RENO -- The difference in this game was simple: McQueen took care of the ball and Galena didn't.
Not surprisingly, McQueen went home with a 53-33 High Desert League girls basketball victory on Tuesday night in a game that saw the host Grizzlies turn the ball over 23 times.
Galena only got off one shot on its first nine possessions of the night as McQueen (5-2, 9-9) took a lead it never relinquished against the Grizzlies (4-3, 12-9) in a battle between playoff contenders.
Traci Graham scored nine points in the first quarter and stole the ball four times in the opening four minutes to help set the tone for the Lancers. Graham, a junior point guard, finished with 13 points, seven steals and five assists.
Cristi Crofts led all scorers with 16 points for McQueen, eight of which came in the third quarter when the Lancers extended a 30-24 lead to 40-27.
Jenn Molinari led Galena with 10 points. Joanna Hixon had eight points and nine rebounds for the Grizzlies.
Galena faces another important test on Friday on the road against Fallon (6-1), which remained in first-place with a narrow 64-62 win against Reed on Tuesday.
