WINNEMUCCA - Basketball fans in Winnemucca got a taste of the big time as the Reno Bighorns returned to Lowry High School for a second consecutive season.
The Bighorns, who are solely affiliated with the Sacramento Kings, knocked off the Idaho Stampede 125-102 on Tuesday night to close out their preseason schedule at 1-1. Ra'shad James, out of Northwood University in Florida, was one of six players in double figures and led the Bighorns with 21 points.
Reno players and staff members spent much of Tuesday visiting area schools before taking to the floor to play. Bighorns managing owner Herb Santos Jr. said he was pleased to be back in Winnemucca for a second straight year.
"We enjoy coming out here and playing," Santos said. "We had another great crowd and the atmosphere was great. It's a chance for our guys to get out in the community and grow our product. Plus, we are here for a good cause and we are helping out Lowry High School."
The proceeds from the event will go to the various Lowry athletic programs. After the game Santos invited the Lowry boys varsity basketball team to the Bighorns' home game with Bakersfield. The Buckaroos will be in Sparks that same day to close out a tournament.
Both teams put on an offensive show on the court that is four feet short of an NBA floor and teams had no trouble shooting on the
fan-shaped backboards at the school. The only hiccup on the night was the fire alarm going off twice in the third quarter,
Reno seized early control of the game jumping out to a 15-6 lead in the first quarter, including a 15-2 run powered by 3-point plays by Trent Lockett and Brandon Heath.
Oregon graduate EJ Singler did his best to keep Idaho in the contest, scoring seven points in the first quarter and cutting the Reno lead to 31-22. The Bighorns responded a put back shot by Reginald Larry and a running one-handed shot by Tajuan Porter to increased the lead to 36-22.
Porter began the second quarter with a 3-point field goal and added a slam dunk and two free throws to push the Bighorns' advantage to 51-33. Reno held that same 18-point lead at 61-43, but quickly pushed the margin up 10 points off a 3-point field goal by Heath and a 3-point play on slam dunk by Bryan Davis to give Reno a 71-48 halftime lead.
The Bighorns led by as many as 27 points in the third quarter at 75-48, after University of Nevada graduate Mo Charlo scored the first five points of the second half. Charlo, out of Eureka, Calif., led the Wolf Pack to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2005 and 2006.
Idaho cut the deficit to 81-61 with just under six minutes to play in the third quarter went off and delaying the game for less than five minutes.
The stop in the action did not hurt Reno, who kept the margin above 20 points at 97-75 heading into the fourth quarter. The Bighorns lead did not drop below 20 points the rest of the way, leading by as many as 25 points in the fourth quarter at 108-83.
Idaho's Pierre Jackson, who played at Baylor, led all scorers with 26 points, while Singler and Reggie Hamilton added 18 and 11 points, respectively, for the Stampede.
Heath added 19 points for Reno, DeQuan Jones netted 17, Davis 16, Kevin Foster 11 and Charlo 11.
The Bighorns open their fifth season in Sioux Falls on Friday and Saturday with game starting at 7 p.m. Reno makes its home debut on Friday, Dec. 6, against Santa Cruz at 7 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
