MCDERMITT - It looked like your typical season-opener as the McDermitt High School girls basketball team hit the floor for the first time on Wednesday night at home against Crane, Ore.
The Lady Bulldogs, who were a game away from reaching the state tournament a season ago, looked sloppy at times, but used two runs in the second half to beat the Mustangs 58-47.
"We did a lot of standing around tonight," said MHS coach Jaimi Wilkinson. "We didn't rebound very well and it seemed like we could not make a free throw. It was still a good game for us and we got the win."
The Lady Bulldogs picked up early buckets from Krissy Long and Va Draunidalo to lead 4-0, holding the Mustangs scoreless for the first three minutes of the contest.
However, Crane used a 7-1 run to go in front 7-5, but that was quickly countered as McDermitt went back inside to Long, who converted a 3-point play and the Lady Bulldogs went back up by a point. Crane tied the game at 10 with a 3-point shot, when Lydia Northrup connected on a 3-pointer and Megan Sam added a layup to give McDermitt a 15-10 lead after eight minutes, one it would not relinquish the rest of the night.
The Mustangs closed within three points at 15-12 at the beginning of the second quarter, only to see the Lady Bulldogs score the next five points, including a 3-point shot from freshman Adrie Smart. McDermitt used a 3-pointer from Andrea Smart and a bucket by Northrup to lead 25-17, but Crane ended the half on a 6-0 run to cut the deficit to 27-24.
The Mustangs kept the contest close in the second half, as the Lady Bulldogs scored just four points in the first six minutes of the third period. However, McDermitt caught fire in the final 1:47 of the quarter and went on a 13-4 run to lead 44-31. Long and Northrup each had five points in the spurt and Dacey Horn hit a 3-point field goal.
"Lydia got hot at the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth," Wilkinson said. "We finally went back inside to Krissy. They had no one that could guard her and I told the girls early in the game to get her the ball."
Northrup hit a jump shot at the start of the fourth quarter to give McDermitt a 46-33, but Crane did not go away. The Mustangs battled back to cut the margin to 48-45 with 3:42 to play, but the Oregon school scored just two points the rest of the way.
"We got ourselves in foul trouble early in the game," Wilkinson said. "Crane made free throws to stay in it."
Long ended the run with a bucket inside and Andrea Smart added two free throws to push the margin back to 53-45 and Crane never threatened from there.
Northrup (19) and Long (14) combined for 43 of the 58 points for the Lady Bulldogs. Andrea Smart added eight, Draunidalo five, Deandra Dave four and Horn and Adrie Smart two each.
McDermitt traveled to Jordan Valley, Ore., on Thursday and results were not available at press time. The Lady Bulldogs travel to Virginia City next week for the Comstock Classic, beginning on Thursday. McDermitt is scheduled to play Virginia City, Round Mountain, Pahranagat Valley and Coleville, Calif. Pahranagat Valley is the defending Division IV state champion.[[In-content Ad]]
