Rattlers get bit by Saratoga

LSRV boys fall to Panthers during home game

The Little Snake River Valley (LSRV) Rattlers faced off against the Saratoga Panthers on January 28 and came up with a loss.

Head Coach Jack Cobb has said all season the 1A Southwest Conference was going to be brutal and that every win and loss was going to be crucial.

The score was 64-46.

The loss puts the Rattlers at 2-1 in conference play.

“It was a tight 1st quarter being 9-8 and then they just got on a run in the 2nd quarter and got going making shots while we were missing shots at the same time. Then, all of a sudden, from a one point game it was a 16 point game at half-time,” Cobb said. “They pushed the ball down the court and put forth a high tempo offense and honestly hit a lot of 8 to 10 foot shots.”

Cobb said he felt the Rattlers played decent defense on the Panthers, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the loss.

“They got hot on their end with their shots and we got cold on our end,” Cobb said. “We were down the points we were at half-time and then they came out and built up a bigger lead and then we cut it down a little bit, but they made shots.”

Cobb said he knew the Saratoga team was fired up to have a conference win after the conference loss to Cokeville last week.

“They honestly outshot and outplayed although our boys played hard,” Cobb said. “But if you can’t make baskets and they do, it is hard to stay with them. You don’t win basketball games when you aren’t scoring and the other team is.”

Cobb takes the loss as a lesson.

“It is still a long season in this conference,” Cobb said. “We didn’t get to play Encampment, which is a tough team and would have been a good experience win or lose, but we will go to the gym today and regroup and face the next couple teams starting with Farson and Cokeville.”

He said the practices need to have the Rattlers get more proficient at shooting as a team. Cobb understands the team the Rattlers lost to on Friday is excellent.

“They are hard to match up against,” Cobb said. “They have size and the size can go outside and shoot and then the twins (Grady and Grant Bartlett) play fast and hit a lot of 8 foot shots. They consistently killed us.”

Cobb said the team’s bad shooting really hurt them.

“When you shoot under 30 percent, you aren’t going to win many games,” Cobb said. “Especially against a hot team.”

Cobb said facing Farson Friday and Cokeville on Saturday on the road will be a difficult journey.

“Facing both teams on their home court and both are in the hunt,” Cobb said. “Farson beat Cokeville this past weekend and Cokeville beat Saratoga last week and we beat Farson before, but it is no sure thing we will do it again.”

Cobb said every win against a team in the Southwest Conference was going to be a battle and it is going to be interesting to see what teams make it and what good team will be left behind come regionals.

 

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