MEEKER | The Meeker High School girls basketball team started the new year with a loss on Saturday afternoon, falling 72-49 to the Little Snake River Rattlers. The defeat marked the Cowboys’ seventh consecutive loss to the Rattlers.
Despite the loss, Head Coach Megan Shelton was encouraged by her team’s performance in the first half.
“We battled well with Snake River in the first half,” Shelton said. “We were super proud of their first-half performance. The girls were playing tough defense and were able to score off our offense. For coming off a long break, the girls played well before halftime.”
Offensively, it was a team effort for the Cowboys, with several players contributing strong performances. Junior Rylee Sullivan led the way, scoring 24 points on 11-of-24 shooting and grabbing six rebounds. Sullivan acknowledged the team’s struggles in the second half.
“As a whole, we got tired and began a downward spiral with mistakes,” Sullivan said. “Our defense was lazy, and it was obvious that we were wearing out.”
Sullivan’s 24 points accounted for 49% of the Cowboys’ total. This marked the sixth consecutive game in which she has now scored more than a third of the team’s points. Sophomore Kayla Castillo also had a solid outing, contributing 13 points, six rebounds, and three steals.
The Cowboys showed strength on the boards, they finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. This is nothing new for this Cowboy’s squad; the team has now recorded at least nine offensive rebounds in 19 straight games, which dates back to last season. Shelton talked about the new group of girls on the court together and what it means going forward for the team.
“With the new group of girls on the court this year, the girls are still learning how to play with each other, and they continue to get better each and every day in the gym,” she said.
The loss dropped Meeker’s record to 4-2 on the season. The Cowboys will return to action on Friday night at 5:30 p.m., hosting the Grand Valley Cardinals. On Saturday, they will travel to Cedaredge to face the Bruins with JV playing at 11 a.m. and varsity at 2 p.m. Grand Valley enters Friday night’s matchup with a 2-4 record after a recent loss to Moffat County.
“This upcoming week, we will focus on executing our offense more and continuing to tighten up our defense,” Shelton said. “I am excited to see what this weekend brings!”
Fans are encouraged to attend the game on Friday to cheer on the Cowboys.
