Lady Cardinals Sweep Grizzlies In Season Series

For the second time in just eight days the cross county rivalry between the Cardinals and the Grizzlies was on full display.  This time the game took place at the Bird Nest in Soda Springs.  As I have mentioned in previous articles the two teams are similar in the fact that they are looking for their identities this season after graduating several key players from last season.  In this match up the Cardinals seemed to come away with a little better sense of who they are moving forward in the season.  Meanwhile the Grizzlies still have some work to do but are trending in the right direction.

Through the first four minutes of the game the teams seemed to be evenly matched.  The score was within a single possession in the early going.  The Lady Cardinals were able to pull away in the latter part of the quarter for a number of reasons.  Increased pressure by the Cardinals forced some turnovers, and several fouls committed by the Grizzlies helped Soda Springs build a cushion on the scoreboard.  The Cardinals led after the first quarter 12-6 with the help of going four out of five from the foul line.

In the second quarter of the game the Grizzlies got off to a good start hitting a three point shot.  Unfortunately for Grace fans Soda Springs would answer with a little run of their own extending the lead to nine points.  Following a timeout by Soda Springs the Lady Grizzlies would close the gap with another three point shot.  The lead would be cut all the way down to just three points before the Lady Cardinals were able to push it back to seven.  The first half ended with the Lady Cardinals leading the Lady Grizzlies by the score of 23-16.

In the first half of play the Lady Cardinals really moved the ball well.  Some of their passing and decision making was the best they have shown so far this season showing continued growth.  The Lady Grizzlies conversely really struggled putting the ball in the basket.  Grace missed several open shots and layups that would have kept the game very close at the half.  The Cardinals on the other hand were just heating up shooting the ball.

In the third quarter the hot shooting for Soda Springs helped to increase the lead.  The Lady Cardinals were trading threes for twos with the Grizzlies.  The offensive output for the Cardinals turned up the intensity for the defense as well.  This resulted in several fouls being called on Soda Springs.  Grace failed to capitalize on this situation, going a dismal one for four from the foul line in the quarter.  Junior Courtnee Gronning exploded in the third quarter for the Cardinals scoring eight of the teams fourteen points in the quarter.  The quarter ended with Soda Springs now leading 37-27.

Grace needed to make a move in the fourth quarter to get back into the game.  Unfortunately for them the game turned into a defensive struggle and halfway through the quarter each team had only scored three points.  The Grizzlies continued to turn the ball over and miss open shots on the offensive end of the court.  In the end the hot shooting from the Cardinals and missed opportunities by the Grizzlies resulted in a 44-32 victory for Soda Springs.

Lilly Gilbert had some good blocks for Grace on the defensive side of the ball while Tess Jorgensen led the Lady Grizzlies on the scoreboard.  Gracie Moldenhauer was a big part of the Cardinal scoring while Courtnee Gronning led the way including three baskets from beyond the arc for Soda Springs.

The Lady Cardinals will next be in action this weekend when they travel to the Desert Hills Holiday Classic in St. George Ut.  This will be a great opportunity for the Cardinals to continue to build on their success from this game and face some tough competition to prepare them for the rest of the season.

The Lady Grizzlies will also hit the road this week as they travel to Ririe to take part in the Ririe Bulldog Shootout.  The Grizzlies will look to improve their shooting and limit their turnovers to try and help them get back into the win column.

Soda Springs-A. Goodin 5, J. Rasmussen 4, M. Kempe 3, H. Mumford 2, G. Moldenhauer 13, C. Gronning 17.

Grace-E. Olenslager 4, K. Stoddard 2, K. Christensen 2, P. Steadman 3, K. Mansfield 3, C. Yost 3, T. Jorgensen 15.

Soda Springs 12 11 14 7 44

Grace 6 10 11 5 32