PCHS volleyball goes ‘mind over matter’
After struggling the past few years, the McDermitt High School boys basketball team had one of its best seasons since the 2016-17 group won 18 games.
The Bulldogs advanced to the semifinals in the 1A East Regional Championship but were knocked off by Eureka 41-33 to see their season end.
McDermitt finished the year 12-10, its first winning in eight years. In the opening game of the tournament, McDermitt blew past Jackpot 82-63.
McDermitt 82, Jackpot 63
McDermitt raced out to a 9-o start after an opening 3-pointer from Dylan Palmer, a pair of buckets by Warrick Crutcher and a short shot from Shandon Camas. A 3-pointer by Crutcher pushed the advantage to 14-4 and the Bulldogs settled for a 19-8 lead after eight minutes of play.
Palmer and Chris Scott knocked down 3-pointers early in the second quarter to push the lead to 26-18, only to see the Jaguars keep within striking distance.
Scott scored eight of the Bulldogs’ 15 points in the second quarter but a late 3-pointer by Jackpot closed the gap to 33-30 at the break.
The Jaguars closed within a bucket at 37-35 in the third quarter when Crutcher knocked down a 3-pointer, followed by an old-fashioned 3-point play by Scott to give McDermitt an nine-point lead at 46-37.
A late 3-pointer by Palmer and a basket by Camas pushed the advantage to double digits at 57-43.
McDermitt put the contest out of reach with a 25-point fourth quarter.
The Bulldogs opened a 19-point lead at 68-49 after two baskets by Camas, a 3-pointer by Crutcher and a bucket by Trevor Smart.
The Jaguars provided one last score and trimmed the gap to 69-59, when Camas added three baskets from close range to complete the win.
Camas scored 22 of his game-high 32 points in the second half, with Crutcher adding 16 and Scott 15. Palmer scored nine points, Smart eight and AJ Farmer three.
The entire team returns next year with no seniors on the roster.