Oasis Academy’s Grace Laca gets set to shoot against Battle Mountain.
Photo by Tony Erquiaga.
The Oasis Academy boys basketball team began the second half of the Northern 2A season by nearly upsetting one of the best teams.
The Bighorns (2-8) saw their five-point fourth-quarter lead disappear against Yerington on Jan. 16 as the Lions came back to win 63-51 in the Mason Valley.
Oasis Academy continued its road trip with a pair of losses to Battle Mountain, 48-36, and West Wendover, 58-25.
Oasis Academy coach Don Schank said the team’s defense and rebounding led to surprising Yerington with the lead going into the fourth quarter. But a full-court press from the Lions in the final frame led to points off turnovers.
“The boys played so well and needed to in order to compete, but handling the pressure they put on us is something that is hard to mimic in practice, but games like this will definitely help us,” he said.
Fenn Mackedon posted a double-double to lead the Bighorns, scoring 22 points and pulling down 11 rebounds to go with six blocks and six steals – all team highs. Matthew Bird scored 12 points and had nine rebounds, while Trevor Barrenchea and Austin Booker each scored six points. Bird had four assists and three steals, Barrenchea finished with four steals and four rebounds, and Booker had six rebounds and one block.
In Friday’s loss to Battle Mountain, Oasis Academy led by four at the half and by as many as eight points in the second half. After limiting the Longhorns on their 3-point shooting, the hosts got hot and used their defense to retake the lead by three going into the final quarter.
"We put pressure on their shooters but once they found their range, it opened up their ability to get second shots and penetrate open lanes to the basket,” Schank said.
Mackedon posted his second double-double of the week with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Barrenchea scored nine points and Bird had seven plus six rebounds and six steals.
Against the top team in the division, the Bighorns couldn’t overcome West Wendover’s speed, pressure and strength.
“It's good for us to play a team like this because it exposes the things we need to develop in order for us to compete in this league,” Schank said. “I greatly appreciate the effort my players gave, not worrying about the scoreboard but on what they need to do to get better.”
Bird led the team in scoring with eight points, Mackedon added seven and six rebounds, and both had three steals. Booker scored four points, and Barrenchea and Benton Snow each added three. Barrenchea also had five rebounds.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
The Lady Bighorns (1-9) had a hard time getting the offense going last week, falling to Yerington, 51-10; Battle Mountain, 52-16; and West Wendover, 45-9.
No individual statistics were available.
Oasis Academy hosted Coral Academy on Monday and will also face Silver Stage on Friday at the city-county gym.