CASPER — The season for the Green River High School Lady Wolves ended Saturday with a historic milestone.
Green River defeated Thunder Basin High School 59-45 in the third-place game at the Ford Wyoming Center during the Wyoming High School Activities Association 4A Girls State Basketball Tournament, earning the program’s first third-place finish since 1998 and just the third in school history.
The win also capped a record-setting season, as the Lady Wolves finished 25-3, the most wins in a single season in Green River High School history for either the boys or girls programs. Their .893 winning percentage is the second-best in program history, trailing only the 1996 team that finished 23-1 and lost in the state championship game.
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Green River opened the third-place matchup with a fast start, jumping out to a 15-2 lead in the first quarter. Thunder Basin responded with a run late in the period to trim the margin, but the Lady Wolves still held a 17-9 advantage at the end of the quarter.
Thunder Basin continued to chip away in the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 23-17 with 3:27 left in the half. The Lady Bolts kept grinding back and trailed just 26-23 in the closing seconds before Brookelyn Phillips hit a free throw to extend the lead to 27-23. Thunder Basin answered with a basket in the final seconds, sending Green River into halftime with a 27-25 lead.
Isa Vasco paced the Lady Wolves with nine first-half points, while senior Sydnie Eastman added five. Green River shot 35% from the field in the first half, went 1 of 5 from three-point range and converted 6 of 11 free throws. The Lady Wolves also controlled the boards early, outrebounding Thunder Basin 21-17.
Thunder Basin won the second quarter 16-10 to tighten the game, and the teams battled evenly through much of the third. The score was tied 32-32 before Green River went on a run to take a 37-32 lead midway through the quarter. The Lady Wolves maintained control and carried a 41-36 advantage into the final period.
Green River then broke the game open in the fourth quarter, erupting for a quick surge that pushed the lead to 53-38 within the first three minutes. The Lady Wolves maintained the cushion down the stretch and closed out the 59-45 victory.
The Lady Wolves shot 56.5 percent from the field in the second half and 40 percent from three-point range. They ended the game 10 of 18 from the free-throw line.
Vasco led Green River with 23 points in her final game. Senior Sophia Arnold added 12 points, while McKinley Killpack led the team with six rebounds. Eastman contributed seven points and five rebounds, and sophomore Nicole Wilson recorded a team-high three steals.
Green River finished with 38 rebounds compared to 28 for Thunder Basin and scored 20 points off turnovers. Thunder Basin was led by Addison Rouse, who finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
The Lady Wolves led the entire game except for two brief ties.
After the game, head coach Clinton Landon reflected on the season and the seniors who helped guide the team to a historic finish.
“We wanted to play this afternoon,” Landon said, referring to the championship game later in the day.
“It’s a little sad, but we still finished with a win,” he added.
The victory placed Landon alongside a notable figure in program history. The last time the Lady Wolves finished third was during the first coaching tenure of Rick Carroll in 1998, two seasons before Tim Cassity took over the program in 2000. Carroll later returned to lead the team again from 2016 until last season, when Landon, a former assistant under Carroll, assumed the head coaching role.
“Anytime you’re up there with the big guy, Papa Rick, you’re in good company,” Landon said about joining that part of program history.
Landon credited the program’s senior class for setting the tone throughout the season.
“What it means to be a wolf,” Landon said. “They put in all the extra stuff. I demand a lot, they are great kids and human beings.”
He continued praising the group’s dedication and leadership.
“They put in all the extra time, I can’t say enough about them,” Landon said. “They never get rattled.”
Those seniors left a lasting impression on the first-year head coach.
“Those guys are special to me. I will always remember them,” he said.
Landon also recognized the work of his staff after receiving a coach of the year honor during the tournament.
“We got a coach of the year award, and I consider that a staff award,” Landon said. “It belongs to the entire coaching staff.”
With a third-place finish and the most wins in program history, the Lady Wolves closed the season as one of the most successful teams ever to take the court for Green River High School.
