Midseason stretch has been a tough ride for Lady Grizzlies

Night after night, they continue to line up against some of the very best teams in Wyoming basketball. The margin for error has been thin. The shots have not fallen at the same rate they did earlier in the season. And the schedule has offered very little relief.

But if you ask head coach Justin Moss, this is not a team in trouble. It is a team very close to figuring something out.

Rocky Mountain dropped a pair of home games last weekend, falling 57-42 to the Hot Springs County Lady Bobcats on Friday and 47-27 to the Big Horn Lady Rams on Saturday. The final scores suggest comfortable wins for the visitors, but the quarter-by-quarter numbers and the individual performances inside those games tell a much more encouraging story for the Lady Grizz.

Against Thermopolis, Rocky Mountain matched the Bobcats for much of the night. The difference came in the second quarter when Hot Springs County strung together a 9-0 run that created the cushion they would never surrender. Outside of that stretch, the teams traded baskets and competed evenly through three of the four quarters.

A major reason Rocky stayed within striking distance was the return of senior Lauren Bassett. After battling a painful corneal scratch that affected her vision and depth perception the previous weekend, Bassett looked much more like herself on the floor. She poured in 14 points and controlled the glass with 14 rebounds, giving the Lady Grizz a steady presence inside.

She was not alone. Halle Grandalen added 7 points and six rebounds. Layla Gardner shot an efficient 3 for 4 from the field for 6 points. Freshman Sawyer Bassett contributed 4 points and pulled down eight rebounds while providing energy and physicality in the paint. Keylee Christiansen chipped in 5 points, Kaysie Cooley added 6 and Leah Haslem provided significant defensive minutes.

Rocky Mountain rebounded well and limited turnovers, two categories Moss points to as keys for his team. The difference, he said, was shooting percentage and Thermopolis’ ability to get downhill off the dribble.

“They got to the hole too easily,” Moss said. “That’s something we have to fix.”

The emergence of Sawyer Bassett continues to be a bright spot for Rocky Mountain. Moss noted it has been several years since the Lady Grizz have started a freshman, but Bassett’s athletic frame, rebounding instincts and ability to handle the ball with both hands have already earned her significant minutes.

“She plays with great energy,” Moss said. “She’s learning her role and getting more comfortable every game.”

Big Horn

Saturday’s contest against Big Horn told a different kind of story.

The Lady Rams, one of the top teams in the state, came out fast and physical. Rocky Mountain struggled to find offensive rhythm early, and the scoreboard reflected it. Through three quarters, Big Horn held a commanding 41-14 advantage. Then something shifted.

In the fourth quarter, the Lady Grizz looked like a different team. The energy returned. The defense tightened. Shots began to fall. Rocky outscored Big Horn 13-6 in the final period, showing exactly the type of basketball Moss believes his team is capable of playing for an entire game.

Lauren Bassett again led the way with 7 points and 11 rebounds. Grandalen scored 6 and grabbed nine boards. Cooley finished with 6 points and two steals. Gardner added 3 points. Haslem scored 3. Christiansen had 2. Sawyer Bassett contributed key minutes with five rebounds and two assists. Avery Thomas and Charlee Welling provided important minutes off the bench.

The challenge, again, was early shooting efficiency and the lack of offensive continuity against a very athletic Big Horn squad.

“When we get backed into a corner, one of us tries to fight out instead of all of us fighting out together,” Moss said. “We need to be doing that as a group.”

Moss believes part of the midseason grind is simply the schedule. The Lady Grizz have faced a steady diet of ranked teams and have not had the opportunity to play many of the bottom-half 2A squads that might help rebuild confidence.

“The girls feel like we need a win to come together,” Moss said. “But we need to come together to win.”

To help with that, Moss has adjusted practice routines, turned the music up in the gym to raise energy and involved the players in identifying what the “best version” of Rocky Mountain basketball looks like.

He is confident that version is still there.

“I’ve seen it this year,” he said. “We’ve played really solid basketball. We just have to put it together more consistently.”

The statistics back him up. Rocky Mountain is rebounding at a high level. They are taking care of the basketball well enough to compete. They have multiple scoring threats and a blend of senior leadership and emerging youth.

Now, they are simply searching for the spark that turns close stretches into complete games. With two more strong opponents on the schedule this week, Moss is hopeful that breakthrough is coming soon.

“Our girls need a win,” he said. “And when it comes, I think you’re going to see a different team.”

The Lady Grizz hit the road Friday for a tough matchup against fourth-ranked Tongue River in Dayton, with the junior varsity tipping off at 2:30 p.m. and the varsity game set for 5:30 p.m.

They return home Saturday to host the always strong Wyoming Indian Lady Chiefs in Cowley. When the two teams met two weeks ago, Rocky Mountain fell by just one point in what Coach Moss called “our most complete game of the season.” Junior varsity games begin at 12 p.m., followed by the girls varsity contest at 1:30 p.m.