Despite a brand new starting lineup, the Gunnison High School girls basketball team rode stingy defense and strong second half play to a 1-1 start to their season last week.
Coach Chad Terry said he didn’t know what to expect, after losing seven seniors and his entire starting lineup this year, but he was very proud of how much effort the girls put into making the team cohesive to start the year.
The Cowboys opened their season with a 41-34 win against Grand Junction Central High School this past Thursday, Dec. 5. Senior Ashlyn Cowan was the Cowboys’ leading scorer with 16 points, with freshman Autumn Terry adding 14 points.
At halftime the Cowboys were down 21-12, but that didn’t stop them from fighting. The Cowboys outscored the Warriors 19-6 in the third quarter to take a four point lead heading into the fourth. Three big baskets by Cowan helped seal the win for the Cowboys, who got the win in their season opener.
The win didn’t come without a cost, though. Cowan, who is the team’s leading scorer and senior post player, had to leave the game with concussion symptoms. Cowan was one of Terry’s only returning players with significant varsity experience before this year. Cowan missed the Cowboys’ game against Pagosa Springs and likely won’t play again until January 2026.
The Cowboys faced off against the Pagosa Springs Lady Pirates on Friday, Dec. 6, ultimately losing in a close game 41-37. Senior Kaylee Vincent led the Cowboys in scoring with 14 points with junior Brooke Terry adding nine.
The Cowboys once again started slow, amassing a 10-point deficit at halftime. The Cowboys showed resiliency for the second game in a row, though. A 12-point third quarter cut the deficit to four points and junior Althea Stansbery hit a big fourth quarter 3-pointer to tie the game, but ultimately the Cowboys fell short in Friday’s matchup.
Coach Terry emphasized that the team’s resilient start to the season despite so much roster turnover is due to the leadership from the seniors and juniors. Vincent and Josie Whinnery are two seniors from last year’s team who have stepped into a leadership role along with juniors Merci Williams, Stansbery and Brooke Terry.
“[Brooke Terry] just lives and breathes basketball,” said coach Terry. “She helps settle everything down on the court.”
Even though the season is very young, coach Terry has identified that this team is built around a stingy defense. Though the Cowboys are not a very tall team, they are aggressive, he said. This upcoming week the Cowboys will look to continue their strong defensive play while also working to establish an offensive identity.
The Cowboys have three games coming up this week, including a non-conference home game against the Buena Vista Demons on Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 5:30 p.m., a conference home game against the North Fork Miners on Friday, Dec. 12, at 5:30 p.m. and a conference away game against the Grand Valley Cardinals on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 2:30 p.m..
Jack Sellner can be reached at jsellner@orourkemediagroup.com.
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