SPRING CREEK - What was likely to be the championship game of the Division IV Girls Regional Basketball Tournament turned into a first-round match-up on Thursday, Feb. 19 in Spring Creek.
The McDermitt High School girls basketball team was originally the No. 1 seed in the Division IV East, but it was announced prior to the tournament being played that the Bulldogs would have to forfeit five games due to an ineligible player.
That forced McDermitt down to the No. 4 seed and a meeting with Smith Valley, the top seed from the Division IV West. McDermitt grabbed the early advantage, but Smith Valley battled back for a 53-47 win. Smith Valley went on to win the regional title over Pyramid Lake.
Lydia Northrup and Adrie Smart knocked down 3-point field in the opening minutes of the contest to give McDermitt a 7-2 lead. Va Draunidalo followed with a bucket of her own and Krissy Long added a free throw to give McDermitt an eight-point lead, five minutes into the game.
Smith Valley's scoreless streak last nearly five minutes, but McDermitt kept the lead at seven points of of baskets by Long, Draunidalo and Deandra Dave.
McDermitt's offense hit the skids at he start of the second quarter, going scoreless for nearly four minutes, as Smith Valley used an 7-0 run to tie the game at 16. That was the first of three ties in the second quarter. McDermitt grabbed the advantage back at 20-18 on a layup by Smart, only to see Smith Valley score the next three points to go in front 21-20. The two schools traded buckets toward the end of the first half, with Smith Valley leading 23-22 on the strength of a 14-6 run.
As it was in the first half, McDermitt quickly grabbed the momentum in the third quarter with a 9-0 run to lead 31-23 with 5:35 left in the quarter. Draunidalo knocked down a 3-pointer during the spurt with the other six points coming at the free throw line, including two each from Dave, Northrup and Draunidalo.
However, foul trouble began to creep in for McDermitt with a number of starters picking up their third foul. Smith Valley answered with a 12-0 run in the third quarter to go up 35-31. McDermitt did not convert a field goal for the last 5:35, making three free throws, one by Smart and two more by Long.
Smith Valley held a three-point lead entering the final eight minutes of action, when a put back by Long put McDermitt up 40-39.
That was the last lead for McDermitt as Smith Valley grabbed a three-point advantage after getting a rebound off a missed free throw and putting the miss back.
With four minutes to play, Long brought McDermitt within two points at 44-42 as he grabbed the rebound off a missed free throw by Smart.
That was as close as McDermitt got the rest of the way. A bucket by Smart made the score 49-46 with 2:37 to play, but that was the final field goal for McDermitt. Smith Valley went 4-of-6 from the free throw line in the final minutes to secure the win.
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