Young Lady Grizz show steady growth through competitive weekend

The middle school Rocky Mountain Lady Grizzlies put together a full weekend of basketball with back-to-back home games Friday and Saturday, facing Burlington and Thermopolis. Across all three levels, the girls showed steady improvement, grit and balanced scoring.

A Game – Burlington 29, Rocky Mountain 25

Rocky Mountain opened the weekend with a tightly contested A-game matchup, falling 29–25 to Burlington at home, despite a strong late surge led by Tianna Christiansen, who scored 10 points. Josie Loyning added 5, with Kate Crosby, Elle Ganoung, Taylor Grandalen and Raelyn Reculusa all contributing to the scoring.

Head coach Taylor Winland said the difference came down to fundamentals, explaining that the team “just didn’t rebound well enough down the stretch,” but he praised how his players kept battling until the final buzzer.

B Game – Burlington 24, Rocky Mountain 21

The B team followed with a competitive 24–21 loss in which Loyning was the high scorer of the day, pouring in 14 points to keep the Grizzlies within reach. Presli Moss, Millie Hanusa, and Lauren Hedges added points, while Alexis Clark, Aliyah Lesher and Paisley Malson contributed strong defensive play.

Assistant coach Julie Winland said she was encouraged by the team’s progress, adding that her girls “are really starting to work together and stay patient on offense,” even in a tough matchup.

C Game – Rocky Mountain 17, Burlington 8

The C team closed out Friday on a high note with a 17–8 win powered by Ava Weierman, who scored 8 points, along with key buckets from Paizlee Fisher, Katalina Hetland and Lesher.

Collins Hubbell, Adrianna DeLaCruz, Penelope Wambeke and Clark made important defensive plays.

Assistant coach Madison Grandalen said she is especially proud of how her team handles challenging stretches, noting that “they keep responding with effort and teamwork, no matter who they’re up against.”

Less than 24 hours later, the Grizzlies were back on the court against Thermopolis, and the quick turnaround seemed to spark them.

A Game – Rocky Mountain 24, Thermopolis 18

The A team bounced back with a 24–18 victory, fueled by another strong outing from Grandalen, who led with 11 points. Christiansen added 7, with scoring contributions from Crosby, Ganoung and Kielley Brimhall. Kaylie Watts, Reculusa, Moss and Loyning all contributed defensively.

Winland said she loved their effort, noting that the girls came out “with great energy” and showed they are “improving every game.”

B Game – Rocky Mountain 27, Thermopolis 18

The B team continued the momentum with a convincing 27–18 win behind 19 points from Loyning, the most by any Rocky Mountain player during the weekend. Reculusa, Malson, Lesher and Fisher all added important baskets.

Winland said the game showed exactly what the team can do when they trust each other, calling it “one of our best examples of playing together.”

C Game – Thermopolis 22, Rocky Mountain 18

The C team finished the weekend with one of their most competitive games of the season, falling 22–18 while getting 8 points each from Fisher and Weierman, along with 2 from Wambeke.

Coach Grandalen said the girls “continue to impress” because they “use every player on the floor and bring real energy,” even in close losses.

The team will have Thanksgiving week off and will return to action on Monday, Dec. 1, at Powell and Tuesday at Shoshoni. They will finish their season with the conference tournaments on Saturday, Dec. 6.