Local sports roundup: Tigers hang tough early before Reno pulls away

For six minutes on Friday night, the Douglas High girls basketball team scrapped right with two-time defending state champion Reno.

But then towering Mallory McGwire and the Reno Huskies stepped on the accelerator and took off en route to a 61-28 victory in the Northern Division I Region Tournament semifinals at Carson High School.

By winning, Reno (25-3) advanced to a 4 p.m. game today against Bishop Manogue in the tournament finals at Morse Burley Gymnasium. Reno defeated Manogue in the region finals in 2013 and ’14.

Douglas (22-6) led 10-7 after Maddy Lowe knocked down a jumper with 2:02 to go in the first quarter. The Huskies then embarked on a 14-3 run during a 10-minute span to build a 21-13 halftime advantage. They continued that momentum after the intermission with a 27-point outburst in the third quarter to break the game wide open. The Huskies held a 48-22 lead at the end of three quarters.

McGwire, a 6-foot-4 junior post player, scored eight of her game-high 22 points in the third quarter. She finished the night with 10 rebounds and 10 blocked shots.

Freshman guard Mikayla Shults also scored 11 points, including a 3-pointer. Junior point guard Daranda Hinkey also scored eight, including a pair of 3-pointers.

With time winding down at the end of the first quarter, Hinkey sank a 22-footer for 3 points that put the Huskies on top, 12-10. They never trailed again.

Corryne Millett, Leonna Mortimer and Lowe finished with eight points each to lead Douglas offensively. Mortimer knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, including a shot from the top of the key that gave the Tigers a 6-5 lead midway through the first quarter.

The Tigers were hindered by 23 turnovers, 15 of which came in the first half.

MINERS COAST TO WIN

Bishop Manogue scored 21 of the game’s first 23 points and cruised to an easy 72-40 semifinal win over Reed Friday at Morse Burley Gymnasium.

Manogue, the Sierra League winner, advances to today’s title game at 4 against the Reno Huskies.

Manogue’s pressure proved to be too much for the Raiders.

Reed turned the ball over on its first six possessions, and Manogue turned each of the mistakes into a basket for a 12-0 lead.

Breezi Holt, who finished with 17 points, had three baskets in that opening surge.

After Reed’s Nakiyah LeSure scored, Manogue scored nine straight for a 21-2 lead with about three minutes left in the opening quarter. Tawni Henderson’s 3-pointer started the surge and Holt’s bucket ended it. Manogue led 28-6 after one quarter, and the Raiders never cut the deficit under 20 the rest of the way.

Henderson backed Holt’s effort with 13 of her own. LeSure led Reed with 13 and Taylor Johnson added eight.

VC BOYS WIN

Virginia City led by as many as 22 points on its way to clinching a berth in the state tournament in a 50-35 over Eureka.

The Muckers will play Whittell for the regional title at 1 p.m. today at Spring Creek. Both VC and Whittell have advanced to the state tournament.

VC took control of the game by outscoring Eureka 19-4 in the second quarter to take a 32-17 lead.

Eureka had four players averaging in double figures, but VC held all of those players to single digits.

Clint Hess scored 23 points for the Muckers.

BASEBALL

WNC WINS

HENDERSON — Scenic West Athletic Conference teams are quickly discovering just how commanding the top of Western Nevada College’s starting rotation is.

A day after WNC ace Max Karnos no-hit College of Southern Idaho for six innings, Western Nevada College freshman left-hander Matt Young held Salt Lake Community College hitless for 6 1/3 innings in the Wildcats’ 4-1 nonconference baseball victory Friday in Henderson.

“The key was commanding both sides of the plate with his fastball. He pitched well to the right-handed hitters and that made his secondary pitches better,” said WNC coach D.J. Whittemore.

Young (3-1) finished with a one-hitter after surrendering a one-out triple to Austin Ovard in the seventh inning. He struck out eight and walked one before handing the ball to closer Connor Zwetsch. Zwetsch, who bulldozed his way through second-ranked College of Southern Nevada’s lineup in the final two innings on Wednesday, retired the Bruins in order in the eighth and ninth innings to earn his third save.

Over the past 19 innings, WNC pitchers have allowed just two hits and one earned run while fanning 19. Whittemore said it’s the first time the Wildcats have received back-to-back one-hitters in the 10-year existence of the program.

Salt Lake sophomore right-hander Chris Bradford was just as effective as Young. Bradford (2-2) held the Wildcats hitless through four innings, but the defense behind him was shaky as the Bruins committed four errors.

Bradley Lewis’ single through the right side of the infield with one out in the fifth inning provided the Wildcats with their first hit. Both Lewis and Jon Guzman, who was hit by a pitch, came around to score when second baseman Michael Macove made an error on D.J. Peters’ liner.

Bradford was also lifted after seven innings. He left with a one-hitter and 10 strikeouts.

The Wildcats seemingly missed an opportunity to tally an insurance run in the eighth. Austin Andrews greeted reliever Jacob Dirkson with a base hit but was erased when he tried to steal second base. However, David Modler was hit by a pitch and Jake Bennett followed with his second home run in three days to power WNC to a 4-1 lead.

“It was absolutely game-changing,” Whittemore said. “J.B. bailed me out. I started Andrews on a 3-1 count, and their coach outguessed me, and they picked him off.”

Bennett has reached base in all 14 of WNC’s games this season.

WNC (8-6) will conclude its four-game trip to Henderson when it will play College of Eastern Utah at 1 p.m. today. It will be the Wildcats’ final nonconference game before opening SWAC play Feb. 26 at CSI.

WHITT WINS

RENO — Carson High graduate Adam Whitt was the winning pitcher for Nevada in its dramatic come-from-behind 9-8 win over Fresno State on Friday at Peccole Park.

Whitt pitched two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out one. Nevada overcame a 7-1 deficit to improve to 5-0 on the season.