Lady Trapper teammates pull for Izzy Gustafson after tragic lossWomen's basketball games at Northwest College were tempered by a somber air over the weekend after player Izzy Gustafson's mother and two grandparents died as a result of a car crash. They were traveling from Sandy, Utah, to Powell to watch her play when the crash occurred on Thursday.

Izzy's teammates draped her No. 30 jersey over one of the chairs on the sideline for the entire game against Eastern Wyoming College on Friday, and she was named an honorary starter even though she did not attend the game.

The Lady Trappers wore black wristbands with Izzy's No. 30 on them as another tribute to her, and the Trapper men's team did the same.

Izzy's father, Eric Gustafson, 49, was driving on Wyo. 28 about 50 miles southwest of Lander on Thursday when he lost control of the vehicle on the snow- and ice-covered highway, according to investigating Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper Brian Bragonier. The car went off the north side of the road and rolled several times down an embankment and onto the prairie.

During the rollover, Izzy's grandfather, Jaret Gustafson, 76, was ejected and died, Bragonier said.

Due to the severity of the crash, the cab of the Ford Expedition was crushed, and Izzy's mother, LuAnne Gustafson, 50, was partially ejected. She hit her head on the ground or a rock as the vehicle rolled and died of her injuries, Bragonier said.

Both died at the scene.

Izzy's grandmother, Diane Gustafson, 72, was hospitalized at Lander Valley Regional Medical Center and died of a heart attack on Friday morning. As of Saturday, it had not been confirmed whether her death was a direct result of the crash.

“She was talking last night,” Bragonier said on Friday.

Eric Gustafson and three younger children, Elyssa, 10, Christopher, 13, and Elaura, 16, were treated at the hospital and released. Everyone but Jaret Gustafson had been wearing seat belts, Bragonier said.

NWC head coach Chad Oletzke said Izzy did not want the team to cancel its game with Eastern. The decision to play was made with Izzy's wishes in mind, he said.

The Lady Trappers unanimously voted to play the game, and NWC won the contest 64-57.

Oletzke described Izzy as the ultimate team player; she always wants to know what she can do to help the squad. She doesn't ask about what can be done for her, it's always about the team. She's been that way since he recruited her, he said.

“(Izzy) wanted us to play,” he said. “That was her wish, and we wanted to do that for her. It's been an emotional time, and the girls deserve all the credit for a big win (Friday night). It was a tough game, and they really had to battle, especially in the second half. They deserve a lot of credit, and I'm so proud of them. It meant a lot to them to win that one for Izzy.”

(David Dickey, Tribune sports editor, contributed to this report.)