Bolts’ lineup has new faces, same expectations | Local
Thunder Basin High School’s girls’ basketball team will have a new identity this year, but expectations remain the same as any other.
The bolts are shooting for the school’s second state championship.
The Bolts graduated from seven seniors from last year’s roster and will only bring back five players who played in college a year ago. Uni returners include two seniors (Gabby Mendoza and Risa Pilon) and three juniors (Joelie Spelts, Laney McCarty and Kinley Solem).
Spelz is the only all-state returner of the Bolts after an average of 11.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.5 blocks in 24 games last season. Spelts saw the most minutes of the four returnees from last year and is the Bolts’ tallest player at 6-foot-2.
Even with several new faces on the college roster, the Bolts are far from stepping back. The newly loaded squad from Thunder Basin is starting the season with a lot of energy and excitement in the TBHS gym.
“It really will be different for everyone,” said Pilon. “We’re an almost completely different core group this year and some of us haven’t played together in a few years but we just have to get together as a team and prepare and find out.”
For the new girls entering university this year, the competition at the start of the regular season won’t be a complete shock. That’s because these JV players trained in training with last year’s seniors every day.
“A lot of these girls are doing really well and taking on the challenge of playing along,” said Spelts. “Last year we played these girls in training so it’s not that different but we all have a really good picture of what the rest of the season should be like.
“We just have to work hard and be competitive and improve each other in training. I think everyone is getting along really well with it, although it’s pretty much a brand new team. “
The Bolts established themselves as a basketball powerhouse for girls after the school opened in 2017. Thunder Basin finished third in its first year in 2018, won the title in 2019, and won the consolation round last year. The national tournament was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19.
The consolation title last year was rewarding, but it did not come without disappointment. The Bolts entered the regional tournament with a winning streak of 18 games before losing to Cheyenne East in the regional championship.
After Thunder Basin fell to 2nd place for the state tournament, he lost his second game in a row 59-56 in the first round against Cody. Although it was still a successful season, the five returning Bolts were far from satisfied.
“That loss to Cody was definitely heartbreaking for many of us,” said Pilon. “We’re definitely looking at the price this year. We have big goals and we just have to work hard in practice to achieve them. “
The big focus for Thunder Basin will be playing with chemistry and confidence at the start of the season. The Bolts usually play at high speed and punish teams by converting defensive ball losses into attack points.
Solem is also trying to find her own role at the university level. Her older sister, Sydney Solem, made an eclectic contribution to last year’s team, which ended with a 21-3 record.
As the new leader of the Bolts, Kinley has emphasized the importance of leading by example through actions, not words, a lesson she learned growing up with her older sister.
“We just have to get out ready to play,” Kinley said. “I think we’ve struggled with this for the past few years because we expect to win and we can’t just come out and expect to win. We have to work for everything. “
LeeAnn Cox is entering her sophomore year as TBHS head coach. For the first four years of the program in Class 4A, the studs are 85-20.
The pressure to carry on the winning tradition of the girls’ basketball program in the Thunder Basin is not everyday for the players. All this year’s team is interested in is completing another deep playoff run to secure another state title.
“I think we’re all competitive and we really want to win,” said Spelts. “We all know how to compete, so we’ll be really good at winning that urge. That will be very important so that we can set the tone for the first few weeks as to how this season will go. “
According to WyoPrep.com, the Bolts led Class 4A in scoring and shooting last year. Thunder Basin averaged 61.8 points per game with 42.1% shooting. The Bolts were also third in rebound (33.5 points per game) and fifth in defense (43.5 points per game).
This year’s team will try to continue playing all-round team basketball. The bolts are known for constantly distributing the ball and rarely forcing bad shots on the offensive side.
“We just have to focus on playing as a team,” said Mendoza. “When things get tough, we just have to keep that in mind because it really kills us if we try to take matters into our own hands.”
The Bolts start the season with the hosting of the REMAX / Gillette Invitational on Thursday. The Thunder Basin season opener takes place on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at TBHS against Evanston.
The Bolts will also play against Scottsbluff from Nebraska at 6:00 p.m. on Friday and against Saint Thomas More from South Dakota on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.