WINNEMUCCA - The Winnemucca Junior High School eighth-grade boys basketball team continues to show signs of improvement, with three victories in four games last week.
The Warriors (2-0 Tri-County League, 7-5 overall) opened Tri-County play in McDermitt on Friday, Nov. 16, and claimed two wins. Winnemucca beat Pershing County 43-25 and Battle Mountain 32-16.
Winnemucca returned home on Saturday to face Eagle Valley and Battle Mountain and split the two matchups. The Eagles defeated the Warriors 20-17, with Winnemucca coming back to beat the Shorthorns 40-26.
"We continue to improve every week," said WJHS eighth-grade coach K.C. Kracaw. "We are a much different team than we were at the beginning of the season. I have gotten compliments on how much we have improved. As a coach that is nice to hear."
Winnemucca needed four 3-point field goals in the first half against Pershing County to stay in the contest. Jed Teichert scored five of the Warriors' seven points in the first period, only to see the Colts still lead 8-7.
Winnemucca scored nine points in the second quarter, all on 3-point field goals, including two by Dustin Gray and another by Joe Taylor to give the Warriors a 16-15 advantage at halftime.
Jacob Hernandez scored 13 of his game-high 15 points in the second half as the Warriors outscored the Colts 27-10.
Taylor joined him in double figures with 11 points, Teichert added seven, Dustin Gray six and Canyon Ricketts and Isaac Ramos two each.
Winnemucca had little trouble with Battle Mountain in McDermitt, with Bryan Ramos (15) and Teichert (13) combining for 28 of Winnemucca's 33 points.
The Warriors shut out the Shorthorns in the first six minutes of play and held a 16-3 lead at halftime. Darrin Nelson and Donavyn Morris each had two points and Taylor finished with one point.
Winnemucca could not hold on to an early lead against Eagle Valley as the Eagles allowed the Warriors to score just six points in the second half, erasing a four-point halftime lead by Winnemucca.
The Warriors held an 11-7 advantage at the halftime break, but were outscored 10-2 in the third period. Winnemucca was still in striking distance of the victory late in the fourth quarter, but Eagle Valley used a late basket to seal the victory.
"We had our chances to win the game," Kracaw said. "We just had a defensive breakdown at the end of the game that hurt us."
Taylor paced the Warriors with five points, Bryan Ramos and Teichert each had four and Travis Hardy and Hernandez finished with two points apiece.
In the second game in as many days with Battle Mountain, Winnemucca overcame a two-point deficit in the first half and rebounded with a 25-15 run in the second and third quarters to put the game out of reach.
Hernandez and Bryan Ramos led Winnemucca with 14 and eight points, respectively. Teichert scored six points, Morris four, Ricketts two and Taylor one.
Winnemucca is off this weekend with the Thanksgiving holiday, and returns to action on Friday, Nov. 30, in Battle Mountain at 10 a.m.
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