Six Lady Grizz receive postseason recognition

The Rocky Mountain High School girls basketball team concluded their season with a 19-8 record, and that feat landed six players postseason honors.

In the 2A Northwest quadrant, Lauren Bassett, Shelby Wambeke, Keylee Christiansen, Tarynn Schoening and Brittly Boettcher were recognized as all-conference players, and Kaysie Cooley was listed as honorable mention.

The trio of Wambeke, Boettcher and Bassett were also selected as members of the 2A West All-Region team for their performances, with Bassett earning top honors as a Class 2A All-State selection.

Head coach Justin Moss was happy for his players’ recognitions and the journey the season provided for his team.

“The destination is the journey,” Moss said. “It’s all about the ups and downs and the picking each other up.

“I hope our girls realize all the cool things they did this year. To get all of these girls this type of recognition doesn’t happen with teams that aren’t successful.”

The Lady Grizz won the regional title for the fourth time in school history this year and had multiple players finish as top 10 performers in various categories for all of 2A.

COOLEY

“Kaysie did a great job for us this year with her shooting and ball handling,” Moss said. “She really grew this year and was our spark plug off the bench.”

Cooley compiled 164 points, 57 rebounds, 25 assists and 45 steals on the season for the Lady Grizz and led the team with 26 three-pointers made.

“Later on in the season, teams were really scared of her because she really went on some stretches where she shot the ball really well,” Moss said.

CHRISTIANSEN

On the year, Christiansen tallied 125 points, 94 rebounds, 47 assists, 46 steals and 17 blocked shots for Rocky Mountain.

“Keylee hit some big shots in big moments for us this year,” Moss said. “She used her length on defense, blocked some shots and did a good job of rebounding.”

Moss noted that one of her biggest moments was at the state tournament when she knocked down two big free throws down the stretch of their first-round game and what a special moment it was watching her hard work pay off in that situation.

“She knew she was going to hit them,” he said.

BOETTCHER

Boettcher wrapped up the season with 154 points, 116 rebounds, 15 assists, 39 steals and three blocks.

“Brittly plays like she’s six-foot tall and only stands at 5-6,” Moss stated. “She is so physical and tough and rebounds and does a good job of going downhill driving to the basket and creating opportunities for herself and others.”

Moss also mentioned how Boettcher broke her nose in the middle of the season and only missed two practices when describing her determination and toughness to compete.

SCHOENING

“Tarynn was one of our main defensive stoppers,” Moss said. “She was a menace on defense and really pressured people in our press.”

Moss explained that she allowed the team to play at a higher tempo and pace.

Schoening finished with 100 points, 89 rebounds, 42 assists, 70 steals and a team-high 21 blocks in her senior season for the Lady Grizz.

WAMBEKE

Wambeke led the team with 53 assists and 72 steals and added 181 points and 89 rebounds from the point guard position.

“Shelby did a great job this year and really learned how to attack and finish at the rim,” Coach Moss said. “When we run our press, we strategically tried to trap the ball on one side of the court that put her as the one to come up and anticipate the steal and use her speed to intercept passes.”

Moss also mentioned Wambeke’s toughness, especially at the state tournament when she had hurt her foot during the season and needed to wear a boot between games all weekend and how it didn’t slow her down on the court.

BASSETT

“I don’t know if I have ever coached a girl with a bigger motor than Lauren,” Moss stated. “She has strength, athleticism and determination.”

Bassett dominated inside with 333 points, 216 rebounds, 33 assists, 64 steals and 10 blocked shots on the year.

“We did a lot of things in our offense to try and create one-on-one opportunities for her in the paint and she did a great job of handling double teams when teams focused in on her,” Moss added.

Unfortunately, Bassett sustained an injury at the state tournament that prevented her from playing in the Lady Grizz’s final game of the season.