LHS boys basketball survives close game in Rawlins
Jan. 13—The Laramie High boys basketball team escaped with a 72-65 road win over Rawlins on Friday night.
The Plainsmen found themselves in a tightly contested game, holding a 32-28 lead going into the halftime break. LHS was able to get a small advantage in the first half because of its 3-point shooting, which included a nine-point second quarter from junior Neil Summers.
Out of the break, Summers went on a personal 7-0 run to pad the Plainsmen's lead, but the Outlaws scored on their next five possessions to force LHS coach Drew Evans to call a timeout.
Rawlins forced a turnover on the Plainsmen's first possession out of the timeout, leading to back-to-back buckets and a 45-44 Outlaws lead midway through the third frame. The teams exchanged leads through the final minutes of the quarter before Rawlins took a 52-51 lead into the fourth.
Summers scored the first four LHS points in the final frame. After an Outlaws layup ended the run, Gabe Sanchez drilled a 3-pointer to extend Laramie's lead to four.
Rawlins tied the game once more at 59-59, but Jaden Smith scored Laramie's next six points to force a Rawlins timeout. The Outlaws got back to within three with under a minute to play, but the Plainsmen came up with a crucial rebound after a missed layup from Rawlins to secure the seven-point win.
Summers led the Plainsmen with 26 points, followed by Smith with 19 and Max Alexander with 14. Jose Morales and Jaxson Allard combined for 55 points for the Outlaws, scoring 30 and 25, respectively.
The Plainsmen were slated to host Rock Springs on Saturday in Laramie, but the game was canceled due to inclement weather. LHS will next host Cheyenne East at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Laramie.
LARAMIE 72, RAWLINS 65
Laramie........ 18 14 19 23— 72
Rawlins...... 16 12 24 14 — 65
Rawlins: Morales 30, Allard 25, Searle 2, Gonzalez 6, Vialpando 4.
Laramie: Summers 26, Smith 19, Alexander 14, Busch 4, Sanchez 6, McKinney 3, Goetz 3.
