The stage is set for the Class 2-A West Regional girls’ basketball tournament beginning this Thursday in Riverton. The Lady Cougars took the second seed out of the Northwest 2-A and will face third seed from the Southwest Big Piney at 3:30 pm in the Riverton Middle School Gym.
Wind River split over the weekend, falling to top-seeded Rocky Mountain 49-37 at home on Friday then running away late from a feisty St. Stephen’s team 63-43 on the road Saturday afternoon.
Friday in their final home game of the season the Lady Cougars trailed the Lady Grizzlies by double-digits early but came to life in the third period in perhaps their best eight minutes of play in the last four years in a 17-point quarter that saw six different girls score.
Natalie Walker hit a pair of short-range shots, Karina Frederick a 3-pointer, and a free throw, as did Amanda Jenkins, and Emma Miller, Jonae Spoonhunter, and Amanda Spoonhunter all hit single shots.
The surge closed the gap to 41-37 with just under four minutes remaining to play, but Rocky Mountain recovered and rolled on an 8-0 run to escape with the win.
Frederick led the Lady Cougars with 13 points, including two 3-point shots.
Saturday it was a slow start for Wind River and inspired defense for St. Stephen’s as the Lady Eagles gave the visitors everything they wanted through the first three periods of the game.
Trailing by just four points, 41-37 entering the fourth quarter, the Lady Eagles weren’t able to keep pace and Wind River rolled into a double-digit lead and kept pulling away for the final tally.
Frederick led all scorers with 21 points. Faelynn Ridgely led St. Stephen’s with a dozen and Kenya Rhodes and Tajia Moss each scored 10.
St. Stephen’s opens tournament play on Thursday at Riverton High School against top-seeded Rocky Mountain at 3:30 p.m.
St. Stephen’s 8 13 16 6- 43
Wind River 11 15 16 22 – 63
St. Stephen’s – Destiny Sage 2 0-5 4, Shaydessa Gardner 1-2 1, Tajia Moss 3 4-4 10, Camryn Williams 1 0-0 2, Danashia Brown 1 0-0 2, Kenya Rhodes 5 10- 10, Faelyn Ridgley 5 2-2 12 Shaylayna Blackburn 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 7-14 43
Wind River – Martina Large 2 (1) 0-0 7, Natalie Walker 2 3-4 7, Karina Frederick 6 (2) 3-8 21, Maelynn Spoonhunter 1-2 1, Sheraye Spoonhunter 1-2 1, Jonae Spoonhunter 4 1-2 9, Emma Miller 1-2 1, Amanda Spoonhunter 3 1-2 7, Amanda Jenkins (2) 2-4 8. Totals 17 (5) 14-24 63
Wind River 9 4 17 8 – 37
Rocky Mountain 10 17 10 12- 49
Wind River – Large 1 0-0 2, Walker 3 0-0 6, Frederick 2 (2) 3-5 13, J. Spoonhunter 4 0-0 8, Miller, A. Spoonhunter 2 0-0 4, Jenkins 1 1-2 3. Totals 13 (2) 5-7 37
Rocky Mountain – Arnold 8 (1) 6-6 23, Garcia 1 0-0 2, Arnold 3 0-0 6, Boettcher 1 0-0 2, Moss 2 0-0 4, Bassett 2 0-0 4, Minchow 2 2-4 6. Totals 19 (1) 8-10 49