Lady Cowboys drop two league games on the road

MEEEKR — It wasn’t a good week to be unable to make baskets but according to Meeker’s head girls basketball coach Hallie Blunt, that’s what happened in games against Grand Valley and South Routt County (Soroco) last week.
“We couldn’t make a basket,” Blunt said.
The match last Thursday in Parachute was between two undefeated league teams and the Cardinals kept their record intact with a 50-33 victory over the lady Cowboys.
“The first three series, we got shots we wanted but we couldn’t put it in from underneath the basket,” Blunt said. “We were down 0-8 then they hit a big three and we fell apart.”
The Cardinals led 18-2 at the end of the first quarter and extended their lead to 33-10 at halftime.
“It was the worst have we’ve ever played,” Blunt said. “The girls came back in the second half and showed some heart to get us to within 17.”
Senior Amanda Bain led the lady Cowboys with 10, Sydney Cook added eight, while Janae Kindall scored four.
Stacey Fitzgibbons, Clare Balloga and Marki Cook all finished with three points each and Kiandra Ross finished with two.
Things didn’t improve for Meeker in Oak Creek the following day, as the lady Cowboys lost its second league game 47-55.
“We couldn’t get anything going, couldn’t find a flow,” Blunt said.
Meeker led 13-8 after the first quarter, with the Cook girls scoring five points each. Bain added five in the second quarter to help her team to a 25-22 lead at the end of the first half.
The Rams outscored Meeker 18-11 in the third quarter to take a 40-36 lead into the final eight minutes and extended it to win by eight.
Marki Cook led Meeker with 15 points, while Sydney Cook and Bain each added 13. Megan Ridings scored three, Meg Nieslanik two and Ross finished with one.
“It puts pressure on the games coming up,” Blunt said of the two remaining games, in Paonia this week and the season finale against Rangely.
Blunt said the team’s thoughts and prayers went out to Janae Kindall, who was informed after the game, her uncle perished in an avalanche that day.
“It really puts things into perspective,” Blunt said.