MINDEN -- Earlier this week, Werner Christen said he regarded Reno High School as the team to beat coming into the start of the Northern 4A girls basketball season. It's just that the Douglas coach obviously hoped to see that prediction unfold on another night.
No such luck.
Reno came into the Douglas gym and led virtually all the way en route to a Sierra League season-opening 62-37 victory in a showdown between teams that expect to contend for state tournament berths this season.
Reno, now 9-5 overall and 1-0 in league, won the 4A state championship in 2001. Douglas, 9-4 and 0-1, was the state tournament runner-up last season.
"Tonight was a measuring stick for us," Christen said. "and we have a long ways to go."
The Huskies knew they would need to play well to begin their league season on a winning note, according to coach Craig Campbell.
"We didn't play pretty, but we played hard and that's all I can ask of them," Campbell said. "We have so much respect for the Douglas players and coaching staff, we know we have to bring our best intensity out here, otherwise we're going to get blown away."
Sophomore MacKenzie Butler had 15 points to lead a balanced attack in which 10 players scored. Elizabeth Fox also scored 12 and sophomore guard Kaylan King had 10, including a pair of 3-pointers for the Huskies during their game-breaking 18-8 second quarter.
The Huskies managed to win on a night when center Jessica Stewart, the 2002 Sierra League Player of the Year, only scored two.
"They did a good job of shutting down Jessica," Campbell said. "That's what every team is going to try and do, but Jessica did a good job against the double teams, she was able to get the ball to open teammates, and fortunately, we had people step up and play well."
Emily Haas had 17 points to lead all scorers for Douglas. Julie Gingrich also scored eight.
"Emily played hard," Christen said. "She had to have been in double digits in rebounds."
