Lady Wave comes back to defeat 4A Manogue

The Lady Wave basketball team continued thriving on the 4A portion of its schedule last week.

After going 2-1 in the season-opening tournament, Fallon took care of Bishop Manogue on Thursday in its first home game of the year at the Elmo Dericco Gymnasium. The Lady Wave, which took down the Miners 52-46, hosted Truckee on Tuesday in its first Northern 3A game of the year. Fallon hosts North Valleys on Saturday.

Fallon jumped out quickly in the first quarter, outscoring Manogue, 15-7, before the Miners closed the gap to two points at halftime (24-22). Manogue took the lead in the third quarter, 34-33, but Fallon came back with a 19-point fourth quarter for the six-point win.

The senior trio of Leilani and Leta Otuafi and Kenna Hamlin powered the Lady Wave, which had a rough night shooting from the floor (28 percent).

Leilani Otuafi led the team in scoring with 16 points on 4 of 17 attempts while Leta Otuafi shot 40 percent from the field for 13 points. Hamlin scored 12 points on 4 of 13 attempts. Leilani Otuafi and Hamlin also hit a pair of 3-pointers.

Senior Chandler McAlexander was strong in the key with eight rebounds and tied a team-lead in steals with three as Fallon created 16 turnovers on steals. Leta Otuafi also had seven rebounds and two steals, while Leilani Otuafi recorded six reports and two steals. Senior Alexis Jarrett and Hamlin each had three steals, and junior Mackenzee Moretto had two steals. Leilani Otuafi led in assists with eight as the Lady Wave won the assist (12-8) and steals (16-9) battles.

In the Reno tournament two weeks ago, Fallon knocked off Damonte Ranch and Spanish Springs but fell to powerhouse Reno.

In the team’s 66-29 win over Damonte, the Otuafi cousins stole the show with a combined 33 points. Leta Otuafi led the team with 17 points on 7 of 11 from the floor while Leilani Otuafi scored 16 on 7 of 9 from the field. Hamlin scored eight points, Whitaker added six, McAlexander had six and Rogne finished with five. All but two players scored.

Leilani Otuafi led the team in rebounds with eight total followed by Leta Otuafi with five and Hitchcock with three. Hamlin led with seven steals.

Reno, which went to the state tournament last year, needed a big finish to prevent the upset, just like last season. The Huskies defeated the Greenwave, 73-63, after Fallon closed the gap to a point after the third quarter.

Leilani Otuafi, who committed to BYU, tied a game-high with 23 points and seven steals, and Leta Otuafi scored 16. Whitaker scored 10 ppints and Hamlin added eight. Hamlin and Leta Otuafi each sunk a pair of 3-pointers and Leilani Otuafi had one. Otuafi was also one rebound from completing a double-double, Whitaker had seven total rebounds and Leta Otuafi grabbed six boards.

In the final game of the tournament, Fallon defeated Spanish Springs, 48-40, for the second time in two years.

Leilani Otuafi led in scoring with 16 points and Leta Otuafi had 14 to with 16 rebounds to complete a double-double. Whitaker scored nine points and Hamlin finished with one 3-pointer. Nine of Leilani Otuafi’s points came from long distance while Whitaker buried one 3-pointer.

Just like the Reno game, Leilani Otuafi was one rebound shy of a double-double while Whitaker had eight. Leilani also led the team in steals with six.