Three big wins for the MHS ladies

MEEKER I As the state’s No. 7 ranked team, the lady Cowboys earned three dominating wins starting with a 51-24 victory in Rangely on Tuesday, Jan. 15. Early in the game the teams’ tough defense against each other kept the score in check at 8-7 Meeker. When the teams hit the floor for the second quarter, Kaysyn Chintala hit two jumpers in a row and added a three to the board. Rangely’s Quncey Thacker answered with a bucket but Aly Ridings pitched two more for Meeker. Finally, the Lady Cowboy’s tenacious defense tipped a few loose balls and they cruised in for a 51-24 victory. Chintala led the team with 13, Ridings scored 11, Neilson bucketed seven, Hughes and Piper Haney each made six, Deena Norell had four and Kacey Collins and Bailey Atwood added a bucket each.
Saddling up Jan. 18 at home Meeker promptly attacked defensively and offensively. Aly Ridings quickly stole the ball on the lady Cowboys’ signature press, passed it to Chintala and the scoring began. At first, the Mustangs held with the Cowboys at 8-8 with four minutes on the clock, but two buckets from Taylor Neilson, two steals from Chintala one with a shot, a bucket each from Deena Norell and Sydney Hughes and the lady Cowboys closed the quarter out 21-8. In the second quarter Chintala snagged the ball two more times for uncontested layups, Ridings plucked it off again and dished it to Neilson for a basket with six minutes still on the clock. Meeker closed the quarter scoring 16 to West Grand’s four points, 37-12. Meeker changed defenses and played a clean game against the Mustangs stretching their lead to 40 points at the buzzer, 68-28. To top off the scoring, Ridings led with 17, Neilson sunk 14, Chintala and Hughes each had 10, Dinwiddie bucketed seven, Norell added six and Amanda Kendall added four points.
Saturday, Jan. 19 Meeker headed to Walden to play the North Park Wildcats. Sparking the scoring Neilson hit a jumper and a three. The lady Cats answered with a bucket, but Chintala was fouled on a three and sank two foul shots. Swiftly Hughes stole the ball for a layup then Ridings and Kacey Collins both found the rim and a 14-7 at the end of the first quarter. The Cowboys continued their relentless defense where Norell picked off the ball and found Hughes for a bucket and a foul shot. Piper Haney dished in a jumper. Ridings snagged another loose ball and found Neilson for a bucket and Meeker once again took control of the game without looking back for a 55-29 victory. Neilson led the charge with 20 points, Hughes added 10, Chintala cashed in seven, Norell made six, and Collins, Dinwiddie, Haney, Kendall and Ridings all sank a bucket.
After coming off of this tough five game streak with four wins, one loss and a couple of banged up players, head coach Greg Chintala is “glad to have a little lighter week coming up to get kids healthy and fine tune some things.”
Meeker’s girls’ varsity plays Saturday, Jan. 26, at 2:30 p.m. at home against the Plateau Valley Cowboys, Meeker dominated them in the last game.
The lady Cowboys’ JV squad matched up against the teams the varsity played for three wins. The C team and JV had another big week as they played Debeque Tuesday and they traveled to Steamboat Wednesday.