The first goal for the McDermitt High School girls basketball team can be checked off, after the Lady Bulldogs completed a perfect 8-0 season in the Eastern 1A with a 57-51 win over Eureka on Friday night in McDermitt.
McDermitt improved to 18-2 on the season and will take the No. 1 seed into this week’s Northern 1A Regional Championship at North Valleys High School in Reno.
The first time the Lady Bulldogs and Vandals played, the contest went into overtime in Eureka. This game was just as close but McDermitt closed out the game before it could get to overtime again.
In back-and-forth battle, McDermitt claimed a one-point lead at 16-15 after eight minutes of play. Eureka turned the tables with the same 16-15 score in the second quarter to tie the game at 31-31.
The Lady Bulldogs’ defense stepped up in the third quarter and held the Vandals to just seven points. That turned out to be the difference in the game, as McDermitt claimed a four-point lead.
The Lady Bulldogs maintained their lead throughout the fourth quarter to complete the season sweep of the Vandals.
McDermitt will look to get back to the state tournament, as it starts its run in the Northern 1A Regional Championship on Thursday against Sierra Lutheran. That game will tip off at 3 p.m. at North Valleys High School in Reno.
Coleville and Eureka are the other two teams in McDermitt’s portion of the bracket. They play at 6:20 p.m. on Thursday at Wooster High School. The winners of the two games play each other on Friday at 3 p.m. at North Valleys High School.
Mineral County (16-0) and Wells (3-5) and Owyhee (5-3) and Smith Valley (12-4) make up the top portion of the bracket. The winners of those games play at 6:20 p.m. on Friday at North Valleys. The championship game is set for noon on Saturday at North Valleys.
The two finalists qualify for the NIAA State Championships to be played at Lawlor Events Center in Reno on Feb. 23-24.
