By Sisco Molina
Sports Editor 

No. 1 Worland puts undefeated record on the line in Rawlins

 

January 29, 2016

Sisco Molina

Junior Carly King (4) battles for a loose ball with Douglas' Emily Curtis during the second half of No. 1 Worland's 68-34 win over the Lady Bearcats on Friday, Jan. 22 in Warrior Gymnasium.

WORLAND – The top-ranked Lady Warriors will put their 10-game win streak on the line this evening as they make the long road trip to Carbon County for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Lady Outlaws.

Worland dropped its lone regular-season contest to Rawlins 52-48 last year – a team that came into Worland ranked No. 1 in the state with a 12-1 record. Now, the tables are turned as the Lady Warriors go to Rawlins ranked No. 1 with a 10-0 record.

Both teams lost a lot of senior leadership from last year, but Worland definitely has the advantage with the amount of talent returning. Worland girls basketball coach Mark Mortimer plans to use that advantage to wear down the Lady Outlaws, much like his team has done with every other team it has faced all season.

Our depth right now is huge. They've had a few key injuries and we're not sure who they will have for the game," Mortimer said on Thursday. "One through eight, I think we really challenge teams to be able to come out on the floor and stop the kids we have out there."

Rawlins' main threat is senior standout Bailey Forney. She leads the team in almost every statistical category and is averaging 15.4 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, the second-highest and highest marks in the 3A East, respectively.

"We'll put our two best defenders on her, two kids that we've been using all season in that fashion – Bryanna Mickelson and Bailey Gibbons. I give them that duty of trying to shut down our opponent's best scorer and they've done an outstanding job over our entire season so far of holding kids down. You take those kids away defensively and that really takes away from the game plan of our opponent," Mortimer said of his plan to account for Forney. "

One would expect the long road trip to be a factor as the Lady Warriors will spend close to four hours on a bus before going to play a game.

But they have fared pretty well on long road trips already this season, going 3-0 at the Flaming Gorge Classic to kick off the season in December.

They seem to be pretty comfortable playing on the road, too, as their average margin of victory is 20.5 points per game with a perfect 8-0 record outside of Warrior Gymnasium. That's largely due to their defense which has been Worland's strongest facet thus far this season.

Yet, Mortimer feels it can be better.

"The number one thing we need to continue to work on is defensively, we've gotten ourselves into foul trouble the last several games – fouls 75 feet away from the basket – and making a few silly mistakes here and there that are putting our opponents at the free throw line," Mortimer said. "The main thing we worked in this weak was to continue to keep playing the aggressive style of defense have, but to cut out the mistakes we've been making."

 
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