(Casper, WY) – The Wyoming Indian Lady Chiefs avenged an earlier loss at home in the regular season to the West 2-A Regional Champion Lady Grizzlies of Rocky Mountain with a gritty 48-43 semi-final win on the floor of the Ford Wyoming Center Friday afternoon to advance to the state championship game with the top-ranked, East 2-A Champion Tongue River Lady Eagles.
The semi-final win was the 699th of legendary Wyoming Indian head coach Aleta Moss’s career.
It was a rollicking game throughout the opening half with Wyoming Indian taking an early lead 8-5 only to see it disappear on a 7-0 run by the Lady Grizz. Taya Dixey broke the surge with a 3-pointer with just six seconds left in the opening period. The Lady Chiefs trailed 12-11 after one.
Wyoming Indian led much of the second period, but a third foul on Dixey late in the period slowed them offensively. The score was knotted at 17 at the half.
Dixey had eight of Wyoming Indian’s 17 at the half and Thermopolis scored eight from the free throw line to keep the score tied.
Delaney Gambler scored on a follow shot to lift the Chiefs to an early second-half lead, but Lauren Basset tied the game on the following play via a drive down the paint.
Tarynn Schoening hit a trey to give the Grizz a three-point lead but Dixey answered for another tie.
With the score seesawing back-and-forth, Wyoming Indian freshman point guard Paisley Blackburn sprang into action. Blackburn hit an NBA range 3-pointer, moving the Lady Chiefs ahead 25-24 with 3:14 remaining in the third, then hit another one 30 seconds later followed by a perfect bounce pass to Jamie Shoyo-Ferris that lifted the Lady Chiefs to a 30-26 lead. It prompted a Rocky Mountain time out.
Shelby Wambeke hit a trey for the Grizz closing the score to 30-29.
Blackburn and Wambeke finished the period, each hitting a pair of free throws to leave the game a one-point advantage for Wyoming Indian entering the final period.
Kaysie Cooly hit a trey with 6:38 remaining in the game for Rocky Mountain’s final lead of the contest.
Gambler scored on an assist from Dixey to knot the score at 34. It was tied three more times. Shots failed to fall for both teams in the final minutes. Putbacks by Dixey and Brittly Boettcher were the only baskets until Gerilyn Redman hit Shoyo-Ferris for a backside layup with 2:13 remaining. The rest of the scoring came at the free throw line with Blackburn cool as ice.
On the night Blackburn hit eight of 10 from the line.
Wambeke led Rocky with a dozen. Bassett added 11.
Blackburn tallied 14 to lead the Lady Chiefs, Dixey 13, and Gambler 11.
Wyoming Indian takes the championship court at 5:30 pm Saturday at the Ford Wyoming Center.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN 12 5 14 12 – 43
WYOMING INDIAN 11 6 15 16 – 48
Rocky Mountain – Tarynn Schoening (2) 0-0 6, Kaysie Cooley 2 (1) 0-0 7, Brittly Boettcher 2 0-3 4, Keylee Christiansen 1-2 1, Halle Grandalen 2-2 2, Shelby Wambeke 1 (1) 7-8 12, Lauren Bassett 3 5-6 11. Totals 8 (4) 15-23 43
Wyoming Indian – Gerilynn Redman 1 2-4 4, Taya Dixey 2 (3) 0-0 13, Paisley Blackburn (2) 8-10 14, Jamie Shoyo-Ferris 3 0-0 6, Delaney Gambler 4 3-4 11. Totals 10 (5) 13-20 48