(PHOTOS) Natrona County Mustangs down rival Kelly Walsh in OT thriller

CASPER, Wyo. — A common adage in sports is that it’s not how you start that matters, but how you finish.

The Natrona County Mustangs proved the old saying right on Saturday, using a big fourth quarter in the consolation round of the WHSAA state basketball tournament to force overtime and eventually beat their crosstown rivals, the Kelly Walsh Trojans, 54–52.

The game started promisingly for the Mustangs, who managed a 7–0 run in the opening minutes.

Kelly Walsh would quickly make a game of it, and with about two minutes and 40 seconds left in the opening quarter the Trojans had cut the score to just 9–8 in NCHS’s favor.

The Trojans then took the lead seconds later on a corner 3-pointer by Logan Atnip that put KWHS up 11–9, but Natrona County retook the lead on its ensuing possession and ultimately led 13–11 through the first quarter.

In the second and third quarters, momentum began slowly but surely swinging for Kelly Walsh. It didn’t take very long for the Trojans to take the lead, using some better offensive efficiency as well as improved defense. During a pivotal stretch of the second quarter, the Mustangs repeatedly had trouble driving into the paint as the Trojans’ defense was proving adept at poking the ball loose in traffic.

At the end of the first half, the Trojans held a slim 24–20 lead.

The Trojans continued to press their advantage in the third quarter. The Mustangs took about three minutes to find their first points of the second half, and in that time the Trojans had managed to stretch their lead to seven, up 29–22.

The only double-digit lead of the day came with just under two and a half minutes left, when Kelly Walsh pulled ahead 34–24. The Mustangs then answered by scoring to get back to within single digits on the very next play.

Headed into the fourth, KWHS led 36–28.

The Mustangs were not to be deterred, though. The Mustang offense came alive in the fourth quarter, knocking down shots from deep and finding increased success by taking the ball to the rim.

Midway through the final quarter, the Mustangs had halved the deficit and trailed just 40–34. about a minute and a half later, they pulled to within a single basket and trailed 40–38.

In the game’s final seconds, it looked like NCHS might pull off an incredible rally in regulation. With just under 25 seconds left in the final quarter, a layup by the Mustangs made it a 45–44 game in Kelly Walsh’s advantage. After getting to within one by way of a pair of free throws, a steal and run-out by Rogan Potter gave Natrona County its first lead since early in the second quarter.

Kelly Walsh, now trailing by one with just 11 seconds left, pushed the ball the length of the court and drew the foul on a last-second attempt. The shooter made one of two from the line, sending the game to overtime tied at 46–46.

The overtime was as eventful as the fourth quarter. The two teams stayed neck-and-neck, and the lead never grew bigger than four points. With Kelly Walsh down two and forced to foul in the game’s closing moments, the Mustangs went 1-of-2 at the line, giving Kelly Walsh the chance to win or send things to double-OT on the final possession. However, Kelly Walsh’s final shots were off the mark, allowing Natrona to win the thriller.

NCHS was led by a trio of scorers who finished in double figures. Garrett Patik scored 17, while Tanner Hagar and Josiah Coleman scored 14 and 12, respectively. Rogan Potter scored sxi, Gavin Patik and Tays Turnbull each scored two and Orin Williams had one.

For KWHS, Jack Nicholls and Atnip led the way with 13 and 12, respectively. Duncan Gillum had eight, Mason Eager scored seven, Jayden Becker finished with three and Jonah Boulanger and Carter Alvar each scored a pair.