4A Boys State Basketball Day 1 Recaps

The Class 4A boys basketball state championship tournament is underway with six games going on in Casper.

Two venues are getting used on Friday with action at the Ford Wyoming Center and Casper College for the first round and semifinal games.

WyoPreps is providing fans a summary of how the games are going with a brief recap of all six games on the first day.

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Game 5: Thunder Basin 48 Star Valley 25 (semifinal #1)

McKale Holte knocked down four 3-pointers in the first quarter, and that set the stage for Thunder Basin's 48-25 semifinal win over Star Valley on Friday night in Casper.

The Bolts advance to the school's first-ever boys basketball state championship game on Saturday.

Holte scored a game-high 18 points, all in the first half, as Thunder Basin jumped out to a 28-8 lead by halftime. Star Valley failed to score in the second quarter. The Braves shot just 27 percent and had 10 turnovers in the first half.

Star Valley outscored the Bolts, 11-to-8, in the third but that didn't put much of a dent in the Thunder Basin lead. The largest lead was 25 points in the fourth for the Bolts.

Thunder Basin shot 44 percent for the game. They scored 12 points off 16 turnovers by the Braves. Andre Felton added 10 points.

Star Valley was paced by 10 points from Tristen Kleeman. They shot 26.5 percent from the floor. That included 1-14, seven percent from beyond the arc.

Thunder Basin will face Cheyenne Central in the 4A boys' championship on Saturday at 5 p.m. in Casper.

Star Valley will be in the third-place game against Sheridan at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday in Casper.

Game 6: Cheyenne Central 67 Sheridan 45 (semifinal #2)

Four Indians scored in double figures, and Cheyenne Central rolled past Sheridan, 67-45, to get back to the 4A boys' state championship game for the first time in five years.

Cade Burns and Nathaniel Talich scored 15 points each, Brady Storebo had 13, and Lawson Lovering added 10 points.

It was 11-11 after the first quarter and looked like a great match-up was developing. Central opened the second on a 14-1 run. They outscored the Broncs 19-5 in the second quarter and took control. It was 30-16 at the break.

One difference was the Indians shot 62 percent in the first half compared to 20 percent for Sheridan.

The Indians stretched it out with a 20-8 third quarter. Central led 50-24 at the end of the period. Their largest lead of 27 points came in the fourth quarter.

The Broncs did make a push with 21 points in the final frame, but the Indians were never in jeopardy.

Cheyenne Central shot 59 percent for the game. They went 20-30 at the foul line and had 37 rebounds. The Indians cashed in with 16 points off 11 Bronc turnovers.

Sheridan was held to 28 percent shooting. Sam Lecholat led the Broncs with 11 points, seven rebounds, and five blocked shots. They had 29 boards as a team, including 14 offensive rebounds.

Cheyenne Central will make their 35th all-time appearance in a boys' basketball state title game. The Indians will play Thunder Basin at 5 p.m. on Saturday for the 4A championship from the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper.

On Saturday, Sheridan will take on Star Valley for third place at 1:30 p.m. in Casper.

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Game 1: Thunder Basin 46 Green River 24

Thunder Basin ran away from Green River in the second half and posted a 46-24 victory over the Wolves in a 4A boys' first-round game at the state tournament in Casper on Friday.

Andre Felton scored 13 points and McKale Holte added 12 in the Bolts victory. They make the semifinals for the first time in program history.

Thunder Basin led from start-to-finish. Green River hung around thanks to 54 percent shooting in the first half. The Bolts held a slim 10-9 lead after the first quarter. They opened up a 27-19 lead by halftime. Thunder Basin outscored the Wolves 19-5 in the second half. That included a shutout in the fourth quarter.

The Bolts shot 36 percent for the game. They scored 28 points off 23 Green River turnovers. Thunder Basin also made eight 3-pointers.

The Wolves leading scorer was Jachob Fuss with nine points. They shot 30 percent from the field. Green River went 2-17, 12 percent, in the second half.

