Grizz win seven in busy stretch of games

Typical of middle school basketball, the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies played 10 games in five days over the past week, winning seven of the 10 contests.
The Grizzlies started the strong stretch with a sweep on Thursday. With a game Monday postponed due to illness, the Grizz eighth graders played at Powell Thursday and stopped the Panthers 30-21 behind 21 points from Mason Moss, who hit seven of nine shots from the field, including five of six shots from beyond the arc.
Oddly, the Grizz were shut out in two of the four quarters but outscored Powell 15-2 and 15-6 in the third while holding the home team to single digits in all four quarters.
Cooper Winland added 4 points for the Grizzlies, Jaxon Hayes 3 and Cooper Ward 2.
Moss added five steals and three assists to the cause, and Winland grabbed eight rebounds. The Grizz survived 18 turnovers in the contest.
Getting an extra game in after playing in Powell Monday, the Rocky B team (mostly seventh graders) stopped Powell 34-26. The Grizz led 30-9 after three and held off Powell in the fourth as the Panthers roared back with a 17-4 advantage.
Jaxx May scored 10 points, Jaxson Sponsel 9, Gary Gardner 6, Leland Hetland 4, Lukas Miller 3 and Kreegan Jones 2. May added seven steals for the Grizz.
The Rocky sixth-grade team traveled to Greybull Thursday and crushed the Buffs 44-16 as Dally Malson scored 12 points, Ty Samson and Brooks Brost 8 apiece, Madden Cooley 6, Dane Wilson 4 and Hudson Moore, Xavier Hetland and Tyler Crosby 2 apiece.
Ten Sleep
Friday at home, the Grizz swept Ten Sleep, winning the eighth-grade game 49-18 and shutting out Ten Sleep in the seventh-grade game, 33-0.
The Grizz jumped out to lead 22-2 after the first quarter in the eighth-grade game and cruised from there. Hayes, Moss and Winland led Rocky with 13, 12 and 10 points, respectively, and Ward added 6, Hetland 4 and Gardner and Jones 2 apiece. Hayes and Winland grabbed six rebounds each for the Grizz, and Moss had five steals.
In the seventh-grade game, the Grizzlies outscored Ten Sleep 10-0 in each of the first three quarters and 3-0 in the fourth. Sponsel and May finished with 11 points each, Miller 6, Cameron Minchow 3 and Tejeo Scheeler 2.
Thermop losses
The Grizz suffered a sweep at the hands of Thermopolis Saturday in Thermop, dropping the eighth-grade game 32-29 and the seventh-grade contest 28-18.
The Grizzlies dug themselves a hole in the first quarter of the eighth-grade game, trailing 14-2 after one. Down 26-16 after three, the Grizzlies rallied to outscore Thermop 13-6 in the fourth but fell just short.
Moss finished with 14 points, Winland 7, Ward and Hayes 3 each and Hetland 2.
Thermopolis led the seventh-grade game 18-13 after three, then outscored the Grizz 10-5 in the final quarter. May scored 11 points, Tejeo Scheeler 4 and Jayden Scheeler 3.
Greybull
At home again against Greybull Monday, the Grizz split a trio of games at home. The eighth graders crushed Greybull 41-14, dominating the first three quarters 13-4, 14-5 and 12-0 en route to the 27-point win. Ward and Winland scored 12 points each, Moss 8, Jones 6 and Hayes 3. Moss had six steals, Ward five.
Greybull took the B game 26-18, building a 14-10 halftime lead and winning the second half 12-8. Sponsel and May scored 6 points each, Jayden Scheeler and Miller 3 apiece. May yanked down 11 rebounds.
Rocky won the C game 32-13, pulling away with a 10-1 second quarter advantage to lead 18-6 at halftime, then winning the second half 14-7. Brost scored 8 points, Wilson, Cooley and Samson 6 each, Malson 4 and Moore 2. Malson grabbed 10 rebounds, Brost eight steals.
Busy schedule
The Grizzlies face another busy week ahead, hosting Riverside Friday at 2 p.m., traveling to Cody Saturday for a 9:30 a.m. tip-off, meeting Powell Monday at 4:15 p.m. (eighth graders in Cowley) and hosting Meeteetse Tuesday at 5 p.m.