After a two-week break, the Battle Mountain High School girls basketball team was back on its home floor this past weekend for a pair of Northern 2A contests.
Battle Mountain hosted Pershing County on Friday night and held on for a 41-39 victory in a back-and-forth game with its long-time rival. The Lady Longhorns improved to 3-1 in the Northern 2A and 9-4 overall with a 48-44 win over Silver Stage on Saturday afternoon.
After giving up the opening basket to Silver Stage, Battle Mountain controlled much of the first half, before seeing the lead disappear in the second half.
“You are going to see us do that during the year,” said BMHS coach Paul Tremayne. “We go through stretches of a game where we have trouble scoring and turning the ball over. We did that in the third quarter.”
Battle Mountain used a 6-0 run late in the first quarter to lead 11-6 off of baskets by Addi Slaybaugh, Zarina Ceja and Brynlee Freeman.
Ceja started off the second quarter with an old-fashioned 3-point play to start an 8-0 spurt. Freeman added a basket and Slaybaugh two free throws to push the lead to 19-8.
The Nighthawks were held scoreless for the first five minutes of the second quarter, as the Lady Longhorns eventually led 25-16 at halftime.
After struggling for much of the first half on offense, Silver Stage caught fire in the third quarter with the first seven points to cut the deficit to 25-23. A free throw by Kabrie Nield stopped the run for the only point for Battle Mountain through the first four minutes of the third quarter.
The Nighthawks capped off a 13-1 run to go in front 29-26, when the Lady Longhorns tied the game at 29 on a 3-pointer by Brooke Ripley.
Battle Mountain regrouped and hit another 3-pointer and increased the lead to 35-31 after a 3-point play by Ripley. Battle Mountain scored 12 of its 13 points in the third quarter in the final two minuted to go in front 38-35.
Silver Stage did not go away, scoring the first five points of the fourth quarter to lead 40-38, when Isabel Diaz tied the game at 40 with 6:17 to play. Diaz added two free throws with 4:49 to play to put Battle Mountain in front 42-40.
The Nighthawks came back with the next four points to lead 44-42, only to see Diaz tie the game again at 44 with 1:31 to play. The Lady Longhorns had a chance to take the lead late in the game, but missed two free throws. However, Freeman got the rebound off the missed free throw and converted the basket with 70 seconds to play to give Battle Mountain the lead for good.
“Brynlee has really stepped up for us,” Tremayne said. “She has gotten some big rebounds for us.”
Ripley paced Battle Mountain with 10 points, Slaybaugh and Diaz nine each, Ceja seven, Freeman six and Nield three.
On Friday night, Battle Mountain jumped out to an early lead against Pershing County, but could not keep the advantage.
The Lady Longhorns led 14-6 at one point in the first half, only to see the Mustangs come back with layups off of turnovers to go in front 19-18 at halftime. Pershing County scored the final eight points of the first half.
Pershing County led 29-28 in the third quarter, only to see Battle Mountain come back for the win.
Slaybaugh had 14 points, five rebounds and three steals for the Lady Longhorns. Nield added eight points and seven rebounds and Kira Smith had six points.
“It was your typical Lovelock and Battle Mountain game,” added the coach. “It wasn’t the best played game. We gave up a big lead and they gave up a big lead. It was a good win for us. The girls played hard and competed.”
Battle Mountain hosted Wells in a non-conference game on Tuesday and results were not available at press time.
The Lady Longhorns travel to West Wendover on Friday for a 6 p.m. tip and are in Ely on Saturday to play White Pine at 2 p.m.
