Rocky Mtn. Middle School girls continue steady play against Meeteetse

The Rocky Mountain Middle School girls cagers returned from a week-long break and showed plenty of polish Monday night in Meeteetse, where both the A and B teams earned hard-fought wins.

In A-team play, Rocky built an early lead with a flurry of defensive stops and transition baskets, taking a 22–2 advantage at halftime before holding off Meeteetse down the stretch for a 26–5 win. Taylor Grandalen led the scoring with 10 points, followed by Tianna Christiansen with 7, Kielley Brimhall with 3, Paisley Malson, Presli Moss and Kate Crosby with 2 each.

Head coach Taylor Winland said the break between games made a difference.

“We had about a week break since our last game, which was helpful. It gave us time to put in some new things,” he said. “In the first half against Meeteetse, our defensive pressure caused several turnovers that we were able to capitalize on. In the second half, we dialed back the pressure, which led to a slower scoring pace, but it gave us a great opportunity to focus on and improve our half-court defense.”

Also contributing for the A team were Raelyn Reculusa, Kaylie Watts and Elle Ganoung, who provided steady defense and strong rebounding in key moments.

B team continues success

The B team followed with a successful 34–5 victory, sparked by a big 10-point third-quarter surge. Josie Loyning led the way with 14 points, and Lauren Hedges added 8, Malson 6, Alexis Clark 4 and Millie Hanusa 2.

Assistant coach Julie Winland praised the team’s growth, noting, “The girls are really starting to understand the offense and make the right reads. It’s been fun to see them come together and build confidence each game.”

The teams will have another long break this week before facing Greybull at home on Monday, with three games scheduled to begin at 4:15 p.m. in the Grizzly auxiliary gym.