RENO - Going into Friday's Division IV North regional semifinal at North Valleys High School in Reno, just a handful of people gave the McDermitt High School girls basketball team a shot at beating Wells.
The Leopards beat the Lady Bulldogs by the identical 28 points in both regular season matchups and came into the regional tournament with just one loss.
McDermitt, who prides itself on its matchup zone, went to a 3-2 zone on defense and it gave Wells fits all day. The Lady Bulldogs were within two points with four minutes left in the third quarter, only to see Wells pull out to a 17-point lead in the fourth period before holding on for the 60-53 win.
"I can't be sad," said MHS head coach Jaimi Wilkinson. "I am so proud of my girls. "Our defense really threw them off. They were expecting the matchup and we went with the 3-2. We forced them to take shots from the outside and they are not great outside shooters. We struggled on times on offense and didn't rebound that well. Wells was able to get some second chances at the basket and that hurt us."
The Wells duo of Emily and Ericka Pengally gave McDermitt fits on the day, with Emily Pengally scoring the first five points of the game and contest.
After going two minutes without a point, Sharon Sherburn gave McDermitt its first basket to relieve early jitters. Fellow senior Staheli Wilkinson added eight points, including two 3-point field goals in the opening quarter to tie the game at 14-14. The Pengally twins combined for 12 of Wells' 14 points in the first period.
The two squads spent time trading baskets in the second quarter, with Sherburn scoring the first six points of the period for McDermitt. However, moments after tying the game at 20-20, Sherburn excited the contest after picking up her third foul. The Leopards took advantage of her absence and went on a quick 6-0 run and went into the half with a 28-22 lead.
Wilkinson, who finished with a team-high 18 points in her final game as a Lady Bulldog, netted the first four points of the third quarter to cut the deficit to 28-26. But just 40 seconds later, Sherburn picked up her fourth foul and was forced to the bench for the final six minutes of the third quarter.
Wilkinson scored 10 of McDermitt's 13 points in the third period, with freshman Andrea Smart nailing a 3-point field goal as well. Wilkinson also picked up her fourth foul with a minute left in the third period, with the Lady Bulldogs trailing 43-35.
"I thought Staheli played phenomenal," added the coach. "She played her guts out and she made a run at player of the year in that game."
A 3-point field goal by freshman Va Draunidalo brought McDermitt to within seven points, at 45-38, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but the Lady Bulldogs scored just three points in the next six minutes as the Leopards built a 58-41 lead.
"We just ran out of gas at the end," Wilkinson said. "They wore us down in the end. The best team is going to state in Las Vegas, no ifs ands or buts about it. The loss to Eureka to end the regular season may have cost us a trip to Las Vegas, but we ended the year on a high note. My girls stepped up and played a great game."
Sherburn and Smart added 12 points apiece for McDermitt, Lydia Northrup had eight and Draunidalo three.
Some would consider McDermitt's 42-33 win over Virginia City in the quarterfinals an upset. The Lady Bulldogs came in as the No. 3 seed from the East Division, while the Muckers were second in the West Division, with their only losses to Mineral County.
McDermitt never trailed and led by as many as 16 points in the third quarter.
"We knew exactly what they had and we had a bunch of scouting reports on them," Wilkinson said. "We knew they were going to use a half-court trap on us and we didn't handle it as well as I thought we would. We got better. We knew their guards were a little suspect and we gave them some problems. Going in, we knew Virginia City didn't respect us and I think they felt they would beat us."
McDermitt (15-8) netted points from Northrup, Smart, Sherburn and Wilkinson and jumped out to a 7-2 advantage. Wilkinson found herself in foul trouble, collecting two in the first two minutes of the game but stayed out of trouble the rest of the night.
The Muckers rallied to tie the game at 14-14, only to see the Lady Bulldogs counter with the final seven points of the first half. Draunidalo began the run and Smart closed it out after putting a missed shot back for a 21-14 advantage at halftime. Virginia City went scoreless in the final six minutes of the second quarter.
"My freshmen walked into the gym at Manogue and were wide-eyed," added the coach. "I thought we were in trouble for a little bit. But we settled down and played some good defense. Anytime you start three freshmen and they get this kind of experience and get a win it is a big thing."
Following a basket by Smart to start the third quarter, Wilkinson added seven points in a row to push the score to 32-18 and did not look back. Virginia City rallied to cut the margin to six points in the fourth quarter, but McDermitt held on for the win behind six points from Smart.
Wilkinson and Smart scored 16 and 14 points, respectively, for the Lady Bulldogs. Northrup added seven, Sherburn four and Draunidalo two.
"We did our best to give it away," Wilkinson said. "But the girls held their composure at the end. The freshmen are already fun to watch, but they will be a good group when they are seniors."
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