Battle Mountain knocked out of regional tournament

INCLINE VILLAGE — After picking up a 63-43 win over Pershing County in the opening day of the Northern 2A Regional championships at Incline High School, the Battle Mountain High School boys basketball team had its season come to an end on Friday night with a 63-46 loss to West Wendover.

The Longhorns finished the season at 12-12, while West Wendover went on to win the Northern 2A title over Incline. Battle Mountain will graduate six seniors.

BMHS 63, 

PCHS 43

In the final week of the regular season, Battle Mountain lost by 20 points to Pershing County in Lovelock. The Longhorns turned the tables on the Mustangs, grabbing a double-digit lead in the opening eight minutes of play.

Pershing County led once at 3-2 with a 3-pointer but that was it, as Battle Mountain went on a 9-2 run off two baskets by Boden Machado, a hoop by Jr Vazquez and a 3-pointer from Blake Stuart. 

Stuart hit a second 3-pointer near the end of the quarter to give the Longhorns a 17-7 lead after a period of play. 

Stuarts third 3-pointer, early in the second quarter stretched the lead to 22-10 and after a pair of baskets by Vazquez and a 3-pointer from Machado, the advantage ballooned to 33-15 and the Longhorns settled for a 33-20 halftime lead.

Vazquez got in the long distance shooting, with a 3-pointer of his own in the third quarter and a fourth shot from long distance pushed the gap to 49-29.

Pershing County closed the gap to 51-34, when Dennis Wahl converted an old-fashioned 3-point play and Machado hit a shot to push the lead back to 56-34.

Stuart finished the night with a game-high 20 points, Vazquez added 18, Machado nine, Wahl eight, Sean Bengoa four, Braden Wahrenburg two and Lewis Strong and Daniel Andrade one each.

West Wendover 63, BMHS 46

The win put Battle Mountain a victory away from the trip to the state tournament, but they would have to get through top-seeded West Wendover.

The Wolverines defeated the Longhorns twice in the regular season and won for a third time in Friday’s semifinal in Incline.