Battle Mountain High School’s girls basketball team started last week with a disappointing loss to Wells but rebounded to defeat Incline and North Tahoe this past weekend in league games. The two league victories keep the Longhorns as the second seed for regional playoffs.
Wells knocks off
Battle Mountain
The week started rough for the Lady Longhorns — facing a talented Wells Leopards team which defeated them on their home floor. Sheradyn Slaybaugh did her best to keep the Lady Longhorns in the game, scoring 10 points and leading the team in rebounds with seven. Ultimately, it would not be enough, as the Leopards jumped out to an early lead and held on for a 62-37 win.
“Wells came out very hot, scoring 20 points in the first quarter. They kept up the good shooting, finishing with 10 three-point baskets,” said BMHS head coach Paul Tremayne, “We need to do a better job on defense to bounce back this weekend. Our girls played hard and did some good things against Wells, just wasn’t enough this time.”
Lady Longhorns hold
off Highlanders
This past Friday, the Lady Longhorns bounced back. The team’s three leading offensive threats each scored in double figures against Incline. Sruti Bhakta and Grace Melver each scored 14 points in the game, while Isabella DeAllah added another 11. Bhakta led her team to a victory with her precision passing and quick hands to earn seven assists and five steals against the Highlanders.
The Lady Longhorns were locked in a close game throughout the evening but ultimately pulled away in the final minutes of the game. Battle Mountain defeated the Incline Highlanders by a final score of 47-41.
“The girls played well on the road, and the game was close throughout. It was nice to win on the road against a tough Incline team,” Tremayne said.
BMHS sinks North Tahoe
On Saturday, the road trip continued to North Tahoe, where the Lady Longhorns faced the Lakers. Battle Mountain made easy work of North Tahoe, jumping out to an early lead of 34-11 at halftime.
Freshman guard Brooke Ripley had a game-high 20 points and Melver added another 14 points and eight rebounds to her season total. Much of the second half was played with a running clock under the NIAA 35-point mercy rule. The Lady Longhorns defeated the Lakers by a final score of 64-22. The ladies from Battle Mountain continue to trail the White Pine Bobcats for the top seed in the league.
“We had an excellent weekend on the road and started fast against North Tahoe and never looked back,” Tremayne said, “We have a big league game with Pershing County Tuesday, at home and have to put ourselves in a good spot for the upcoming regional tournament.”
The Lady Longhorns now sit at 15-5 overall and 8-1 in the Northern 2A league. They are currently the second seed for the regional zone tournament, which is right around the corner.
The White Pine Bobcats currently have the No. 1 seed, while upcoming opponent Pershing County sits in third, right behind the Longhorns with a 6-2 league record. The Longhorns are on the road this week to face Silver Stage on Friday and Yerington on Saturday afternoon..
