The Lady Braves won two games and lost another in overtime in a very successful culminating weekend of State basketball to wrap up the 2025-26 campaign. Star Valley fell to Thunder Basin 44-39 in overtime before gutting out a win over conference rival Natrona County and then blitz Sheridan to win the Consolation bracket.

“We’ve said it all season this is just such a gritty and resilient group, and we are so happy for them to end their year the way they did,” said head coach Kade Erickson. “We are super proud of the girls and what they’ve accomplished.”

The opening round was against the Thunder Basin Bolts. The Lady Braves led for a considerable amount of time in the contest and points were at a premium. The Bolts were able to hit a huge three-pointer late to tie the game which ultimately went to overtime. Thunder Basin used the foul line to their advantage to pull out the win 44-39.

“We knew going into the game it would be tough,” Erickson replied. “I felt we matched up pretty well with them. We  ended up switching up our matchups a little bit in the middle of the game. The girls did a great job, we struggled a little bit getting the ball up the court at the end and that cost us. We just fell short against a really good team.”

Ambrey Nelson and Morgan McGee each scored nine points in the game. Nelson also added ten rebounds. Avery England scored six points while Cam Mackey and Hudsyn Kleeman each scored five with the latter finishing at seven rebounds as well.

The loss dropped the girls into the Consolation bracket where they faced off against the Natrona Fillies for the fourth time this season. Despite a 3-0 record in the previous matchups, each game was very hard fought and this one matched the trend.

“We had a hard time with the loss to Thunder Basin and we were a little bit of a solemn group so we had a slow start,” Erickson continued. “Every time we’ve played them it’s been tough.”

Things looked bleak as the Lady Braves trailed 34-27 in the latter portion of the game but like they have many times this season, the team battled back.

“We’ve had to come from behind to beat them every time,” Erickson added. “We were down seven but the girls regrouped. Ari hit a huge shot for us and the juniors didn’t quit and Cam and Ambrey added in.”

The team fended off the Fillies for the fourth time this season and the fifth straight time in the series, as they won 42-39. The clinching moment came as a missed free throw was secured by junior Morgan McGee who gleefully dribbled away from pressure and ended the game.

“Morgan was just all smiles as she grabbed that last rebound,” Erickson remarked.

McGee and Ari Foster led the team with ten points apiece while Ambrey Nelson scored seven and brought in ten rebounds. Avery England also scored seven and Hudsyn Kleeman chipped in with five.

With a chance to play on the final day of the season and win a trophy, the Lady Braves were motivated.

“One of our goals at the beginning of the year was the word Saturday,”  Erickson said. That came from Ambrey. She wanted to play on that last Saturday and all the girls did.”

The last time the girls had a chance to win a game and a trophy on Saturday came in 2021 when they fell to Thunder Basin after defeating Cheyenne Central. The game against the Sheridan Lady Broncs ended up not being close in a 49-19 rout.

“I think we caught them off guard and they could not rebound from it,” Erickson said of their opponents. “The girls were focused and were ready to play ball and wanted to come out with a victory and they did not let up once we got the lead.”

Erickson had observed the team leading up to the season’s final contest and liked what he saw.

“Their demeanor and their body language said good things,” he said. “I didn’t expect a beatdown like that but they just kept being patient and they just moved better and had better spacing and I was just happy for them. Defensively, Sheridan didn’t know what to do. Our girls got strips and steals and Sheridan couldn’t get going.”

Ambrey Nelson had one of her finest games with 11 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Avery England scored nine points and Cam Mackey hit a pair of three-point baskets to buoy her total of eight. McGee scored six as well. In a fitting box score, all six seniors scored points in the win.

The team then congregated at the end of the Ford Wyoming Center to enjoy the result of their work and it was a very popular trophy.

“Every girl wanted to hold that trophy,” Erickson explained. “It became a series of pictures and it was great to see the girls hold something in their hand they’e been working at for a long time. It was fun to see them holding it in their hands.”

Even for a defense that led the 4A Class in points allowed, the 19 points allowed to Sheridan was the lowest allowed for the season. The 18 wins is also the most in a season under Coach Erickson who wrapped up his campaign.

“It’s a special group defensively,” he noted. “This is probably one of the better teams of individual defenders. We always had someone who could match up on other players. It takes a while to build a program. We are seeing the benefits of working with the middle school and we’ve been able to build every year.”

The win was #94 for Erickson in his tenure as head coach for the program, this ranks him fifth all-time on the list behind Doran Erickson (107), Robert Erickson (109), Kade Wilkes (124) and Robert Linford (186).