McDermitt, Lovelock and Pyramid Lake brought their seventh and eighth-grade teams to Winnemucca Junior High School last Saturday to take on the Warriors.
The WJHS eighth-grade girls dispatched McDermitt’s Lady Bulldogs 32-9 behind Kailey Franklin’s eight points.
“The girls were very excited about their first home game, they were ready to play,” said WJHS coach DaraLee Millikan. “We got to try a few things out that we haven’t yet, so it was a successful day. Our season this year has been a positive one. We started out a little bit rocky, but we have gotten better each game. The girls really work hard for me, so that is really nice. They try to help each other as a team to make themselves better each game.”
Winnemucca also crushed the Lovelock eighth-grade squad 47-3. Mia Hernandez had 10 points, with Belen Barocio and Franklin contributing eight points apiece in the victory.
“I like the fun of basketball and playing with friends," WJHS eighth-grader Natalie Albertson said at the game. "Our season is going good; we have only lost one game. If anyone wants to try basketball they should go for it. It is a really fun sport and a fun time playing with your friends.”
The Warriors travelled to Clayton Middle School in Reno on Monday and emerged with a narrow 32-29 win.
Franklin exploded for 16 points in the game.
"Kailey was consistent with her defense and shooting, and all the girls really played excellent defense and never gave up on their offense," Millikan said. "It was very close during the first half, but we came out strong and had a good third quarter, giving us a 10 point lead. Clayton then crept back up on us, getting one point ahead. We really struggled the whole game to get the ball to fall through the hoop, but we hung in there and finally got a couple of shots to fall. It was a nail biter.”
WJHS plays today (Saturday) in Lovelock starting at 9 a.m.
The final games of the year will be Oct. 6 at WJHS at 9 a.m.
“I am really enjoying the season,” Millikan sad. “I’m glad the girls are having some success, they are a great group of girls to work with.”
