You don’t win many close games shooting 52 percent from the free throw line and that proved to be the difference against a tall, hot-shooting Jackson Hole team for the Riverton Wolverines late Friday night.
Riverton hit just 13 of 25 free throw attempts in a 64-58 home loss to the Broncs, they missed eight of those in the opening half.
The game was physical with Riverton blocking out hard trying to negate a Broncs lineup that had a pair of 6-5 forwards, a 6-8 post in Andrew Hanna, and another 6-6 player in Gavin Keen. Riverton has just one player over 6-2 in junior Malachi Smith.
Jackson controlled the defensive boards on almost every possession limiting the Wolverines to one shot in their half-court set.’
Jackson took the early lead and held it into the second period. Trailing 18-14, Parker Paxton connected on two-of-three free throws after being pummeled on a 3-point shot and Brodie Dale hit a floater over the trees in the paint to knot the game at 18.
Both teams made brief 5-0 runs, the first by the Broncs for a 23-18 lead. Riverton came back on a Dale 3-pointer and a pair of free throws by Darrick Devries to tie at 23.
Jackson led 26-23 entering the half.
The game was tied again at 31 and Riverton took their first lead on a Dale jump shot 33-31.
A 5-0 Wolverine run on a layup and free throw by DeVries and a jump shot by Ty Sheets that rolled in gave Riverton their largest lead of the night 38-33.
Smith was a defensive demon with a blocked shot and leaping steal high in the air to propel the rally.
Two more ties and Jackson put the game away, not with their height advantage but with long-range shooting.
Seb Brunner hit a pair of treys from the front of the key, and Andrew Fowler hit consecutive 3-point shots from both sides of the baseline with another trey coming from Maisen Borchardt.
Paxton led the Wolverines with 24 hard-earned points, DeVries had 10.
Brunner led Jackson with 23, Fowler had 10, Borchard 15 and Hanna finished with 14.
RIVERTON 10 13 15 20 – 58
JACKSON 15 11 9 29 – 64
Riverton – Darrick DeVries 2 (1) 3-4 10, Ty Sheets 4 0-2 8, Dre’Vin Monroe 1-2 1, Brodie Dale 2 (1) 0-2 7, Parker Paxton 5 (3) 5-7 24, Eli Lucas 2 4-6 8, Malachi Smith 0-4. Totals 15 (5) 13-25 58
Jackson – Brunner 4 (3) 6-6 23, Fowler 2 (2) 0-0 10, Hanna 5 4-7 14, Berzay 0-2 0, Borchardt 4 (1) 4-7 15, Keelin 1 0-0 2. Totals 16 (6) 14-22 64