MCDERMITT — It was an interesting Friday night in McDermitt to say the least.
A week after opening the Eastern 1A season at Wells, the McDermitt High School girls basketball were back at home for just the second time this season to host that same Wells team.
The Leopards won the first meeting 44-42 and had to hold on after a McDermitt rally to win 56-43 with just two Lady Bulldogs on the floor at the end of the game. McDermitt has just six players on the roster and three fouled out of the contest while another was on the bench due to an injury.
McDermitt got off to a slow start on the night, scoring just two points in 13 plus minutes in the contest. A field goal by Katie Crutcher four minutes into the game tied the score at 2-2, with Wells scoring the final four to lead 6-2 after eight minutes of play.
The offensive struggles continued for the Lady Bulldogs, as the Leopards increased the advantage to 13-2 with five minutes left in the first half.
McDermitt ended its scoreless streak at the time with a bucket by Takayla Antonio and a layup by Katie Crutcher off a Wells turnover. Crutcher added a 3-pointer to close the gap to six points at 17-11, but Wells eventually led 19-11 at halftime. Crutcher (seven points) and Antonio (four) were the only McDermitt scorers in the first half.
“We just came out so slow and with no intensity,” said MHS coach April Wilson. “The girls are still working on their cohesiveness and working together. We are realizing that everyone needs to score on a six-man team. We are still learning.”
The Leopards broke the game open with the first nine points of the third quarter to go in front 28-11, as the Lady Bulldogs were scoreless for the first four minutes of the second half until an old-fashioned 3-point play by Cayla Crutcher. Wells led by 20 points at one time in the third quarter at 38-18.
After scoring just 20 points through the first 24 minutes of play, McDermitt finally caught fire on offense, aided by its pressing defense and Wells had trouble controlling the ball and scoring.
“We have made a few changes,” Wilson said. “I took Katie out of the point guard role and gave it to a freshman. I am just looking to get Katie, one of our best scorers, some more opportunities to score. Right choice or not, we just did silly stuff with turnovers and fouls. We just ran out gas. I was proud of the girls, they never quit.”
A put back basket by Jasmine Northrup after a missed free throw closed the gap to 40-24 and Crutcher added two quick baskets to trim the lead to 12 points at 40-28. With just over four minutes to play, Wells missed the front end of a 1-and-1 at the free throw line and McDermitt countered with two free throws by Crutcher to bring McDermitt within 10 points at 40-30 to cap off a 10-2 run.
The lead ballooned to 45-30 with under four minutes to play after a technical foul on Wilson. The technical foul did its job to fire up McDermitt, as Northrup converted a 3-point play and added basket moments later. A basket by Crutcher with three minutes to play cut the gap to 45-37.
In a wild couple final minutes that saw Rylee Wilkinson, Northrup and Crutcher foul out and Antonio leave due to an injury, McDermitt did its best to play with Wells as the number of players shrunk.
Crutcher led McDermitt with 18 points, Northrup added 12, Antonio nine and Cayla Crutcher four.
Lady Bulldogs
rout Jaguars
McDermitt took out its frustrations a day later on Jackpot beating the Jaguars 59-12 to improve to 1-2 in the Eastern 1A and 7-5 overall.
The Lady Bulldogs used a 20-0 run in the first quarter and scored 30 points in the opening eight minutes of the contest to cruise to the win. The Jaguars are back on the floor after missing last year due to a lack of players. Jackpot has six players on its roster and four of them are freshmen.
The contest was played with a running clock from late in the second quarter to the finish. McDermitt held Jackpot scoreless in the second and third quarters, building a 50-6 lead.
Northrup and Katie Crutcher led the way with 23 and 22 points, respectively. Cayla Crutcher added six points, Antonio four and Wilkinson two.
McDermitt sets out on a four-game road trip that starts Friday in Carlin at 6 p.m.
The Lady Bulldogs travel to Owyhee on Saturday for a 1 p.m. tip and move to Eureka on Friday, Jan. 24, at 6 p.m. The road trip concludes on Saturday, Feb. 1, in Jackpot at 1 p.m.
McDermitt returns home on Tuesday, Feb. 6, to play Jordan Valley, Ore., at 4 p.m.
“It’s a learning experience for us,” Wilson said. “We are still looking for that one leader. We are still getting better everyday. We have to be ready to go in these next couple games.”
