Battle Mountain’s Lewis Strong wins the tip to start Thursday’s home game against Pershing County.
When you’re hot, you’re scorching hot and the Battle Mountain High School boys basketball team may have been even hotter in its home debut against Pershing County on Thursday night.
The Longhorns knocked down 10, 3-point field goals in the first half, in scoring 52 points and finished with 15 in a 79-50 win over the Mustangs.
Senior guard Blake Stuart made six of those 3-pointers and finished with a game-high 24 points. Zayne Hall added three 3-pinters and finished with 14 points.
Pershing County’s Michael Reitz dribbles to the basket, as he is guarded by Battle Mountain’s Adan Nevarez.
A 3-pointer by Aaron Kienbaum gave Pershing County its only lead of the night at 3-2, when a steal and lay-up by Brodie Smith and a 3-pointer from Adan Nevarez pushed the Battle Mountain advantage to 13-5.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Surat and Hall gave the Longhorns a 21-7 lead, which was cut to 21-11 and the end of the opening quarter.
In what looked like a 4x100-meter relay race, the two rivals combined for 66 points in the second quarter.
Aided by a 3-pointer from Chase Lutz and bucket from Nevarez, the Longhorns jumped out to a 28-11 advantage. Pershing County’s Efrain Aceves stopped the run with an old-fashioned 3-point play.
Battle Mountain’s Chase Baum dribbled the ball up the floor for the Longhorns.
The hot shooting continued, as Stuart made three more 3-pointers and as well as two regular baskets to increase the lead to 42-18.
Battle Mountain made seven 3-pointers in its 29-point quarter, including a shot from Giovanni Ruvalcaba in the final seconds of the first half.
The halftime break didn’t cool the Longhorns off, as Ruvalcaba and Stuart hit back-to-back shots from long distance and Lewis Strong added an old-fashioned 3-point play to up the advantage to 61-38.
Nevarez added his second field goal from beyond the arc and baskets by Hall and Daniel Andrade at the end of third quarter gave Battle Mountain a 70-38 lead.
Pershing County’s Trenton Rhodes fights for a loose ball with Battle Mountain’s Lewis Strong.
Nevarez joined Stuart and Hall in double figures with 11 points, Smith scored nine, Ruvalcaba eight, Chase Baum five, Strong four and Lutz three.
Efrain Aceves and Rhodes finished with 14 and 11 points, respectively.
Reitz netted eight points, Izayuh Mcgolthin six and Kienbuam five.
Pershing County dropped to 2-8 overall and 1-2 in the Northern 2A and played West Wendover on Friday.
Results were not available at press time.
The Mustangs travel to Yerington on Jan. 3 at 7:30 p.m. and host North Tahoe on Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m.
Battle Mountain improved to 7-5 overall and 2-1 in the Northern 2A.
The Longhorns hosted Coral Academy on Friday and results were not available due to early print deadlines.
Battle Mountain travels to West Wendover on Jan. 3 and hosts Silver Stage on Jan. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Sierra Lutheran on Jan. 6 at 3:30 p.m.