The Battle Mountain High School girls basketball team took on league giant and undefeated White Pine this past Friday in Battle Mountain.
The Lady Longhorn earned a Goliath victory before the regional tournament, with a 64-59 win over the Bobcats.
Battle Mountain head coach Paul Tremayne led his team out on to the basketball court facing a tough and talented Bobcats team. White Pine came into the contest with a record of 21-0 overall and 11-0 in league play. Earlier in the season, the Lady Bobcats blew out the Lady Longhorns by a final score of 40-22 in White Pine.
Battle Mountain changed the narrative Friday night, outworking White Pine for rebounds, loose basketballs and taking advantage of offensive opportunities. The Lady Longhorns’ Sruti Bhakta nearly completed a triple-double, scoring 22 points, tossing 11 assists and grabbing six steals in the contest.
Despite her foul trouble, senior Paige Ripley scorched the Bobcats down the stretch with 16 points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, Grace Melver continued to score points in bunches adding another 18 points to her season total. Melver also played a significant role on the defensive side of the ball with five steals and five rebounds against the taller White Pine squad.
The first quarter ended in a 10-10 tie, before White Pine took advantage of some Battle Mountain mistakes to take a 28-23 lead at the half. The Lady Longhorns responded in the third quarter outscoring the Bobcats 18-11 to retake the lead.
Late in the fourth, Battle Mountain maintained its lead and capitalized on their free throw opportunities. The free throw shooting helped the Lady Longhorns earn the five-point victory.
“The girls had a great weekend and played their best game of the season versus White Pine,” said BMHS coach Tremayne. “They had beaten us up at their place, but the girls played hard and shot the ball well. That is a big win for us, proves to us that we can play with anyone in our league.”
Coming off the emotional win from the night before, Battle Mountain refocused its efforts against Coral Academy of Reno on Saturday afternoon.
The Falcons did not receive the benefit of a Longhorn let down, as Battle Mountain started quickly once again.
“Versus Coral academy, the girls jumped out to a 10-0 lead and never looked back,” Tremayne said. “Our team is excited for our last home game and senior night against West Wendover with the regional tournament right around the corner.”
The Longhorns held the Falcons to only seven points in the game. Melver lead the Longhorns with 12 points, with Drue Domagala and Bhakta each scoring six. Bhakta also led the team in steals with five, leading the Longhorns to a 36-7 victory over the Falcons.
With the victories, the Lady Longhorns earned their 20th win of the season bringing the record to 20-5 and 12-1 in the league. The victory over White Pine currently puts Battle Mountain as the No. 1 seed. However, if the Bobcats win out, they still hold the tie-breaker.
