Lady Wave splits on road

ELKO — The Elko girls basketball team finished its weekend undefeated in league play Saturday after defeating Fallon, 62-56.

On Friday, though, the Lady Wave came out on fire in a 54-34 drubbing over Spring Creek.

Fallon held the Spartans to 25 percent shooting from the field (14-of-55) and forced 33 turnovers. Maddy Merschel led Spring Creek wuth 11 points and eight rebounds.

Ali Tedford led Fallon with 16 points.

On Saturday, Fallon jumped to an early lead, using solid shooting and benefitting from holes in the Elko defense. The Lady Wave led 19-14 after the first period.

Elko outscored Fallon 17-14 in the second period and closed the gap to 33-31 at halftime.

The Lady Indians came out strong in the third period and outscored the Lady Greenwave 15-12 during the frame.

Elko grabbed a one-point 46-45 lead entering the fourth quarter.

The Lady Indians increased their defensive pressure during the second half and were more aggressive on offense, which led to numerous visits to the free-throw line.

Ball pressure was a determining factor in the ballgame. The Lady Indians came away with 14 steals compared to five for Fallon. Desirea Danner led Elko with six thefts, none bigger than her final of the game. With Elko holding a three-point lead late in the fourth quarter, Danner stole the ball along the sideline and streaked to the basket for a layup and gave the Lady Indians just a little more breathing room.

Elko outscored Fallon 16-11 in the fourth quarter and held on for the 62-56 win.

Hailee Simpson and Danner provided most of the Elko offense. Simpson led the Lady Indians with 17 points, and Danner put in 15 points. Danner also led the Lady Indians with three assists. Elko benefitted from timely scoring by Emily Elquist, Marissa Sandoval and Siana Carsrud. Elquist scored nine points and grabbed seven rebounds. Sandoval hit a crucial jump shot from the top of the key to give Elko the lead in the second half. She also came away with a team-high eight boards. Carsrud added seven points.

Elko attempted 42 free throws and limited Fallon to 15 shots from the charity stripe. However, Elko struggled at the free-throw line, going just 20-for-42 in the game. The large discrepancy in attempts still played a large part in Elko’s win.

Fallon’s Ali Tedford led the Lady Wave with 19 points. She grabbed 10 rebounds to finish with a double-double. Tedford also dished a team-high three assists and swiped two steals, while Megan McCormick added 10 points and had seven rebounds for Fallon.

Fallon shot a higher percentage from the floor as well, making its field goals at a 38-percent clip. Elko attempted 14 more shots than Fallon, making 30 percent of its field-goal attempts.

“The game would have been much different if we could have made our free throws and did not miss so many layups. The game was much closer than it needed to be,” said Elko coach Camille Larsen. “It was clear that I needed Desirea (Danner) on the floor. She was a difference maker with her pressure. I am glad we got the win.”