Rawlins Recovers And Strikes Late To Top Wheatland [VIDEO]

Highlights of the Friday, February 22nd Boys Basketball game, between Wheatland at #2 Rawlins.

Scroll down to watch highlights of the game.

Down 8 with 5 minutes to go, the Outlaws would finish the game on a 9-0 run, and got the winner with 4 seconds to go, to clinch the #1 seed going into the 3A East Regional tournament.

Don’t want to watch the game on TV at home? Bring the TV to the game. I know, I know…it’s not a TV. I’m just making fun of the situation.

Wheatland at #2 Rawlins…first quarter…Wheatland wearing the black…down 2-nothing…that is until Tyler Pollock decides to step right up and knock one down for 3…and that would put the Bulldogs up by a score of 3-to-2.

Rawlins did more of their scoring up close. Kendal Wall takes the assist and gets a well placed pick to set up his hook shot…as the Outlaws would go back up 4-to-3 in the early going.

The visitors have always been known for being a long range threat…and opponents might not want to leave Pollock alone for that long…because he’ll make you pay 3-times over. The boys in black are off to a good start leading 6-to-4.

The home team was hanging around and found ways to get the job done…here’s Jalen Krening…he’ll stop, pop and hit from about 12 feet out…that was the start of a 14 point game for him, and this game is dead even at 8 points a-piece.

Rawlins had something to play for in this game, as they were trying to clinch the #1 seed for the east regional tournament…Alex Collier is going to finish the fast break to add to the cause to return the advantage to his squad…leading 10-to-8.

The Bulldogs were getting a little impatient with sitting around…and wanted to play ball. Dusty Nipper gets the swipe and takes off. He’ll lay it in on the left side and now the visitors are winning 11-to-10.

The Outlaws were finding ways of their own to score…and sometimes they had to do it the hard way. Krening squeezes between 2 defenders…get the whistle, the bounce and the bucket. The pendulum swings back the other way…home team leads 13-to-11 after the first 8 minutes.

2^nd quarter…Rawlins was staging a break-in with their trips into the lane…you might actually need a wall to stop Wall, because he’s finding ways to score…and 1…the 3-point play would push the score up to 16-11.

As for Wheatland…they have not scored a field goal in 4 minutes plus…and just wait until later…Jhett Hadley scores quickly off of the inbounds to take care of the problem, and his team trails 18-13.

The Bulldogs were starting to come out of the dog-house...leading the initial charge is Nipper…putting food in the dog dish…he had 10 and the boys in black are down 20-to-15.

Now here’s a good trick, worthy of a treat. Critter Ruwart had it…lost it…recovered…sent one defender flying…and then gave the ball to Hadley who will get the hoop and harm…that’s good effort…the visitors are getting closer down 20-to-17.

They had nothing to lose in this game, and that can usually make any team dangerous.  Jordan Castellanos will announce his presence and bury a 3-ball in the yard…and both teams would have 20-20 vision…going into halftime.

3^rd quarter…Wheatland at times would try to beat the opposition at their own game and try to score up close. Braden Douglas gets rejected, but he recovers quickly and gets the 2…he had 14 on now his team is back in the lead…it’s 22-to-20.

How about some defense? The Outlaws were in need of some. Collier is going to stuff Nipper…that got a few ooo’s and ahh’s…but he was not done…he’ll get back and deliver another rejection, this time to Brickre Fischer…he knew what was going on, and put a stop to the visitor’s plans. Consider the lesson learned.

So, the boys in black went back to what was working…3’s…particularly those from the corner…Douglas poured in 13 of his own…that was part of a 16-to-2 run, as the Bulldogs would eventually go up 29-to-22.

The home team had a serious problem…no field goals in 9 ½ minutes…this putback by Collier was the only one they had for the entire quarter…thankfully for the Outlaws, they’re only down 29-26.

But the opposition was trying to keep Rawlins jailed and it was working for awhile. Douglas again from the corner and he was heating up…Wheatland was in decent shape, leading 34-to-26 going into the final 8 minutes.

4^th quarter…they were trying to put this game away, and for a little while it looked like that might happen…Braxten Fagenbush…drive…hoop and the foul…the 3 point play would put the visitors up by a score of 37-30.

Rawlins needed an answer…and Krening is going to give it to them…he was not going to be denied on this play…and the refs give him one more for his efforts…he took a spill, but he was all right…that cut the deficit to 4…it’s 37-33.

The Bulldogs were not about ready to let them get any closer…especially when Douglas has the ball behind the arc. He’ll drain another 3 to push the advantage back up 6…his team leads, 40-to-34.

Now this next highlight is important…I’ll tell you why later…Nipper will pull up for a 8 foot jumper and can it for Wheatland, who now have a 42-to-34 advantage with a little more than 5 minutes to go…remember that.

Here’s why…the Outlaws would respond and take over…Krening gets a leaner to go in to help turn the tide…and the home team is only down 42-to-38.

Later…the big man came through…I’m not sure how tall Collier is, but he had enough to get the ball to drop in for another 2…his team trails 42-to-40.

Skipping ahead to the final seconds…it came down to which wanted it more…and the home team got someone new in on the scoring…Lane Potratz…gets a kiss off the glass with 4 seconds to go, for his only 2 points of the game…and they were the 2 that mattered the most. Rawlins would go on a 9-zip run over the course of the final 5 minutes...and they’ll take the number 1 seed into the east regional tournament, as they would pull it out in the end on this one…43-to-42.