SPARKS — The Lady Wave basketball team went 2-1 during its first tournament last weekend, getting a good start to their season.
In Fallon’s game against Spanish Springs, the Wave claimed a 43-40 win, lost to Reno High School 57-42, and defeated Lassen 52-33.
Playing against Lassen was the team’s first game of the season. Fallon coach Anne Smith said the girls came out with a good game, and it was their first time to come together in a real game where they got to try some of their strategies.
Smith said the tournament highlighted some things that need to be improved, but overall, she said the game plan went well.
Smith said Caitlyn Welch had a great game and was the highest scorer for the team with 18 points. She also had great defensive plays and handled the ball well.
“She did a fantastic job,” Smith said.
Lelani and Leta Otuafi also received praise for their games.
On Friday, Fallon played Reno High School. Smith said their full-court presence was not as strong as she hoped it would be and the team was not as aggressive as they could have been. As a result, Reno had a nine-point lead by the end of the first quarter. The early lead meant Fallon had to work hard to catch up.
“That’s hard to do against a team of that caliber,” Smith said. “They’re very well coached and they’re just a fast, explosive team; to try and play catch-up is very difficult.”
She also said they tried too hard with their offense, rushing plays and not taking the time to play smart. Overall, the game did not flow as well as she hoped it would.
It was not a total loss, though, and the loss highlighted areas they need to improve on and what they need to play at that level.
Faith Cornmesser was the top scorer of Friday’s game, scoring 15 points. Smith said she had a fantastic game with several rebounds and playing under the basket.
Saturday’s game against Spanish Springs was described as messy. Smith said there were far too many turnovers from the upperclassmen players. The defense as a whole was shaky and the coach did not feel there was much effort being put into the game.
“Spanish Springs had several opportunities where they went coast to coast (from one end of the court to the other) and no one stopped the ball,” Smith said.
While the game ended with a win, Smith said it is not one she is very proud of as things went back and forth. During one play, Fallon had an 11-point lead, but Spanish Springs was able to close the gap and make the game neck and neck again.
Leta Otuafi had a strong presence in the Saturday game, getting good shots under the basket.
While there were mixed results throughout the tournament, Smith said she was happy with how things went. She noted when a team plays an early game and gets an easy win, it doesn’t show the things they need to work on. By playing against a stronger team, it gives them an idea of what to strive for.
“To be able to play three good teams, especially Reno, that was really beneficial for us,” Smith said. “That was fantastic competition and our weaknesses are just really exposed when you play against a team like that.”
The Lady Wave played Lowry Tuesday in their first league home game. Check the LVN website and Facebook for results.