Ladies advance to playoffs

RANGELY I The Rangely Panther girls’ basketball team lost their final two games of the regular season to the top two teams in the league but won their pigtail game Tuesday to advance to the district tournament this weekend in Kremmling. Ironically, the lady Panthers defeated the district host, the West Grand Mustangs 52-32 at home and will get another shot at Meeker in the first round Friday.
Rangely traveled to Meeker last Friday and lost 39-38 to the league’s No. 2 seed and lost 39-63 to the league champion lady Eagles in Paonia.
“Friday against Meeker we did not come out ready to play,” head coach Jimmie Mergelman said. “We seemed a bit slow again, however the second half was much better, we just needed a few more seconds and Saturday against Paonia, we were just up against a really good team.”
Against Meeker, the lady Panthers trailed 8-12 at the end of the first quarter and were down by 10 at halftime before mounting a comeback.
Quincey Thacker and Brittany Babineaux each scored four points in the third quarter, Haeley Enterline and Hailee Russell each added a basket and the defense held Meeker to nine to pull within seven going into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter Babineaux made a three-pointer, a basket and a free throw and the Panthers outscored the Cowboys 12-7 but then ran out of time.
The lady Panthers finished the regular season as the No. 3 seed, allowing them to host West Grand in the pigtail game.
“I think it was good for us to play this week,” Mergelman said of the pigtail game against West Grand. “We did some good things on defense and we had a lot of people contribute in the fourth quarter.
Rangely took control early against the lady Mustangs, led by Babineaux who scored 10 points in the first quarter, helping her team earn an 18-10 lead. Babineaux led all scorers with 16. Rangely extended their lead to 11 at halftime and put the game away in the third quarter with 12 more points, while the defense held the Mustangs to only five points, the same amount West Grand scored in the final quarter.
Thacker earned another double/double scoring 15 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Enterline finished with seven, Russell scored four, Kelsey Prosser and Tessa Slagle each added three, while Chelsea Fricken and Holly Lepro both made a basket.
Four teams will now play for regional seeding in the district tournament with Rangely and Meeker matched up in the first round with Hayden and Paonia as the other two district teams.