Rocky freshman girls show steady growth in back-to-back games

The Rocky Mountain C (freshman) girls basketball team continued to show steady improvement in a pair of hard-fought losses to Greybull and Burlington this week, with both games remaining within one or two possessions as the team spread scoring and showed improved execution on both ends of the floor.

Monday night: Greybull 38, Rocky 36

Both teams started slowly Monday night, with Greybull holding a slim 8–7 lead after the first quarter. The Buffalos extended that margin to 19–15 at halftime, but Rocky continued to respond and kept the game within striking distance throughout the second half. The contest remained tight until the final minutes, with Rocky coming up just short in a 38–36 loss.

Rocky’s scoring was well balanced. Leah Haslem and Sawyer Bassett led the way with 8 points each, while Brooklyn Larsen added 7 points and Daizy Weinand also finished with a season high 7. Kennedy Brimhall contributed 2 points, rounding out the scoring in a game decided by a single basket.

Improved ball movement and defensive effort were especially evident in the middle quarters, as Rocky answered each Greybull run and showed growing composure in a close, competitive matchup.

Tuesday night: Greybull 31, Rocky 28

Rocky followed with another close contest Tuesday night, falling 31–28 to Burlington. The teams were tied 16–16 at halftime, and neither side led by more than a few points throughout the second half.

Rocky continued to show balance offensively, led by Bassett, who scored a team-high 15 points. Haslem and Larsen each added 6 points, while Annie Crosby and Weinand chipped in 2 points apiece. Rocky scored in every quarter and remained within one possession late, before Burlington closed out the game in the final moments.

Freshman head coach Jamie Cooley praised both the effort and growth shown over the two-game stretch.

“These girls are very coachable. They work well together, and they all work hard,” Cooley said. “They make it fun to coach them, and I’m proud of the gains we make each time we step on the floor.”

The Lady Grizz have only one freshman game next week with the Lovell Bulldogs coming to RMHS on Tuesday at 6:15 p.m.