Thunder Basin will play Star Valley in the first 4A boys' semifinal at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in Casper.

The Wolves drop into consolation play at 10:30 a.m. against Cheyenne East at the Ford Wyoming Center on Saturday.

Game 2: Star Valley 66 Cheyenne East 45

Four players scored in double figures and the Star Valley Braves pulled away for a 66-45 victory over Cheyenne East in the first round of the 4A boys state tournament in Casper on Friday.

It was the 16th consecutive victory for the Braves, who make their first semifinal appearance since 2014.

Tristen Kleeman scored 20 points, while Zach Johnson added 13. Brant Nelson contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds. Kolter Merritt also scored 10.

Cheyenne East struggled shooting all game and finished 1-26 from 3-point range.

The Braves led 14-8 after the first quarter. The Thunderbirds rallied back behind Graedyn Buell, who had 17 points in the first half. East tied it at 25-25 at the break.

Star Valley opened the second half on a 15-4 run for a 40-29 lead. The T-birds scored the last six of the period and trimmed it to 40-35 entering the fourth. The Braves just pulled away in the final frame, as they outscored East 26-10.

Star Valley shot 46.5 percent for the game. They went 20-31, 64.5 percent, as the foul line. The Braves overcame 21 turnovers.

The Thunderbirds shot just 28 percent from the field. They had 16 turnovers. Buell finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds before he fouled out in the fourth quarter.

Star Valley will face Thunder Basin in the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in Casper at the Ford Wyoming Center.

Cheyenne East plays a consolation game against Green River at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Game 3: Sheridan 66 Riverton 44

The Sheridan Broncs steadily pulled away in a 66-44 victory over the Riverton Wolverines in the first round of the boys' 4A state basketball tournament in Casper.

Sam Lecholat scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Sheridan. The Broncs made eight 3-point field goals. They took advantage of 19 Riverton turnovers and scored 18 points off them. Sheridan also scored 17 second-chance points thanks to 13 offensive rebounds.

Riverton stayed close thanks to 60 percent shooting in the first half.

It was 13-8 Broncs after the first period. They extended to a 31-22 lead by halftime.

The Wolverines went cold in the second half and shot just 33 percent. Sheridan's lead reached 22 points in the fourth quarter.

The Broncs shot 43 percent from the floor. Zach Koltiska added 10 points, and Alex Sanders added nine points on three triples.

Jared Lucas paced Riverton with a game-high 18 points on 7-10 shooting. The Wolverines finished the game at 45.5 percent from the floor.

Sheridan will take on Cheyenne Central in the semifinals at 9 p.m. in Casper from the Ford Wyoming Center.

Riverton drops into the consolation side of the bracket and will take on Rock Springs at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday at Kelly Walsh High School.

Game 4: Cheyenne Central 67 Rock Springs 46

The Central Indians had no trouble advancing to the 4A semifinals, as they blitzed the Rock Springs Tigers, 67-45, on Friday afternoon in Casper.

Central jetted out to a 22-7 lead by the time the first quarter was finished. It was 35-17 at halftime, as the Indians shot 71 percent in the half. The third quarter was just as dominant, as Central outscored the Tigers 20-9. The Indians' lead reached 31 points in the second half. Central's starters rested the entire fourth quarter. Rock Springs did score 20 points in the final frame.

Brady Storebo had a game-high 16 points for the Indians. Lawson Lovering scored 15 points and four dunks. Both finished with six rebounds. Nathanial Talich added 10 points. Central shot nearly 63 percent from the field and had a 35-19 edge on the glass.

Zach Tranchitella scored 14 points for Rock Springs. The Tigers shot 37 percent from the floor.

The Indians move on to the semifinals against Sheridan at 9 p.m. on Friday at the Ford Wyoming Center.

Rock Springs will take on Riverton in a loser-out game at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday from Kelly Walsh High School.