SWEETWATER COUNTY — The Green River and Rock Springs basketball teams will be on the road Thursday and Saturday for a pair of Class 4A cross-quad matchups as both programs continue to tune up for the stretch run toward postseason play.
Green River’s girls, ranked No. 2, open the week at Evanston at 6 p.m. Thursday, followed by the boys at 7:30 p.m. The Wolves will then travel to Riverton on Saturday, with the girls set for a 2 p.m. tip and the boys starting at 3:30 p.m. Rock Springs will open at Riverton on Thursday with the girls playing at 6 p.m. and the boys, ranked No. 5, tipping at 7:30 p.m. The Tigers will then head to Evanston on Saturday, where the girls are scheduled for 3 p.m. and the boys at 4:30 p.m. All games are cross-quad matchups and do not count toward conference standings.
All Green River games will be broadcast on KUGR 104.9 FM and streamed with free HD video on The Radio Network’s Facebook page with Erick Pauley on the call. Rock Springs games will air on KZWB 97.9 FM and stream on SweetwaterNOW’s Facebook page with Keith Trujillo providing play-by-play.
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Green River boys coach Laurie Ivie said the Wolves’ approach remains consistent as they prepare for two road environments after defeating Evanston and Riverton earlier this year with 120 combined points in the two games.
“Heading into this weekend on the road, our focus is the same no matter where we play – rebounding and defense. Those are the two things that are in our control and give us a chance to compete every night,” Ivie said. “When we control the boards and get stops, we put ourselves in position to win.”
Ivie added that the Wolves’ identity still starts on the defensive end. “Our team remains confident and connected. We’ve shown we can score the ball, but it all starts with our effort and execution on the defensive end. If we take care of that, we’ll be in good shape.”
Rock Springs boys coach Lennon Spence said the Tigers have emphasized adjustments since their previous meetings with Evanston and Riverton.
“We’ve grown as a team in the areas we struggled against both Evanston and Riverton, especially attacking half-court zone defenses,” Spence said. “Both of those teams slowed us down in those looks, and our focus has been enhancing our zone offense.”
Spence said preparation has included multiple looks from both opponents. “We expect to see zone looks again from both teams, but with Coach Rob Watsabaugh at Evanston and Coach Beau Sheets at Riverton, we’re preparing for anything,” he said. “Our focus is simply going 1-0 each night and embracing the challenges on the road to prepare us for March.”
