MEEKER | Heading into Friday night’s game, the Meeker Cowboys faced a daunting 1-9 record against the Grand Valley Cardinals since December 2016. Determined to reverse their fortunes, the Cowboys relied on standout performances, including junior Rylee Sullivan, who scored 24 points with six rebounds in their previous game, and junior Addie Knowles, who added 10 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.
On Friday, the Cowboys didn’t let their past records against Grand Valley dictate the outcome. Head coach Megan Shelton shared her thoughts after the game.
“The girls played really well this weekend,” Shelton said. “We struggled a bit with running our offense against Grand Valley but were able to come out with a win. The girls battled through to come out on top.”
The Cowboys dominated the Cardinals, winning 37-19 this was a dose of the Cardinals own medicine having beat the Cowboys last season 68-43. There were key contributions that came from junior Addie Knowles, who recorded a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Knowles, who has been dominating when it comes to rebounds for the Cowboys, has now pulled down at least eight of them every time she has gotten on the court this season. She explained what helped her dominate on the board that night.
“I was able to get a good read on the ball and outmaneuver the defenders,” Knowles said. “We’ve worked hard in practice, and being aggressive never hurts.”
Junior Rylee Sullivan continued her strong season, scoring 15 points on 7-of-13 shooting. She is currently ranked 17th in Colorado for points per game (21.2). She talked about the shots that she was looking for and how she was finding them. She also described how her teammates helped her set up for her success that she had on offence on Friday night.
“A lot of it came from movement and catching my defender off guard,” Sullivan said. “My teammates read the court well and set me up for success. I was very impressed with how we played.”
On defense, senior Taylor Garcia contributed four assists and two steals. Garcia, who is currently ranked 12th in Division 3A for steals per game (5.2).
The victory improved the Cowboys’ record to 5-2. However, the momentum didn’t carry into Saturday’s game against the Cedaredge Bruins, where Meeker fell 42-30. Despite the loss, Shelton praised her team’s defensive effort.
“Cedaredge was an exceptional defensive game,” Shelton said. “Our girls played amazing and kept their field goal percentage way below their average.”
Addie Knowles posted another double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, while Rylee Sullivan contributed seven points and six rebounds. Cedaredge’s Carley Malinowski proved difficult to contain, scoring 17 points with nine rebounds, including 4-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc. Her teammate Sammy Denison added seven points and three steals for the Bruins.
Shelton outlined areas for improvement heading into the Cowboys’ next matchup against the undefeated Rangely Panthers, who boast a 10-0 record and average 57.8 points per game.
“Our goal these next few weeks is to focus on our offense and shooting the ball more,” Shelton said. “The girls have battled all season with learning new things, and we’re proud of how they’re adapting.”
The Cowboys, now 5-3, will face Rangely on Tuesday in Rangely, Colo. The game promises to be a challenge, with Meeker looking to hand the Panthers their first loss of the season, who come into the game 10-0. Later in the week, the Cowboys will travel to Olathe on Friday to face the Olathe Pirates, followed by a Saturday game against the Gunnison Cowboys in Gunnison.
JV games will start at 4 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. on Saturday, with varsity tipping off at 5:30 p.m. Friday and 12:30 p.m. Saturday.
