty of grit, hauling down 6 rebounds and refusing to back down physically against Torrington’s front line. St. Clair drew contact repeatedly on his way to the basket, but the calls never came, leaving the Tigers without the additional free-throw opportunities that could have changed the complexion of the game.
With the loss, Lander’s state championship dreams come to a close, but they’ll be playing for the consolation bracket trophy starting tomorrow at noon against Buffalo at Casper College.