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Moffat County girls hoops earns decisive win over Lamar to start postseason

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Andy Bockelman
  

The Moffat County girls basketball team celebrates a playoff win against Lamar Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024.
Andy Bockelman/Craig Press

With rain throughout the day in Craig and an opponent named the Thunder on their floor, it was only fitting that the members of the Moffat County girls basketball team had a lightning-in-a-bottle kind of night.

MCHS girls moved on to the Sweet 16 of the 4A CHSAA State Playoffs, taking a 57-34 win over Lamar Tuesday night in the Round of 32.

The Bulldogs had a slow start but quickly started gaining momentum thanks to overwhelming defense in the paint, blocking shot after shot.

“I expected a closer game, but they came out and did everything I asked them to do tonight — clicking, hitting shots, moving the ball and playing solid defense,” said coach Dillon Hoselton. “We had struggled at times playing man-to-man defense this year, so I thought I’d throw it at them to see what they do. They took it and ran with it.”

A successful night of shooting from the arc didn’t hurt either — nearly half of their scoring came from three-pointers. The Dogs had five players hit a combined nine triples, with junior Ariana Buchanan swishing three across the night.

Buchanan also contributed to a strong half-court presence that let the MoCo girls steal the ball and run it back repeatedly.

“The energy was up, and it really helped because we needed that,” Buchanan said. “We came out really strong but got reminded at halftime that it wasn’t over and to just keep pushing in the second half.”

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Junior Mena Tucker led with 11 points, with sister Emma Tucker right behind with 10.

Emma, a senior, said the effort was the result of some new adjustments on the court.

“We’ve been working really hard on everything for this game,” she said. “We worked on our new offense and actually ran it today, and it all looked pretty good. Our coaches and everyone were so supportive, and that’s what made it such a good game.”

The midweek game put the MCHS girls’ record at 16-8 following a set of weekend wins to round out the regular season, besting league opponents Steamboat Springs 31-17 and Rifle 58-37.

The W over the Sailors saw Emma Tucker lead with 11 points, while her sibling earned six steals and six rebounds. Against the Bears, junior Caitlyn Adams put up a personal-best 18 points, while Mena Tucker added eight assists.

Hoselton noted that Mena’s two-way capabilities were especially apparent against the Thunder as she nullified Lamar’s leading scorer, Brooklyn Robbins.

“She had a heck of a defensive game and still turned around and had a heck of an offensive game, too,” he said. “It’s a lot to ask of one player to do both of these things and she did it.”

The Bulldogs’ season tally put them right in the middle of the playoff brackets at 16th, with Lamar in the 17th slot.

“They were ranked so close to us, and we still beat them by a lot. That feels really good,” said junior Josefina Kuberry.

Next up will be what could be the greatest challenge of the season for MoCo girls as they hit the road Friday against the top-ranked 4A team in the state. Broomfield’s Holy Family (22-2) cruised to the Sweet 16 after a Tuesday 83-14 blowout against Eagle Ridge Academy.

Now that they’ve proved their playoff prowess, Hoselton expects his players have it in them to pull off an upset.

“Holy Family is No. 1 for a reason, but we’ll go and put up a fight,” he said.

With every game now potentially their last, MCHS girls are feeling especially confident that they can dig deep for the next round.

“No fear next game. I feel like we can win no matter what,” Emma Tucker said.

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