By Clarissa Olson Posted March 6, 2018
The Girls Varsity Basketball team concluded their season with a trip to the 2018 NIAA girls’ basketball Championship Tournament. On Friday, February 23, they beat Mojave 78-38. The next day, they lost to Churchill County 60-45.
“Saturday, we came out and executed our game plan,” said coach Chelsea Cabatbat. “Fallon is a great team. They play year-round. Our girls played with a lot of heart, and they did everything we asked. It just didn’t come out our way.”
The girls had been battling with Churchill all season. The team’s first game against them ended with a 51-37 loss.
“We lost to Fallon by fourteen, but I thought we really came out and we played well,” Cabatbat said after the game. “We were only down six points by halftime to a really good team, so I think if we can clean some things up that it will be a good game down the season… we’re really just trying to fine-tune our offense and make sure we’re all clicking on the same page and working together.”
Since then, they suffered losses of 65-39 and 66-40 against Churchill. By the time they got to the championship game, Cabatbat and the team had a plan.
“Our goal was to shut two of their better players down,” said Cabatbat. “Kepa Bengochea did a really great job on the one who ended up being player of the year. She only came out with five points that game, which is huge. She was averaging twenty points a game. We also shut down their other girl.”
Despite losing the championship game, the tournament proved to be one to remember.
“Friday night we broke some records,” Cabatbat said. “We had the most three-pointers made by a team, and then Alyssa Kuskie had the most three-pointers made in a state game.”
This year’s team, although less experienced than teams in the past, turned out to be an exemplary combination to look up to in years to come.
“We had eight new girls on the team this year. I think we only had four returners,” said Cabatbat. “They’re good models. They set a good standard, that if you work hard, you can get wherever you want. We can just find a way to beat Fallon.”
Cabatbat is looking forward to next season, after great success this year.
“Next year, we plan to continue our great defense, our great work ethic, playing together, playing for each other, and just having fun. We can just find a way to beat Fallon.”
