WINNEMUCCA - Out of the nine Tri-County games played on Saturday, the Winnemucca Junior High School seventh-grade boys basketball team was featured in two of the most exciting.
The Warriors (7-12 overall, 5-4 Tri-County) opened the day against McDermitt and were defeated 36-32 by the Cougars. Winnemucca won the first matchup on Friday, Nov. 18, by a point in McDermitt and easily handled the short-handed Cougars a week ago in Battle Mountain.
Winnemucca bounced back to beat Pershing County 35-19, but dropped a heartbreaker, 35-30, in overtime to Battle Mountain to close out the day.
McDermitt raced to a 10-2 advantage in the first quarter on the strength of four points each by Cauy Crutcher and Troy McKee. Domonick Solis made a pair of free throws for the only points in the first quarter for the Warriors.
Winnemucca battled back in the second period behind four points from Brayden Jensen to cut the margin to a point. Steven Bosch, Ren Mattson and Solis each had two points in the second quarter for Winnemucca. Brent Wilson and Crutcher each had baskets for the Cougars to keep the McDermitt lead at 14-13 at halftime.
Trailing 18-14 in the third quarter, Winnemucca picked up six consecutive points off of baskets by Nathan Kepler and Jensen and two free throws by Bosch.
Winnemucca scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter and had a chance to increase the lead to 29-22, but missed a layup. That missed shot changed all the momentum as McDermitt roared back to take the lead at 30-27 after eight consecutive points by Cauy Crutcher. Crutcher had a game-high 18 points.
The Cougars were solid from the free throw line in the final minute as Crutcher and Troy McKee were 6-for-6 from the charity stripe.
Jensen led Winnemucca with 10 points, Peyton Capellen five (all in the fourth quarter), Bosch and Solis four each and Braden Thomas and Mattson finished with two points apiece.
Winnemucca had little time to think about the loss as it was right back on the floor to face Pershing County. The Colts jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but it was all Warriors after that.
Jensen (seven) and Solis (six) combined for all 13 Winnemucca points in the second quarter, helping the Warriors to a 13-9 advantage at halftime. Winnemucca continued to pull away in the second half as Capellen scored four points in the third quarter and Dalton Irons, Thomas and Mattson each had a bucket to give the Warriors a 23-13 lead.
Jensen and Kepler combined for 10 points in the final six minutes, helping Winnemucca pull away.
Jensen and Solis led the Warriors with 13 and eight points, respectively. Capellen and Kepler added four points each and Irons, Thomas and Mattson had two points apiece.
In the first week of the season, Winnemucca and Battle Mountain played a three-overtime game with the Shorthorns coming out on top. The Shorthorns won the next three games in successive weeks. The two schools gave the fans another exciting overtime game on Saturday.
Behind nine points from Jensen, the Warriors held a 15-13 lead at halftime. The game went back-and-forth from that point on.
Winnemucca maintained a two-point advantage entering the fourth quarter and picked up nine points from Bosch in the final six minutes of regulation. Bosch made 1-of-2 free throws with seconds to play in the game, giving the Warriors a 30-29 lead.
Battle Mountain was able to tie the game on a free throw with five seconds to play. Winnemucca's last-second shot was off, sending the game into overtime.
In the extra period, the Warriors were held without a free throw and the Shorthorns scored the final five points to secure the victory.
Jensen and Bosch paced Winnemucca with 12 and 11 points, respectively. Kepler scored five points and Cole Smith two.
Winnemucca travels to Fallon today for a 3:15 tipoff. The Warriors conclude their season on Friday in Lovelock for the Tri-County championships at Pershing County High School starting at 9 a.m.
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