craigdailypress.com

Photo by Nate Waggenspack

From left: Lisa Camilletti, Sassy Murray, Kyleen Ellgen, Kori Finneman, Tori Snyder, Makayla Camilletti and Bailey Hellander played the national anthem Friday night in Craig before their game against Coal Ridge.

From the national anthem to the final buzzer, it was a great senior night for the Moffat County girls basketball team.

Led by seven seniors all season long, the Bulldogs did not disappoint a raucous crowd Friday at Moffat County High School, beating Coal Ridge, 61-47. The good will for the seniors began before the game even started.

After the seniors were introduced with their parents, the group of girls proved it has chemistry beyond the basketball court, playing the national anthem before the game on instruments many of them hadn’t touched in years. After just two days of practicing, all seven girls made it through the song without so much as a note out of line.

Coal Ridge hung tough with the Bulldogs for much of the first half, using quickness and good shooting to stay close. Makayla Camilletti said some nerves played a factor in the first quarter for Moffat County, as well.

“We were kind of, I think, trying to play too fast,” she said. “We were so nervous.”

But the Bulldogs did not fall behind as they did when visiting Coal Ridge a few weeks ago. They were tough inside and took a 28-25 lead into halftime.

“It was tight in the first quarter, but we still played,” head coach Matt Ray said. “We didn’t have a letdown.”

The third is when Moffat County started to gain some separation and form a more comfortable lead. The Bulldogs consistently pounded the ball into the paint, whether driving to the basket or getting touches in the post, and scores became easier.

“We kept going inside on them,” Ray said. “Pretty much at will. Makayla had a good night in there, Kyleen (Ellgen) had a good night in there, Lisa (Camilletti) drove for a few buckets. The whole team really (played well). In the fourth quarter Jazmine (Swindler) came off the bench and lit it up for us.”

The Bulldogs will play next Thursday in Craig to start off the district tournament. Winning the tournament would likely guarantee them a home game to start off regionals, as well.

But Friday night, it was all about the seniors having a good sendoff in their final regular season home game.

“I thought everyone played really good together, and it was fun,” Makayla Camilletti said. “All the seniors played more (minutes). It was good.”

Nate Waggenspack can be reached at 875-1795 or nwaggenspack@craigdailypress.com.