Fallon's Ryan Stockard and the Greenwave returns to the court for a Northern Division I-A game at Truckee today. Fallon also plays at Douglas on Saturday.
Fallon got the win it had to have.
Going against Spring Creek and powerhouse Elko, the Greenwave split their weekend slate. Fallon dropped the Spartans, 54-36, and were thumped by Elko, 62-41.
Slow offensive starts, though, limited the Wave’s production in both games. Against Spring Creek, Fallon scored just two points in the first quarter, but the shooting soon heated up.
The Wave’s offense put up 15 points in the second quarter, and the defense held firm. In fact, Fallon allowed just 12 points in the first half and limited Spring Creek’s second-chance opportunities.
“We had to make sure we win the game we won against Spring Creek,” Barton said.
Leading the way for Fallon was junior guard Ryan Stockard, who scored 14 and 13 points, respectively, against the Elko County schools. Sophomore guard Connor Richardson had his best offensive output of the season with 14 points against Spring Creek, while junior forward Jeff Evett scored eight in each game.
“Defense is always going to be there,” Barton said. “That’s what we hound on these guys, if you’re not doing offensively, you’re going to do it defensively. We stayed in that game defensively.”
Defensively, though, Fallon grinded out a solid effort against the Spartans. But Elko was a different animal.
The Indians held Fallon to 12 points in the first half and led by as many as 36 en route to their fifth consecutive win. Elko, who steamrolled Fernley, 70-30, on Friday, sits at 2-0 in league play and has yet to be challenged this season.
The Indians blitzed the Greenwave early with pinpoint perimeter shooting as Elko drained seven 3-pointers in the first half. Brian Pearson nailed three 3s, while Nathan Klekas and Brandon Jenkins each had two. Jenkins added two more 3s in the third quarter.
“Elko, obviously, has a ton of weapons. We wanted them to shoot the ball form the perimeter, and they shot the ball from the perimeter.”
All three finished in double figures as Klekas had a game-high 16 points followed by Pearson with 13 and Jenkins with 12.
“We had a good first half,” Elko coach Chris Klekas said. “We made some shots. When you make shots, it’s easier and makes your offense look a lot better.
Fallon, meanwhile, struggled offensively and could not find its rhythm. Stockard scored seven of Fallon’s 12 points in the first half and finished with a team-high 13 points.
“I think we played a little timid,” Barton said. “We want to play good basketball teams and that will elevate us.”
Looking forward, Fallon has a significant break before suiting up again. The Wave do not play until Jan. 3 at Truckee.
Despite the hiatus, Barton said he was pleased with the effort of his bench and how each player contributed in some fashion.
“When we go into our bench, we don’t lose a lot,” he added. “Our motion is a little stagnant. We just have to box out and rebound a little bit better.”