Girls Basketball: Natrona vs. Laramie Class 4A State Championship [VIDEO]

Highlights of the Saturday, March 10th Class 4A girls basketball state championship game between Laramie and Natrona.

Scroll down to watch the highlights of the game!

The Lady Plainsmen would jump out to a huge lead, then hold off a Natrona comeback, to win their first state championship in school history, and spoil NC"s bid for an undefeated season in the process.

Looks like towel boy got promoted! But I wouldn’t count on him ever being asked to wax and buffer the floor. He does enough already.

Natrona vs. Laramie for the 4A state championship…first quarter…Laramie wearing the maroon…and they would make an early statement…Katie Kuhn strikes from behind the arc…that’s how you get this party started and the Lady Plainsmen would take a 3-nothing lead.

But they were just getting started…here’s Kuhn again for 3 more…gets the bounce and gets the shot to drop in…that ended being all of her contributions to this game, but her team is up 6-to-2.

Laramie came out on fire to start this game and they were burning up the nets…Kyleigh Hiser…she’s lighting up one herself and they smoking hot…her team could do no wrong in the first few minutes…the score is now 9-to-2.

They were hitting from all sides from behind the arc…this is Ali Beckler in the far cornerrrr…got it! The Lady Plainsmen were taking the fight their undefeated opposition…and they were winning…12-to-4.

There’s more…same spot…same person…Beckler…again…count it! The Laramie crowd was going nuts…their team was in command…15-to-4 and the game is only 4 and one-half minutes old.

Natrona needed to get their act in gear or else they were going to get swallowed up whole! Kayzanne Graney collects the loose ball and scores 2 for the Fillies to help ease things a little bit, but they’re still down 15-to-6.

They had some problems getting a lot of up close shots to drop in…but at times they would have each others back…Sierra Bartsch gets the offensive rebounds and scores her only 2 points of the game here…N-C trails 15-to-8 at this point.

The Lady Plainsmen were doing that as well on the other end…this is Madison Legerski…yes that’s U-W women’s basketball coach Joe Legerski’s daughter…it’s now 17-to-8.

The 3-point barrage was starting to wear off, but they had one more left in them…Hiser led all scorers with 11 points…including that long bomb…Laramie was surprising everyone but themselves…leading 20-to-8 after the first 8 minutes.

2^nd quarter…and for those of you who watched this game…this is where the scoring pace slowed immensly…in fact it almost came to complete stop. I think Regan Wilson just provided a great example of what’s to come…or what’s not to come.

On the other end…N-C was trying to put the pieces back together…Kaylee Johnson will get the offensive board and clean up the mess for the Fillies, who are still down 21-to-10 at this point.

Not many points were scored in this quarter…in fact all 3 of Laramie’s points came from the free throw line…Graney will changes hands for Natrona and score on the run…but her team has more work to do, trailing 23-to-12.

Later…N-C was slowly chipping away at the deficit. Check out the ball handling by Veronique Gallegos…N-C was going to need a lot more then that, if they were going to remain undefeated…they’re still down 23-to-14, going into the locker room.

After watching all that…why not? Let’s go to the phones. Hello caller, you’re on a special edition of Sportsline Live…what’s on your mind?

3^rd quarter…the pace picked up a little bit, but not by that much more…Wilson finds a wide open lane…she’ll take the ball and score for the Lady Plainsmen, who would increase their lead to 27-14.

Back comes Natrona…Emma Norvelle is leading the charge…nice cross-over…hoops and the foul…the Fillies were taking what they could get although they’re on the wrong end of a 27-16 score.

Laramie would try to go back to what was working at the beginning of the game…Hiser spots up for 3 more…ring em up! Her team was trying to establish a strangle-hold on the lead…up 30-to-16.

As for the opposition…1 person that has not done much is Johnson and she had to snap out of it…she is the Wyoming Gatorade Player of the Year after all…she did score 10 points and her team was still down by 10…it was 30-to-20 going into the final 8 minutes.

4^th quarter…here’s where things started to get interesting again…N-C was slowly turning the tide and they were getting comfortbale…Johnson is going to work her way In for another 2 behind the referee…and that would make it a 30-to-22 contest.

But the ladies from the Gem City were not about ready to surrender the momentum…Legerski drives and gets a lay-up, to add to the cause…and the lead is back up to 10…it’s 32-22.

Natrona then decided to take a page out of their opponents play-book…and they needed to…Gallegos…dialing one up from long range and connects…her team is getting closer, trailing 32-to-27.

Right about now, would be a good time for the defense to make a play…Wilson has a plan in mind, but Johnson is going to send it back to the drawing board. That ended up saving 2 points, big time!

Back to the near side…the Fillies and Gallegos had the same plan in mind…if it works, keep using it…she’s in wide open and she made the Laramie defense pay…we got ourselves a game again…N-C trails 32-30, with about 2 and one-half minutes to go.

The Lady Plainsmen needed to get to work on an insurance policy, because their lead is almost gone…Legerski…drive…bucket…foul…her team needed that one…they still have the advantage…up 34-30.

About 45 seconds to go…there’s still some time left…Norvelle gets a great pick and goes around it for 2 points…Natrona is now breathing down the competitions neck…it’s 35-to-34…but Laramie would  break the full court press…Legerski is open on the far side and she knows what to do with it…that bucket relieved some pressure…the scoreboard reads 37-to-34.

Only a few seconds remain…the Fillies have the ball and need 3 to tie…Graney ends up having to take the shot…it’s an airball…and there goes N-C’s vision of an undefeated season.

It was the first game of the season, and it was the last game of the season. The difference is…the last one matters the most.

Laramie pulls off the stunner…winning their first 4A state championship in school history…38-to-35…the Lady Plainsmen finish the season with a record of 23-and-4.