The Braves are headed back to the 4A State Tournament after a successful showing at the 4A West Regional tournament in Evanston over the weekend. Star Valley had back-to-back two point wins over Sweetwater County teams to advance to the finals where they fell to Natrona and finished the weekend with the #2 seed out of the West.
“It was a good tough weekend,” replied head coach Matt Shumway. “We knew going into it that it would be a fight to get one of those four spots. I was proud of how our boys fought. They trailed most of the first two games and found a way to come out on top. Saturday was a great game, it was close and competitive but we’re exited about the upcoming weekend.”
In the opening game, the Rock Springs Tigers were thought to be a dangerous #4 seed out of the Northwest and they proved that opinion to be true as they led the Braves by 11 points on two different occasions. Star Valley battled back to cut the first deficit to four points by halftime but the Tigers pounced again to push their advantage in the third quarter before the Braves were able to turn things around. Cooper Lancaster led the offensive charge, scoring at least 30 points for the fourth time this season as the Braves found themselves tied heading into the final possession of the game. Lancaster took the ball into the paint but his jumper fell short before Roman Erickson fought off a pair of Tigers for the offensive rebound. Erickson’s fadeaway jumper at the buzzer was good, giving Star Valley a 62-60 quarterfinal win.
The semifinal game was another closely contested evening as the Braves trailed the Green River Wolves for the majority of the tilt. Employing a slowdown offense to limit possessions, the Wolves led by seven but the advantage seemed like more as time waned. The Braves again battled through the adversity of the deficit to tie the game. With just over a minute remaining, the two squads mainly watched as Lancaster kept the ball away from Green River’s Jake Stanton with a dribbling display before driving to the hoop where he drew a foul. His two free throws proved to be the game-winners in a. 51-49 final. He finished with 13 points and eight rebounds. Dylan Shumway led the team in scoring with 14 points. Will Linford and Roman Erickson each chipped in six.
In the championship game, the Braves and Mustangs clashed for the third time this season and it ended up being a third win for the Natrona County squad, 65-57. The game was back and forth until the fourth quarter when the Mustangs were able to build a lead and put the game away at the free throw line. Lancaster led the team with 15 points while Shumway finished with 14. Erickson scored nine and Lincoln Liddiard finished with eight points and seven rebounds.
The pair of wins qualified the team for this week’s 4A State tournament where they will open up against the Cheyenne Central Indians on Thursday with a 12 noon tip-off. It’s the first time the Braves have played Central at the State tournament since 2019 which was a loss in the consolation bracket. The Indians come into the weekend with an (18-7) record.
“They’re a good team,” Shumway answered. “We played them this summer so we got a little bit of insight into them as far as summer ball is concerned. “They are a very good team. They are aggressive and play really fast. They can all drive and shoot. We’ll have to be very solid defensively and transition defense will be a huge key to the game. They have been #2 in the East most of the season. It’s everything you can want in a state tournament game.”
It’s the eighth straight season in which the Braves have qualified for the 4A tournament. The last time Star Valley played Central in the post-season was in 2019, a 51-40 loss in the consolation bracket. The Braves lost their opening round game last year to top-seeded Sheridan 55-47 but won in 2024 against Cheyenne East 45-43.
“We’re happy to be part of the last eight that are standing,” Shumway added. “The kids have had a great season and we’re grateful to have an opportunity to end the season the right way.”
SVI Media will be in Casper this weekend for the tournament where the Braves tip-off against Central at 12 noon on Thursday. Audio will be carried on Swift 98 in the Star Valley area and on the SVI News app as well as svinews.com. Video highlight packages of the games will be posted as well.
