Lady Grizz claim middle school tournament title on home court

The Rocky Mountain Middle School girls basketball team made a statement on its home court Saturday. Despite entering the tournament as the fourth seed, the Lady Grizz pulled off key upsets of Burlington and Shoshoni and rolled through the field to claim the A team tournament championship with three convincing victories and a defensive performance that set the tone from start to finish.

Rocky opened the day with a dominant 34-5 win over Greybull, advanced past Burlington 27-18 in the semifinals and capped the tournament with a 25-16 championship victory over Shoshoni. 

“It was a great day for the Lady Grizz,” said head coach Taylor Winland. “The girls played unselfish and great team basketball. We put on a defensive clinic, outscoring our opponents 86-39. I can’t say enough about these girls. You could see the growth in each game.

“The message going into the tournament was composure. We knew we would face some tough teams, and Burlington and Shoshoni would pressure us. Keeping our composure against their pressure, not getting too high and not getting too low throughout the games was key. The girls did a great job all day, and all of us coaches are so proud of them.”

Game One: Rocky 34, Greybull 5

Seven players contributed to the scoring, led by Josie Loyning with 11 points. Tianna Christiansen added 6 points, followed by Taylor Grandalen with 5, Kate Crosby and Presli Moss with 4 each, Kielley Brimhall with 3 and Raelyn Reculusa with 2. The halftime score was just 11-3, but the Grizz opened up the offense, scoring 11 points in the third quarter and 12 more in the fourth to win decisively.

Semi-finals: Rocky 27, Burlington 18

In a much closer semifinal, Grandalen led the attack with 11 points, followed by Moss with 7, Christiansen with 5, Loyning with 4 and Crosby with 2. The Grizz opened up the game with a 12-1 first quarter and played consistently throughout. The Huskies made a valiant push in the final quarter, scoring 9 points, but it was too late.

Championship: Rocky 25, Shoshoni 16

In the championship game RMMS came out strong and outscored Shoshoni 10–2 in the first quarter but allowed the Lady Wranglers to get back into the game, with Rocky leading only 13–12 at halftime. The Grizz really pushed the defense in the second half, holding Shoshoni to just 4 points and pulling away with 9 points in the third quarter and 3 in the fourth to upset Shoshoni by 9 points.

Grandalen again led all scorers with 10 points, and Brimhall added 8. Loyning, Crosby, and Reculusa each finished with 2 points, while Elle Ganoung and Christiansen contributed important free throws. Kaylie Watts and Moss also made key defensive plays in the final game.

By Saturday afternoon, the results spoke for themselves. With balanced scoring, disciplined defense and contributions across the lineup, the Lady Grizz not only secured the tournament title but showcased the growth they’ve had all season.

B team round robin

Rocky’s B team finished the year with a strong showing at the season-ending jamboree in Burlington, opening with an 18–3 win over Greybull and a 36–8 victory over Riverside before falling 23–15 to host school Burlington. Coach Julie Winland said she was proud of the team’s progress.

“We had a really great season. From the first day of practice to the last game, this team showed lots of growth, grit and heart. Going 2–1 at the end of the season jamboree was a good way to go out,” she said.

She also noted, “I also loved coaching with my son, Taylor, and Madison Grandalen. We make a great team.”