LUSK – After a Senior Night win against Pine Bluffs less than two weeks ago, the Niobrara County High School girls basketball team had a bonus pair of games at Tiger Gym. With regionals put into four quadrants, all it took was one win to qualify for state. Lusk picked up three of them and will be the top seed from the East at this week’s 2A State Tournament.

The Lady Tigers faced Glenrock Thursday afternoon, and unlike the two earlier games, it was not as close. A 4-0 lead turned into a 10-3 first period score highlighted by Courtney Rowley’s 3-pointer.

Rowley used the bank for another trey and Riley Shaw’s bomb sent NCHS on a 12-3 run. At halftime, the Lady Tigers had a comfortable 24-10 advantage.

Defensive adjustments lead to both offenses bogging down, and the Lady Herders trimming just one point off the Lusk lead. Abby Kottwitz helped ensure there would be no comeback with three straight baskets as the lead became 19 with just two and a half minutes left. NCHS won by a 46-33 score, as the boys’ game in Glenrock wound down minutes later on the TV in the lobby.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

GHS 3 7 9 14 – 33

NCHS 10 14 8 14 – 46

TEAM STATS

GHS: 5/16 FG; 5/12 3PT; 8/15 FT; 37 REB; 6 AST; 2 STL; 27 TO; 18 PF

NCHS: 15/41 FG; 3/12 3PT; 7/25 FT; 35 REB; 14 AST; 10 TO; 16 STL; 15 PF

NCHS PLAYER STATS: Scoring- Richardson 13; Shaw 10; Rowley 9; Kottwitz 6; Krueger 4; Potter 4. Rebounds- Rowley 8; Shaw 5. Assists- Shaw 5; Rowley 5.

Pine Bluffs had little trouble with Wright in the 57-20 win, and the early running clock gave the Lady Hornets an hour to rest before facing NCHS. The visitors took a 5-1 lead before Rowley’s trey kept Lusk close in a sloppy 12-11 first quarter. Pine Bluffs coughed up seven turnovers, but the Lady Tigers couldn’t take advantage of many. The Lady Hornets held a slim 19-18 halftime lead.

The game changed quickly in the third stanza, as Rowley’s hat trick of triples came 2:40 apart. Shaw got into the groove also and her 3-pointer gave Lusk the 33-23 lead. Rowley had one more long ranger left and the Lady Tigers lead was a dozen with one period left.

Shaw wasn’t done yet with two more treys and four of five from the line as NCHS won by the 52-42 score.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

PBHS 11 8 8 15 – 42

NCHS 12 6 21 13 –52

TEAM STATS

PBHS: 14/31 FG; 2/17 3PT; 8/17 FT; 45 REB; 9 AST; 4 STL; 22 TO; 22 PF

NCHS: 6/36 FG; 8/18 3PT; 16/32 FT; 41 REB; 14 AST; 9 TO; 12 STL; 18 PF

BIG HORN ñ In the Northeast Quadrant, Sundance upset Moorcroft as Lusk made the long trip to Big Horn to meet the Lady Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon.

Shaw splashed a trey to get things started but Sundance took the first period 9-7. She hit another moments into the second period to tie the game at 14, but a late run put the Lady Bulldogs up 21-14 at halftime.

The Lady Tigers crept back in and Shaw’s layup and free throw pulled them within 30-28. Rowley’s two free throws gave NCHS the lead and despite several attempts from Sundance, Lusk escaped with the 36-35 win.

Deb Murray earned her 11th regional or conference championship since becoming head coach before the 1991-92 season, and 14th in school history.

SCORE BY QUARTERS

NCHS 7 11 5 13 – 36

SHS 9 12 8 6 – 35

NCHS TEAM STATS: 13/43 FG; 2/9 3PT; 4/8 FT; 41 REB; 8 AST; 20 TO; 7 STL; 6 BLK; 14 PF

NCHS PLAYER STATS: Scoring- Shaw 13; Rowley 12; Richardson 4; Potter 3; Bruch 2; Krueger 2. Rebounds- Rowley 7; Shaw 6; Richardson 6; Potter 5.

The Lady Tigers open state play against Big Piney Friday at 10:30 a.m. at the Ford Wyoming Center. All brackets and ticket prices are available at whsaa.org.