CASPER – Some say the real basketball season starts at tournament time. If that is the case, the Green River Lady Wolves made the most of their opening game.
The Lady Wolves pulled ahead by 17 at one point in the game but Kelly Walsh fought back. The ladies of Green River remained poised and weathered the storm as they qualified for the 2015-2016 State Championships with a 51-43 win.
After a dominating first half, the Lady Wolves continued to extend the lead in the third. Halfway through the quarter, GRHS took a 30-14 lead on an Averee Cobb bucket. With time ticking down in the third, Kelly Walsh was able to finally get going.
The Lady Trojans scored six straight to cut the Green River lead down to 11, 32-21. Emily White stopped the bleeding with a three-point play but Kelly Walsh scored the next four. At the end of the third, Green River held a ten-point lead. 37-27.
Kelly Walsh pulled it to single digits to start the fourth and final quarter, 39-32. Taylor Stoeger’s sixth steal led to a Cobb bucket, but Kelly Walsh responded with four minutes left. After a change of possession, the Lady Trojans cut it to five, 42-37, with 3:07 left.
Stoeger scored inside and, after a Lady Trojan miss, added a free throw as the Lady Wolves moved ahead by eight with 1:40, 45-37. Kelly Walsh would miss shots, and free throws by Andri Dewey and Mariah Morin extended the lead to double digits. After another miss, Morin scored in the post and iced the game giving the Lady Wolves the 50-37 lead.
The Lady Trojans did hit a couple of late three-pointers, but it was a little late as the Green River Lady Wolves punched their ticket to state with a 51-43 win.
The Lady Wolves out-rebounded Kelly Walsh 35-20. Taylor Stoeger had nine boards while Mariah Morin had seven. Emily White lead the way for Green River offensively with 17 points while Averee Cobb finished with 10 points in the win.
Mallory Seymour got the ball rolling for the Lady Wolves with a three-pointer out of the gate. Emily White would score eight in the first quarter as GRHS jumped up 11, 14-3. The Lady Wolves defense forced six early turnovers to get the lead.
Green River continued its strong defense and the work on the boards continued to lead to points as the Lady Wolves held a double-digit lead at the break.
