Fallon senior Zoey Lingenfelter dribbles against Spring Creek in Thursday’s loss to the Spartans.
By Anthony Mori Elko Daily Free Press
Wednesday, February 16, 2022
ELKO — In the second meeting with Fallon, the Elko girls basketball team did not crumble in crunch time.
Despite the Lady Greenwave making things interesting in the third quarter and early in the fourth, the Lady Indians made free throws, limited turnovers and played some of the best defense they have put forth all year — leading to a 44-29 victory Friday night.
Fallon lost to Spring Creek the night before, which eliminated its playoff chances.
Elko’s Aurora Eklund finished with a game-high 15 points, joined in double figures with 11 points from Peyton Jacaway — Alysia Madigan nearing double digits with nine points for the Lady Indians.
Fallon was led by 13 points from Cassie Edgmon, Trinity Helton finished with six points, Zoey Jarrett added four and the
Lady Wave’s offense was capped with two apiece for Shaylee Coldwell, Ava Faught and Addie Smith.
Fallon scored on its first possession of the game, senior Coldwell burying a long two-point jumper from the left wing. The Lady Indians answered with an And-1 take down the left block by junior Alysia Carr, taking the lead on its second offensive trip with an offensive put-back by junior Eklund.
Elko’s defense was stiff and forced consecutive travels, and Eklund pushed Elko’s advantage to four with a runner off the glass. She then kissed another attempt off the window for an 8-2 lead after a steal by junior Isabela Torres.
With 1:10 remaining in the first, the Lady Indians went up nine on a three from the left wing by junior Jacaway — set up with an assist from Eklund.
After the first, Elko led by 11 at 13-2 — putting together a scoreless defensive effort after Fallon’s first possession.
On their first trip of the second period, the Lady Indians took a 15-2 advantage on a triple from the right side by junior Madigan. Elko grabbed a 15-point lead with a long two by freshman Lindsey Johns, but Fallon ended its drought of more than a period of no points with a deuce by senior Helton.
Madigan was fouled going down the middle and hit 1-of-2 free throws, but sophomore Faught came around a screen and nailed a nice jumper for the Lady Wave. Fallon brought its deficit back to 10 with a backdoor cut by senior Edgmon on a great find by senior Hudsyn Clark.
At the break, the Lady Indians were back up 13 with the score at 23-10.
Fallon’s objective was clear to start the third, post up Edgmon against smaller defenders — leading to a foul and a made a free throw.
Edgmon missed a shot but created a weak-side board for Helton, who banked home the put-back. Eklund was fouled and drained her attempts at the line — giving her double digits — but Edgmon got a shooter’s bounce on a three from the left wing.
Jacaway drove around the right side for a layup, but Fallon sophomore Jarrett was fouled after a board and cashed both freebies. The Lady Indians started to get worked on Fallon’s offensive backboard, the Lady Wave routinely creating second-chance opportunities.
With less than a minute remaining in the third, Edgmon made a great steal — tipping the ball away and going to the deck — passing from the hardwood to Jarrett, who was fouled on her attack of the paint. She hit both shots and brought the margin to 11 at 31-20.
Going to the fourth, the Lady Indians led by nine at 31-22.
Things got dicey for Elko to open the fourth, losing Edgmon for a corner three.
Up seven at 32-25, Eklund dropped a pair of free throws for a nine-point lead and Elko forced a five-second inbound call. Junior Carly Nielsen made a great chase-down steal and was shoved on the other end, nailing a pair of shots at the stripe for an 11-point cushion.
Edgmon made two free throws for Fallon and reached double figures herself, making the score 36-27 with four and a half minutes on the clock.
Fallon goes scoreless in 2 quarters against Spring Creek
Luckily, for the Spring Creek girls basketball team, a poor offensive performance was aided by a pair of scoreless defensive quarters Thursday against Fallon.
The second matchup was not anything like the first — when Spring Creek won 51-19 on Jan. 22, in Fallon — the Lady Wave cutting the deficit to three late in the third quarter. The Lady Spartans — who only scored in double digits in one period — pulled away from the Lady Wave late for a 35-21 victory.
Fallon was paced by nine points from Edgmon — who hit two 3s — and the scoring for the Lady Wave was rounded out by five points from Jarrett, a triple from Smith and a deuce apiece for Coldwell and Faught.
Scoring was scarce in the early going, both teams struggling to take care of the basketball.
Spring Creek senior Payge Walz finally broke the drought with a runner on the left baseline at the 5:45 mark, but Fallon
went to the front on a three from the top of the arc by Jarrett.
The Lady Greenwave moved the high side on a jumper from the left wing by Coldwell, pushing their advantage to four with an offensive put-back by Faught. However, the Walz train rolled once again for the Lady Spartans — scoring through a foul on the right block and cashing the free throw — pulling the deficit back to one with an old-fashioned three.
Fallon went up two on a free throw by Edgmon, but Spring Creek gridlocked the score on a long two by freshman
Roxanne Keim from the right wing. After a slow start, the game was knotted up single digits at 8-8 going to the second quarter.
The offensive stalemate continued to open the second period, going nearly three minutes without a point. With 5:08 on the clock, Spring Creek junior Rylee Keim was hacked and drained both attempts at the stripe — giving the Lady Spartans their first lead at 10-8.
On the next possession, Walz went to the line in the single-bonus and buried both shots — Roxanne Keim hitting 1-of-2 after drawing a foul from an offensive board. Spring Creek took a 15-8 lead on a baseline jumper on an assist from Walz, who pushed the pace after a defensive rebound and crossed a dime to the weak side.
Spring Creek pitched a shutout defensively in the period — outscoring the Lady Wave 15-0 in the second — and took a 23-8 lead into the locker room.
Walz stole a pass in the Fallon back court and was fouled, sinking the second free throw top open the third.
But, the Lady Wave ripped off a quick 13-0 run.
Edgmon knocked down an elbow jumper on a dish from Coldwell and hammered a step-back triple from the right wing, senior Addison Smith railing a trey from straightaway. Jarrett was hacked on her way to the hole and stuck both attempts at the line.
The Lady Spartans went nearly seven minutes without a point, turning the ball over and missing shots — Fallon making solid defensive adjustments and taking away drives and curls around screens.
Lamb made a crucial steal and rolled to the rim for a deuce with 10 seconds remaining in the third for a 26-21 lead. But, the Lady Wave outscored the Lady Spartans 13-3 in the third and trailed by just five going to fourth.
Fallon, though, didn’t score in the final quarter.
