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    Chiefs hold off the Grizzlies

    In a battle of conference leaders, it was the home standing Chiefs that withstood a strong challenge from the visiting Rocky Mountain Grizzlies late Saturday afternoon at Alfred P. Redman Gym. The Chiefs held off the Grizz 64-62 in a very entertaining game that featured just about everything you could expect when these two programs meet.

    The game opened with the first five combined shots between the two hot-shooting teams barely moving the net. Three of those five were the long-range, 3-point variety.

    Brandon Coffee drove by Ben Simmons – {h/t Randy Tucker}

    The Chiefs built a small lead, but Rocky battled back to tie the game at 14 with 3:20 remaining the opening period, and then another tie at 16 just 40 seconds later.

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    The Chiefs led 23-17 at the end of the opening quarter.

    A high-speed floor game from Jerrell Tillman and Allen Redman for Wyoming Indian was countered by 6-4 forward Ben Simmons of Rocky. Simmons is a quick, angular player with excellent long-range shooting skills as evidenced by his five 3-pointers on the game.

    Carsyn Weber, a 6-2 guard, gave Wyoming Indian matchup problems but he left the game early in the second period in foul trouble. Weber tallied a trio of treys in the game as well.

    Jerrell Tillman worked the perimeter – {h/t Randy Tucker}

    The Chiefs led by six at the break but that didn’t last long with Simmons hitting a trey just 29 seconds into the second half.

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    A pair of free throws by Nate Minemyer cut the margin to a single point, but that was as close as the Grizzlies would get over the final 15 minutes of the game.

    Wyoming Indian answered each time Rocky Mountain closed with Allen Redman and Jason Slow Bear giving head coach Craig Ferris outstanding minutes on quick drives, and solid rebounding against the much taller Grizzlies. They each hit a 3-pointer as well.

    Freshman Cordell Spoonhunter picked up a pair of key offensive rebounds for putbacks, but when it came to crunch time, it was the play of senior Brandon Coffee that put the Chiefs over the top.

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    Jayquin Jones worked inside against Rocky defender Carsyn Weber – {h/t Randy Tucker}

    Coffee finished the game with 16 points, with only three of those in the final period, but they were important and all came at the line where he hit his final three attempts of the game to hold off the Grizzlies.

    Trailing by six points with 1:34 to play, Jacob Bischoff hit a 3-pointer to close the score to 62-59, but Coffee made it a two possession margin with his final two free throws and a final trey at the buzzer ended the game at 64-62.

    Wyoming Indian is on the road for the remainder of the season with a pair of key games on the other side of South Pass next weekend.

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    Brandon Coffee let a jump shot fly early in the game – {h/t Randy Tucker}

    Friday they play Kemmerer then finish their conference schedule at Big Piney on Saturday.

    Coffee led the Chiefs with 16 and Tillman had 14.

    For Rocky, Simmons had game high honors with 27 points, Weber finished with 17 and Minemyer tallied 11.

    Wyoming Indian 23 13 13 15 – 64

    Rocky Mountain 17 13 15 17 – 62

    Wyoming Indian – Jerrell Tillman 4 (1) 3-3 14, Jason Slow Bear 2 (1) 0-0 7, Parlayne Ferris 1 0-0 2, Brandon Coffee 3 (2) 4-7 16, Cordell Spoonhunter 3 2-2 8, Tyson Sounding Sides 2 (1) 0-0 7, Allen Redman 2 (1) 0-0 7. Totals 17 (6) 12-16 64

    Rocky Mountain – Weber 4 (3) 0-0 17, Ames 1 2-2 4, Bischoff (1) 0-0 3, Simmons 2 (5) 8-12 27, Minemyer 4 3-5 11. Totals 11 (9) 13-19 62  

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