For nine months, the McDermitt High School girls basketball team has one thing on its mind - Pyramid Lake.
The Lakers defeated the Lady Bulldogs 60-58 in the Division IV regional semifinals a year ago, denying the young McDermitt squad a shot at the state tournament.
After a long wait, McDermitt got its chance at revenge on Pyramid Lake's home floor and it was well worth the wait. The Lady Bulldogs dominated from the start in a 72-41 win to improve to 6-1 on the season.
"This was a game my kids have been thinking about since February," said MHS coach Jaimi Wilkinson. "I could see them literally grow up in that semifinal loss last year and I have never been more proud of a group of kids as I was at the end of that game. What happened in the locker room after that loss was almost magical, there was a fire in their belly that hadn't been there before and last night was long over due."
McDermitt used a strong defensive perform early to break the game open. The Lakers managed just seven points in the first half as the Lady Bulldogs built a 34-7 advantage at halftime.
Pyramid Lake broke through offensively with a 23-point third-quarter, only to see the Lady Bulldogs respond with a 21-11 run in the fourth period.
Andrea Smart led all scorers with 25 points, as Wilkinson called her best game of her career. Lydia Northrup also hit two 3-point field goals in the second half, to help stop a Pyramid Lake run and she finished with 10 points.
"Lydia is seeing the floor well and hit two big threes for us," Wilkinson said. "She also anchored the defense for two quarters while Va (Draunidalo) was sidelined by foul trouble."
The coach praised the play of Draunidalo, as well her post players Krissy Long and Deandra Dave. Dave scored 16 points and Long 15.
"I have been so impressed with Va's passion for defense and rebounding, both are something I personally love in players," Wilkinson said. "Deandra and Krissy were tough as nails and didn't sub out at all, playing 32 minutes. Having to match-up against Jakoby (Stump) is a lot to ask for in kids and these two just work their tails off."
McDermitt made the trip to Virginia City last week to play four games at the Comstock Classic. The Lady Bulldogs played without Wilkinson for the first two games, as she was in Las Vegas. Cindy Sherburn, Jake Kershner and Hyland Wilkinson filled in as coaches in her absence.
"We were excited to get back into the Comstock Classic, as it is a tournament that showcases a lot of teams we would see in postseason play," Wilkinson said.
McDermitt defeated Virginia City 60-27 on Thursday, Dec. 11, behind strong outside shooting from Adrie Smart, Andrea Smart and Northrup.
Long led the Lady Bulldogs with 21 points and Andrea Smart and Northrup added 16 and 12 points, respectively.
It was much of the same against Round Mountain on Friday, Dec. 12. The Lady Bulldogs started the game with a 22-0 run in the first quarter and never looked back in the 61-31 win. McDermitt outscored Round Mountain in every quarter.
Northrup led all scorers with 21 points, which included five 3-point field goals and had four assists. Andrea Smart and Long joined her in double figures with 11 points, while Andrea Smart added nine rebounds. Draunidalo collected eight points to go with a team-high 12 rebounds. Dave scored four points, Morissa Bitt, Megan Sam and Estefania Ruelas each had two points.
"Deandra and Krissy are absolute work horses for us in the paint and continue to be a handful for people to try and match up against," Wilkinson said. "We were happy to have Va back on the court as she is the core of our defense and is she rebounding like a machine."
In its second game on Friday, Dec. 12, McDermitt took on Pahranagat Valley, the defending Division IV state champion. After a close first period, the Lady Bulldogs pulled away in the second and third quarters for a 66-38 victory.
"Alamo, is a physical and aggressive team, they are bred to win and the number of state championships Alamo and coach Amy Huntsman have racked up is impressive," Wilkinson said. "Anytime you can beat a powerhouse like Alamo you have to be excited and to do it by 30 says a lot about how far this team has come already this season."
McDermitt led 13-12 after eight minutes of play, but used a 23-9 run in the second quarter to lead 36-21 at the break. The Lady Bulldogs came out hot in the third quarter and increased the lead to 50-25 on the strength of a 14-4 run.
Dave (18), Andrea Smart (15), Adrie Smart (13) and Long (13) combined for 59 of the 68 points. Dave finished with a double-double, adding 11 rebounds. Northrup scored six points, to go with 13 assists and Draunidalo had three points and a team-high 13 rebounds.
"We were able to get their top scorer and point guard into foul trouble early," Wilkinson said "We were able to take her out of two quarters of play and completely out of rhythm in the first few minutes of play as she was trying to defend our post players and didn't have the size to match up. The game was a slug fest in that Alamo girls haven't lost many games and continued to fight until the last horn went off."
McDermitt closed out the tournament on Saturday with a 59-36 win over Coleville, Calif. The Lady Bulldogs outscored the Wolves 25-2 in the first quarter and were never threatened.
Long led McDermitt with 18 points, Northrup added 15 and Andrea Smart 12. Dave scored eight and Adrie Smart and Britt each had two.
McDermitt travels to Crane, Ore., this weekend for the Crane Christmas Tournament. The Lady Bulldogs play Adrian today at 3 p.m. Adrian is one of the top-ranked schools in Oregon.
"It's still early in the season and we have a lot of room for improvement, but the kids are working together as a team, growing together as a family and winning big games," Wilkinson said. "McDermitt has an awful lot to be proud of at the moment. Adrian is big and physical, so it will be a good test of our character and strength."[[In-content Ad]]
