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If Lauren Roberts’ injured hand feels as good as it did Friday night, the Western Slope League might need to watch out.

In pacing the Moffat County High School girls varsity basketball team to a 55-24 Friday night win against Delta at home, Roberts said her injury was almost non-existent.

“It was definitely less sensitive,” she said about her two bandaged fingers. “I’m able to catch the ball better, so I think my teammates are more confident passing to me.”

And it showed.

Roberts would finish with a double-double, as she collected 15 point and 10 rebounds.

But the MCHS junior said the Bulldogs had a solid team effort against the Panthers (5-9 overall, 4-5 in the Western Slope League).

“I think we did everything well,” Roberts said. “We played good, tough defense and didn’t let them score. We were moving the ball around and had shots from all over.”

Annie Sadvar had 8 points and seven rebounds, Melissa Camilletti had 7 points and four steals, Lindsey Yoast had 5 points, Britteny Ivers, Jessi Moser and Nike Cleverly all had four points, Justine Hathhorn and Amanda Snyder chipped in with 3 points apiece, and Adrie Camp added two points.

But the real story of the night was the Bulldogs’ stifling defense, coach Craig Mortensen said.

“It was very difficult for (Delta) to score tonight,” he said. “We got off to a slow start, but while we were trying to figure out our offense, our defense put on the clamps.”

Moffat County led, 12-8, after the first quarter, but the defense forced Delta to make mistakes in the second half, which led to more Moffat County opportunities.

“We made some outside shots, and that allowed us to pound it inside,” Mortensen said. “The girls were patient, especially on the perimeter.”

At halftime, Moffat County had stretched its lead to 27-12.

One of the reasons Moffat County was able to jump ahead was the post defense.

The Panthers’ Jenni Jones was held scoreless on 0-for-five shooting.

The Bulldogs also were able to limit their turnovers to just 13 against Delta’s 21.

“They took care of the ball tonight,” Mortensen said. “We’ve been talking about taking steps forward, and this definitely was.”

But with Palisade scheduled to play at 4 p.m. today at the MCHS gymnasium, Moffat County can’t afford to be complacent, Mortensen said.

“This was a good game, but we can only give ourselves a pat on the back once,” he said. “We need to be ready. You can’t assume that you’re going to win. You have to earn it.”

Notes: The MCHS girls junior varsity team won, 44-22, against Delta … The varsity team made 18 of 24 free throws … Camilletti had four steals.