The Mountain View High School girls’ basketball team does not have much experience coming back from last year’s team that went 18-7 and finished fourth in the Class 3A state tournament. But the Lady Buffalos are still confident entering the 2017-18 campaign.
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MOUNTAIN VIEW — The Mountain View High School girls’ basketball team does not have much experience coming back from last year’s team that went 18-7 and finished fourth in the Class 3A state tournament.
But the Lady Buffalos are still confident entering the 2017-18 campaign.
“I think it continues with the tradition that we’ve had here in Mountain View,” first-year head coach Jessica Moretti said. “We’ve made it to state nine of the last 10 years I’ve been part of the program. I think them being a part of the tradition is huge.”
Moretti enters her first year at the helm of the program, but is entering her 11th season as a member of the Mountain View girls’ basketball program. She was the freshman coach the first three years, and has spent the last seven seasons as the junior varsity coach.
“We’re young in experience, but I have a great group of girls,” Moretti said. “They’re quick, athletic and smart. I foresee us having a successful season.”
Last season, the Lady Buffalos edged Lander and Cody before falling to Star Valley in the championship game of the Class 3A West regional tournament.
At state, Mountain View (No. 2 West) claimed a 59-33 win over Wheatland (No. 4 East) before suffering a 57-43 loss to Worland (No. 1 East) in the semifinals. The Lady Buffalos closed out the season with a 66-56 loss to Douglas (No. 2 East) in the third-place game.
Mountain View graduated four players from last year in Marley Newton, Alyx Wells, MaShayla Hurdsman and Liz Thiemann.
Newton was an All-State player after averaging a team-high 14.3 points, six rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.7 steals. Wells was second in scoring with 11.3 points per game and earned All-Conference honors.
The Lady Buffalos do bring back some experience this season.
Baylee Tims, a senior, is a three-year starter who averaged 6.9 points and 7.6 rebounds as a junior last season.
“I think we’ll be very good at communicating and working hard,” Tims said. “I think we’re going to do very well.”
Also returning is Lyndee Hereford, a junior who averaged 6.9 points and 5.4 rebounds as a sophomore.
Ailee Bugas (junior), Hailey Stephens (sophomore), Dallie Hewitt (senior), Haylee Hereford (junior) and Charity Harmon (junior) all logged some minutes at the varsity level last season.
“We’ve all played together before and we’ve done really well,” Lyndee Hereford said. “Sure, we’re inexperienced, but look at our football team. They were inexperienced and they won a state championship.”
The Lady Buffalos would like to do the same.
“I definitely want a state championship,” Bugas said. “That’s what we all want.”
