MEEKER | Coming into Tuesday night’s game against the undefeated Rangely Panthers, the Meeker High School girls basketball team knew they would need to slow down the Panthers’ high-scoring offense. Rangely entered the matchup with a 10-0 record, and the Cowboys were determined to hand them their first loss of the season.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned for Meeker, as they fell 63-22.
The Cowboys struggled to contain Rangely’s offense, particularly senior Miah Wren, who shot 7-for-12 from beyond the three-point line and finished with 27 points and four steals. Senior Emmeree Wagner also contributed nine points and seven rebounds for the Panthers.
“As a team we struggled to slow down on our press break and play our game. We had a good talk at half time and played better in the second half. It was a good challenge that we faced this season and we can only learn from it,” Meeker head coach Megan Shelton said.
Despite the loss, there were standout performances for Meeker. Junior Addie Knowles recorded four points, seven rebounds, and four steals, while junior Shailee Rundberg added six points and seven rebounds. The loss dropped the Cowboys to 5-4 on the season.
On Friday, the Cowboys bounced back with a 34-17 victory over Olathe. By the end of the third quarter, Meeker led 25-5, a deficit the Pirates couldn’t overcome.
Senior Rylee Sullivan led the charge with 13 points and six rebounds. Junior Addie Knowles continued her strong play, contributing six points, nine rebounds, and four steals. Knowles has recorded at least three steals in each of her last seven games. Rylee Sullivan talked about how she balances scoring with other aspects of her game like reboundings and defense.
“I’ve always been told and believe that defense wins games but you also have to put points on the board to win. It’s important to have a strong defensive and offensive game to come out with a win,”stated Sullivan
With the win it improved Meeker’s record to 6-4.
On Saturday, the Cowboys traveled to Gunnison, where they fell 48-34.
Meeker struggled to slow down senior Sienna Gomez, who posted a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Senior Kylee McDougal added eight points and three steals for Gunnison.
For Meeker, Sullivan led the offense with 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting and added seven rebounds. Freshman Berkli Harvey also made her mark, recording her first steal of the season. Head Coach Megan Shelton described the challenge when it came to facing the Gunnison Cowboys.
“Gunnison was a close battle. We played well the second half. We came up short and had to overcome the challenges of foul trouble throughout the game. It was a good learning experience that we can take into this weekend against Roaring Fork,” Shelton stated
The loss dropped the Cowboys to 6-5 overall and 2-2 in league play, placing them fourth in the 3A Western Slope League standings.
The Cowboys return home Friday night to host Aspen at 5:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to come out and support the team.
On Saturday, Meeker will hit the road to face North Fork. The JV game is scheduled for 1 p.m., followed by the varsity game at 2:30 p.m.
