Strong start for RMHS girls basketball

Fresh off a five-game winning streak, Rocky Mountain High School girls basketball is poised for future domination. Future success will be achieved by being one percent better each day, head coach Justin Moss said.
“I think we have an opportunity to be really good. Our goal every year is to go to State and get hardware, and I think we have the opportunity to do that,” Moss said. “I love our efforts, our girls’ efforts. Each day they show up and we preach get 1% better. And so, if they get 1% better every day then by the time this season comes to an end we’re 30 or 40% better.”
Rocky Mountain vs. Kaycee
The Grizzlies faced Kaycee for their first game of the season on December 8 at Wright. They started off their first game of the season in dominating fashion, scoring seven times more points than Kaycee in the first quarter, 14-2. In the second quarter the girls scored the most points of the game, 17, led by senior MacKelle Moss, who scored 4 points.
Sophomore Lauren Bassett ran away from the competition the third quarter, leading the team by scoring 10 points. The Grizzlies ended with a 53-14 win over Kaycee.
Moss said that junior Shelby Wambeke helped the team start the game off strong.
“Shelby Wambeke did a really good job of kind of getting us settled as our point guard and getting us started a little bit. We were able to get the ball inside, get the ball to our posts,” he said.
Moss led the team with 13 points in the game. Basset followed with 12 points, sophomore Keylee Christiansen added 9, Wambeke and senior Rylee Winland each added 7, junior Tarynn Schoening added 3 and sophomore Layla Gardner added 2.
Rocky Mountain vs. Wright
The second game of the day was against Wright. The Grizzlies led in every quarter except for a narrow 6-7 second quarter.  Bassett led the team in scoring in the first quarter with 6 points, and Wambeke and Christiansen each scored a three pointer.
In the second quarter Moss and junior Brittly Boettcher scored a free throw while Wambeke and Bassett scored 2 points apiece. The third quarter saw Moss and Bassett both score three points, including two free throws from Moss.
Christiansen scored her second three pointer of the day in the fourth quarter. The game was wrapped up with two points apiece by Moss and Wambeke.
Coach Moss praised the team’s three-pointer abilities.
“Last year as a team, we hit 18 threes and this year, the first weekend, we hit 14 threes. It’s interesting to see the different styles that we’ve had,” he said.
Rocky ended the game with a 38-21 victory. Bassett led in scoring with 14 points. Moss followed with 10 points, Wambeke added 7, Christiansen added 6 and Boettcher added 1.
Rocky Mountain vs. Lusk
The next day, the Rocky Mountain girls beat Lusk 55-39 at Glenrock. The girls struggled in the first quarter, with Lusk up 18-10, but proceeded to pull past Lusk in scoring for each of the next three quarters.
Moss admits that the team was tired during the third game of the weekend.
“We came out and were a little bit tired. So, it’s a little bit of a slower start,” he said.
The ladies rebounded 16-10 in the second quarter with three-pointers by Christiansen and Wambeke. The third quarter was 17-6 with two three-pointers by Schoening and one by Christiansen.  
“Schoening seemed to get more and more comfortable. You know, she’s our transfer from Cody, she’s just so long and athletic. In the first two games, she did really good things defensively. But she just seemed to get a little more traction offensively,” Moss said.
Scoring 12 points in the final quarter, the Grizzlies secured their third win of the season, winning 55-39. Bassett led the team in scoring with 18 points. Moss followed with 11 points, Christiansen 10, Schoening 9, Wambeke 5 and Boettcher 2.
Rocky Mountain vs. Glenrock
In their second game of the day, Glenrock was the closest foe to beating Rocky Mountain, but a Herder is no match for a wild Grizzly.  Again, Rocky lagged in the first quarter trailing 12-7. All but two points in the first quarter, which were scored by Moss, consisted of free throws. Boettcher and Bassett scored two free throws, Wambeke one.
Rocky led by a landslide the second quarter, 18-2. Glenrock started to gain ground in the third quarter, outscoring the Grizz 22-10 and scoring the most points of any quarter during the game by either team.
Continuing her string of three pointers, Schoening notched one in the third quarter and one in the fourth. Christiansen also scored a three-pointer in the fourth quarter. In the fourth quarter Rocky once again led, 14-8, ending with a narrow 49-44 victory.
Moss said that he played younger girls in the final game of the weekend so they could gain experience and due to tired upperclassmen.
“We played a ton of different players, a ton of different people, to kind of build that depth and continuity within our system. And it’s just fun seeing some of those girls step up, as well,” he said.
One of Moss’s favorite plays of the weekend was by freshman Kaysie Cooley.
“She stole the ball and dribbled down. All four of our girls ran together with Kaysie. Kaysie goes to make the layup and the Glenrock girls were still all behind us.”
Bassett led the team scoring 14 points in the game. Boettcher followed with 10 points, Moss added 7, Schoening 6, Cooley 4, Wambeke and Christiansen 3 and junior Sharlotte Hanusa 2.
Rocky Mountain vs. Burlington
On Tuesday the Grizzlies secured their fifth victory against the Burlington Huskies. The ladies held a narrow 25-21 lead at halftime, and Moss said they “took control” in the second half.
The Huskies’ scrappy tactics affected the Grizzlies early on, Moss said, but the girls rebounded, outscoring Burlington 20-11 in the third quarter and 18-9 in the fourth quarter. Bassett led in scoring with 16 points followed by Moss who added 12.
Moss said Christiansen came alive in the third quarter, scoring eight points and leading the guards. Rocky won 63-42. The fifth victory will serve the Rocky girls well as the season progresses, Moss said.
In their next games, the Grizz compete in the Shoshoni tournament this weekend, then host Lovell Tuesday.