The Wyoming Indian Lady Chiefs and Chiefs earned key victories in Southwest 2A conference basketball play this past weekend, maintaining their perfect league records with two games remaining before the postseason, WyoToday Media reports.
On Friday, both teams took care of business against Wind River, with the Lady Chiefs holding off the Cougars 45-34 and the Chiefs dominating in an 84-37 win. The Lady Chiefs secured the win after a strong second-half performance, while the Chiefs were in control throughout, never allowing Wind River to gain any momentum.
The Lady Chiefs’ win was led by sophomore Delaney Gambler, who scored 17 points and contributed with 5-10 free throws, as well as solid post-up moves. Junior Taya Dixey and freshman Paisley Blackburn added 9 and 7 points, respectively. Wind River’s sophomore Madisyn Arneach paced the Lady Cougars with 13 points, while senior Emma Miller added 10 points and a few key rebounds.
In contrast, the Chiefs were balanced offensively with 11 players scoring. Junior Heeyeniitou Monroe-Black and senior Darian Augustine each scored 17 points, while junior Parlayne Ferris added 16 points and junior Ladainian Brown chipped in 9. Wind River’s junior Ford David led his team with 20 points.
Saturday saw a tougher challenge for Wyoming Indian, with the Lady Chiefs struggling in a 48-35 loss to Rocky Mountain. Fatigue played a factor as it was the Lady Chiefs’ third game in three days. Senior Brittly Boettcher led the Lady Grizz with 17 points, while junior Lauren Bassett added 16 points. Wyoming Indian’s Dixey led the team with 12 points, while Gambler added six.
The Chiefs, however, bounced back with a 53-48 win over Rocky Mountain in a close and hard-fought contest. It took nearly three quarters for Wyoming Indian to earn their first lead over the Grizzlies, but the team held off the visitors with timely three-pointers and strong defense in the fourth quarter. Ferris, who scored all 12 of his points from beyond the arc, led the Chiefs. Junior Adriano Brown added 11 points, and Augustine contributed 8.
Both Wyoming Indian teams are now 14-6 overall and 4-0 in conference play. With the West 2A regional tournament just around the corner, the teams will head to Big Piney and Kemmerer next weekend for crucial games. A weekend sweep would secure both teams’ regular-season quadrant championships and No. 1 seeds entering the regionals.
“Big Piney will be a tough place to play,” said Wyoming Indian Chiefs coach Craig Ferris. “But these games are important for preparing us for the postseason.”
