WINNEMUCCA - The Winnemucca Junior High School seventh-grade girls basketball team continues to rack up the wins in the early part of the season.
The Warriors picked up five victories over the last three days, while experiencing their first tough contest of the year. Winnemucca (3-0, Tri-County, 7-0 overall) made its home debut on Thursday and defeated Fallon 40-9. The Warriors traveled to McDermitt on Friday and picked up three wins, defeating McDermitt 37-16, Pershing County 28-26 and Battle Mountain 35-1. The busy weekend concluded on Saturday afternoon, with Winnemucca beating Eagle Valley 38-20.
"We had a 12-point lead against Pershing County, but they made some 3-point shots in the fourth quarter and got back in to the game," said WJHS head coach Larry Renteria. "We had some trouble rotating on defense, but it was a good game for us. That was the first close game we have had all year. It was a fun game to be a part of."
As it was in the first meeting of the season, Winnemucca dominated Fallon from the start, holding the Greenwave scoreless for nearly 17 minutes. The Warriors raced out to a 9-0 lead in the first quarter off of baskets by Kepa Bengochea, Alyssa Kuskie, Bailey Sapien and Trenna Millikan.
Kuskie and Sapien combined to score eight Winnemucca's 11 points in the second quarter, in helping build a 20-0 halftime advantage.
It was much of the same in the second half as the Warriors scored the first 12 points of the third quarter to lead 32-0. During that stretch, five different players scored for Winnemucca. Fallon finally got on the scoreboard with 1:12 left in the third quarter, only to see Winnemucca answer with two quick baskets by Kuskie and Samantha Diaz. The Warriors' largest lead of the game was at 36-2.
Seven players scored for Winnemucca, led by Kuskie with 12. Sapien scored eight points, Bengochea seven, Millikan five, Diaz four and Tauni Rolando two.
"I get good play from all my girls," Renteria said. "I try to make it as even as possible with playing time. The girls understand we are a team and have a job to do. They all get along and have fun playing basketball."
With the beginning of Tri-County play on Friday, Winnemucca made quick work of McDermitt, outscoring the host school 29-11 in the first half. Kuskie nearly outscored the Cougars by herself in the first quarter. She scored all 13 of her points in the first six minutes of play.
Bengochea added six points, Shelby Garrison, Alily Kliewer, Diaz each scored four points, and Hailey Hinkle, Brittany Jacaway and Millikan finished with two points each.
Winnemucca found itself trailing for the first time this year as Pershing County jumped out to an 8-4 lead in the first quarter. It was a short-lived advantage for the Colts as the Warriors responded with a 19-4 run in the second and third quarters. Winnemucca led 16-9 at halftime, after going on an 11-1 spurt in the second quarter.
The Warriors led by 12 points entering the fourth period, when the Colts got hot from beyond the 3-point line with two long-range baskets. Pershing County eventually closed the gap to two points, but Winnemucca was able to hold on for the win.
Kuskie led all scorers with 11 points, Millikan and Sapien each scored six, Bengochea three and Hinkle two.
Winnemucca nearly posted a shutout against Battle Mountain in its final game in McDermitt. The Warriors held the Shorthorns to no field goals and led 17-0 at halftime. Battle Mountain scored its lone point on a free throw in the third quarter.
Winnemucca had nine players score, with Kuskie leading the way with 10 points. West added five, Diaz, Kliewer and Garrison four each and Megan Miller, Bengochea, Hinkle and Sapien two points each.
Winnemucca was back on its home floor Saturday and had little trouble with Eagle Valley out of Carson City. Behind six points from Bengochea, the Warriors held a 13-1 lead after a quarter of play.
The rout continued through the first 12 minutes of the game as Winnemucca led 25-9 at halftime. The Warriors' advantage never dropped below double figures in the second half on their way to a seventh straight win.
Bengochea paced the Warriors with 11 points, Kuskie scored seven and Garrison six. Diaz and Hinkle each scored four points and Millikan, Sapien and Rolando finished with two each.
Winnemucca travels to Battle Mountain on Friday for the second round of Tri-County play at 10 a.m.
"We still have room to improve," Renteria said. "We have to work on our defense and boxing out on rebounds. We are missing a lot of easy shots and we have to fix that. Everything is coming around for us."
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