Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Here’s to Round 2.

With a 51-26 win Tuesday against Vail Christian, the Soroco High School girls basketball team has set itself up for another huge cross-county showdown with Hayden on Friday.

This one even features the added significance of district positioning, with as many as four teams, including the Rams and Tigers, battling for the two through five spots in the district.

“We’re going to have to play 32 minutes Friday,” Soroco coach David Bruner said. “They’re going to have to play for 32 minutes. The girls are excited about this. We showed that we could play with them in the first half the last time we played.”

The two teams meet at 7 p.m. Friday in Hayden. The first time, Soroco ran out to a double-digit first-half lead, before Hayden imposed its will in taking a 60-46 win.

“The pressure is all on Hay­den,” Bruner said. “They’re still ranked. The pressure is kind of all on them. They know they have to play well every night. They know people are going to give them their best shot.”

But before the Rams (10-4 overall) could get to Friday, they did what they needed to Tuesday against the Saints. After the teams exchanged buckets early, Soroco finally found its groove midway through the first quarter. The team led 15-7 after one and 26-13 at halftime.

The Rams again used their defense to turn in easy offense as the Saints committed 25 turnovers. Soroco extended its lead to as much as 38-19 early in the fourth before the Rams started substituting.

“It’s the defense,” said junior Lindsay Miles, who led the Rams with 11 points and six rebounds. “Our defense has helped us score most of our points. We’ve been working on this trap since I was a freshman. Friday’s game is our biggest game.”

Micaela Meyer and Brandi Roundtree each chipped in 8 points.