GREEN RIVER – It was all Rock Springs in the second meeting on the basketball court between the I-80 rivals Rock Springs and Green River Thursday night. The highlight came between games.
A month-long Make-A-Wish celebration ended with the totals being announced between the games. Rock Springs avenged its earlier blood drive loss to raise just over $26,000 to Green Rivers, $20,300. Overall, Sweetwater County will donate over $46,000 to the annual drive.
In the 12 years the Make-A-Wish drive has happened in Sweetwater County, the communities have combined to raise over $600,000.
Lady Tigers vs. Lady Wolves
On the court, the ladies opened the night. Stevie Hill and Lyndzie Kroupa had the Lady Tigers off and running. Green River matched with Emily White and Taylor Stoeger. At the end of one, Rock Springs had a three-point lead, 11-8.
Lyndzie Kroupa and Justinak kept the Lady Tigers in front, but five straight by White cut the lead to one, 21-20. Hill would keep Rock Springs in the lead and a late basket in the final minute gave RSHS the halftime advantage, 25-22.
The Lady Wolves came out of the locker room running and battled back to take the lead, 26-25. Hill and Maggie Justinak regained the lead, but a three by Mallory Seymour kept Green River within one. Sayre Thomas sparked a Lady Tiger run. Mariah Morin would answer as Rock Springs held a slight 37-33 lead after three.
Justinak and Hattie Hix traded buckets to start the fourth, but it would be all Rock Springs after that. Justinak and Hill went back to work as RSHS pulled out by seven. Despite a three by Green River’s Chelsea Maes, the ladies of Rock Springs continued to march. Hill was solid down the stretch from the line and Selena Cudney, who pulled down six key rebounds in the game, also made shots late from the charity stripe. Rock Springs ran away in the end, 55-38.
Lyndzie Kroupa, Hill and Justinak all finished in double figures in scoring on the night. White and Stoeger would lead the scoring for the Lady Wolves.
Tigers vs. Wolves
On the boy’s side, it was all Rock Springs Tigers from the start. They jumped out to a 17-4 lead and never looked back. Demetrius Davenport provided the offense, scoring 10 of the first 19 RSHS points.
Chase Stoeger and Hunter Spartz added early free throws for the Wolves while Devin Love provided the offense from the field. Wrylee Padilla found his stroke in the second and had double digits by the half. The Tigers went into the locker room up at the break, 39-15.
Rock Springs continued to roll in the second half. If there was a positive for the Wolves, it came at the free-throw line. At one point in the third, 15 of the Wolves 23 total points came from the charity stripe.
Padilla continued to hit from deep while Carter Rosette and Trevor Hautala continued to drive the Tiger offense. With the game out of reach, both teams gave the younger players experience in the fourth. In the end, it was Rock Springs with the 71-36 win.
Love was the only Green River player who would hit double digits in scoring. James Bunderman hit two three-pointers late to finish with six.
Padilla led the way with 21 points for Rock Springs, hitting five three-pointers on the night. Davenport finished with 16 while Carter Rosette also hit the double-digit mark in points.
