Lady Broncs 2-1 in Burns Winter Classic

The Burns Lady Broncs opened the gym for the second Burns Winter Classic and at the hot hand of Mckenzie Ward came away with two wins in three games. The locals played two games on Friday against Central of Cheyenne and Shoshoni. They ended the day in a 1-1 split, before ending the classic with a win over Moorcroft.

Mckenzie Ward set the scoring pace against Shoshoni with her high score of 13. Chelsea Engel found the net for nine points. Alex McCart had the team-high boards with seven. Despite that performance, the Lady Broncs could not get the finish they desired and ended losing by two, 43-45 in their opening game.

The Ladies held a 21-16 lead at the half, then were outscored 17-7 in the third period. Their 15-12 closing quarter was not enough for the win.

“The kids played really hard and gave themselves a chance to win, but you just can’t miss 15 free throws in a two-point game,” coach Barry Ward said.

The team netted eight points on 23 tries from the charity stripe.

Burns put 21 more points on the board than their opponent when on the court with Central, ending in a 47-26 win for the Lady Broncs. The game opened with a tight 11-9 first quarter, Burns on top. The home team tacked on 12 points in the second period and held Central to three to enter halftime 23-12 Burns.

Burns continued to put up double digits in the second half, posting 11 and 13 points in the final periods of play. Central found the basket for a total of 14 second half points.

Mckenzie had a stellar performance in the game, recording an unusual double-double of 24 points and 10 steals. She also nabbed four boards. High rebounder for the game was McCart with nine.

“The kids forced a lot of turnovers and really took control of the game with their defense,” coach Ward said of the contest.

Turning their sights to Moorcroft on Saturday, Coach Ward said, “We came out really flat, and finally pulled away in the fourth quarter.”

Mckenzie notched another double-double, scoring 16 points and grabbing 12 boards, the team high in both categories. Megan Marker also hit double digits, connecting for 11 points.

The Lady Broncs were on the road Tuesday at South. They will be on the road Friday as they face off with host Glenrock. On Saturday, the squad will take their home court for a game against Lusk.

Individual tourney stats

Points — Mckayla Ward 15, Mardi O’Neal 2, Megan Marker 21, McKenzie Ward 53, Chelsea Engel 16, Hailey Pyle 4, Alex McCart 13, Bri Bocox 21

Rebounds — Mckayla Ward 8, O’Neal 4, Marker 8, McKenzie Ward 21, Engel 17, Pyle 6, McCart 21, Bocox 14

Free Throws —Mckayla Ward 2/3, O’Neal 0/2, Marker 5/6, McKenzie Ward 7/11, Engel 3/10, Pyle 2/4, McCart 3/12, Bocox 8/15