By Dahl Erickson, SVI Media

After being blown out twice during the first two days of the Star Valley Shootout in December, the Braves have found their identity while winning three of their last four which includes a three-game winning streak.

This past weekend the basketball team picked up a 60-53 win on the road in Mountain View and then came home where they came from six points down in the final minutes to upset #4 Thunder Basin, 53-50. Coach Paul Kabonic credits the good play to effort and a bit of strategy.

“I think we played well and adjusted to what they were doing,” he said. “When we got Thunder Basin here, we played a zone well and did pretty well with it.”
Now sitting at (6-4) overall, the team will be in Jackson this Friday night and then host Evanston on Saturday afternoon.

“I feel like we’re going in the right direction,” Kabonic said. “I even feel like we played well against Judge Memorial even though we came up short in that game. I like where we’re at.”

Even with the positive momentum, Kabonic said the staff is wary of a letdown as Star Valley begins conference play.

“We really need to have decent weekend,” he said. “A good one would set us up real well. Our football guys are starting to shoot it well finally. I think we are doing a good job of finding what other teams’ weaknesses are and scoring against that. Our bench contributions have been good. And I think everybody is figuring out their role and contributing where they can.”

• @ Mountain View (Won 50-43)
The Braves picked up a win but were down by 11 points in the first half before holding off the Buffalos 60-53. Mason Erickson hit all four of his shots from the field and finished with 13 points to lead the team. Taylor Horsley had 12 and Dean Shaw finished with 11.

• Vs Thunder Basin (Won 53-50)
Down 49-43 with just 2:16 remaining in the game, The Braves went on a 9-0 run in just 54 seconds to take a 52-49 lead behind four quick points from Dean Shaw and five from Taylor Horsley. The duo finished with 25 and 16 in the game respectively.

• Up Next
The Braves will be in Jackson for the Snake River Shootout on the Jackson Broncs’ court. After owning the series for virtually the entirety of the rivalry, Star Valley has dropped the last three meetings to the Broncs. Join SVI as they bring you high-definition coverage of the game from Jackson Hole High School with the Aspen Physical Therapy Countdown to Tip-off beginning at approximately 7:15 p.m.
On Saturday, Star Valley will host the Evanston Red Devils who have already routed the Braves once this season during the Star Valley Shootout. The game has a scheduled tip-off time of 3:30 p.m.