Lady Grizz test themselves against No. 1 seed Thermopolis before Regionals

The Lady Grizz traveled to Thermopolis Friday night for their final regular season game, facing a tough Lady Bobcat squad that had already secured the No. 1 seed in the 2A Northwest.

Rocky got off to a slow start, managing just 4 points in the opening quarter while Thermopolis built an early lead. The Lady Grizz found their footing in the second quarter, scoring 15 points to stay within striking distance at halftime.

“We just couldn’t keep ahead of them, head coach Justin Moss said. “We had some opportunities to catch up, and they would go on an 8-point run and we’d fall behind.”

The third quarter proved to be Rocky’s strongest stretch. The Lady Grizz matched the Bobcats bucket for bucket and briefly trimmed the deficit to a single possession, giving the Rocky bench and traveling fans a spark.

There was a tense moment in the third quarter when senior Keylee Christiansen took a hard fall and broke her nose. After a few minutes on the bench and some quick treatment, she returned to the floor and continued playing, drawing praise from teammates and fans for her toughness.

But in the final quarter, Moss said the Grizz “lost a bit of intensity and made a few mistakes trying to play catch-up.” Thermopolis responded with a strong fourth quarter, outscoring Rocky by six to pull away late and secure a 57-43 win.

Several Lady Grizz contributed offensively. Halle Grandalen led all Rocky scorers with 16 points and shot an efficient 5-of-6 from two-point range while going a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line. Lauren Bassett added 10 points and did much of her work inside, while freshman Sawyer Bassett chipped in 6. Layla Gardner scored 3 points, and Kaysie Cooley added 4.

Rocky showed strong effort on the glass, finishing with 32 total rebounds. Lauren Bassett led the rebounding effort with 10 boards, followed by Grandalen with seven and Sawyer Bassett with six. Christiansen added four rebounds.

The Lady Grizz also totaled 10 assists, six steals and five blocked shots in a competitive all-around effort. Lauren Bassett and Grandalen were especially active defensively, helping anchor Rocky’s inside presence throughout the game.

Free throws were a mixed bag, as the Lady Grizz went 11-for-21 from the line (52 percent), though those points helped keep Rocky within striking distance. The team also knocked down two three-pointers on 2-of-9 shooting.

Despite the loss, Moss remained upbeat, saying his team is “healthy and ready for the postseason.”

The Lady Grizz enter the 2A West Regional Tournament in Riverton as the No. 3 seed with a 2-4 conference record, behind Thermopolis (5-1) and Greybull (4-2), with Shoshoni rounding out the field at 1-5.

“We’ve had some ups and downs all along, but I know we have the skills we need to put it all together at the right time,” Moss said.

He added that the team will travel Thursday morning and settle into a familiar routine.

“We’ll be able to watch part of the boys game and then head into the locker room to get ready,” Moss said. “It will feel very normal, and we’ll have a great crowd of support as always.”

Rocky Mountain will open regional play against Southwest No. 2 seed Big Piney at 1 p.m. Thursday in the Riverton Middle School gym. Although the teams haven’t met this season, they have faced each other in the past three regional tournaments, with the Lady Grizz winning each time.

Big Piney enters Regionals with a 7-14 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the Southwest. A RMHS win would likely set up a third matchup with Thermopolis on Friday.