For the first time this year, the Winnemucca Junior High School eighth-grade girls basketball team was challenged, but the Warriors were able to extend their winning streak to six games.
Winnemucca made its home debut on Thursday, Sept. 11, and defeated Fallon 18-16. The Warriors jumped out to a 9-2 advantage in the first quarter and led 13-6 at half, before holding on for the two-point victory. Fallon outscored Winnemucca 10-5 in the final 12 minutes of play.
"This game was a tough one for us," said WJHS coach DaraLee Millikan. "We started out creating a few turnovers and getting baskets from those, then suddenly the basket seemed to have a lid on it. We had to fight for everything for the remainder of the game. Fallon played tough. They were quick and kept creeping up on us. We managed to pull out the win, though. The girls have heart."
Julie Garcia, Hannah Growcock and Brooke Hansen each had four points. Sydney Connors, Rebecca Kuskie and Madi McClellan had two points apiece.
Winnemucca traveled to Lovelock last Saturday for the first round of Tri-County play. The Warriors opened with a 60-7 win over host Pershing County.
Winnemucca led 36-2 at halftime and were never challenged by the Colts.
"This was a great opportunity for us to practice our plays we haven't used much yet," Millikan said. "The girls were patience and every single one of them scored in this game."
Tatyana Carlson and Hansen outscored Pershing County by themselves with 10 points each. Connors and Julie Garcia did the same with eight points apiece. Hailey Fernandez scored six, McClellan and Victoria Tirado had four points each and Lily Garcia, Julianne Montero, Rachel Garrison, Kuskie and Garrison had two points apiece.
Winnemucca found itself in a much different game against Battle Mountain, but was able to pull out the 24-18 win. The Warriors led 13-10 at halftime, only to see the Shorthorns cut the margin to 20-18 after three quarters of play. Winnemucca scored all four points in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
"It was time to shift gears," Millikan said. "Battle Mountain was aggressive and beat us down the floor at times. We had to dig deep and play hard. We passed the ball inside and got some key baskets. The girls really got into this game and showed their spirit. It has been good for us to have a few close games and be able to pull out the win."
McClellan paced the Warriors with 10 points and Connors, Garcia and Hansen finished with four points each. Growcock had two points.
Winnemucca hosts the Tri-County League on Saturday at 9 a.m.[[In-content Ad]]
