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ENLARGE
Fallon's Carly Martin shoots over Reno's Stephanie Rovetti in the first quarter of Wednesday's playoff game in Reno. The Huskies won, 77-44.
RENO — It was good to be back in the playoffs for the first time in six years.
But that good feeling didn't last long.
After jumping ahead early in the first quarter, the Fallon girls basketball team saw its keel turn completely upside down in the span of four minutes as High Desert League's top-seeded Reno Huskies defeated the Sierra League's fourth seed, 77-44, at Reno High in the opening round of the Northern 4A Regional Tournament.
“It's always like that in the first quarter,” Fallon coach Chelle Dalager said about hanging with one of the state's best teams. “We didn't transition and turn those (turnovers) into scores. We wanted to control the pace of the game … but they got flustered.”
Reno applied pressure after it tied the game at 6 with four minutes left in the first quarter. Buckling down with traps across the court and pouncing on every loose ball and deflection led to smooth transitions for the Huskies. The result: Reno outscored Fallon 12-3 to close the quarter.
“Nobody plays pressure defense like Reno,” Dalager said.
Stephanie Rovetti damaged the Lady Wave from the perimeter while Elizabeth Messick countered inside the paint during the run. Rovetti, though, caught fire in the second quarter as she dropped in 14 of her game-high 19 points in the period. Messick finished with 10 points.
Reno led 40-18 at halftime and with the second string playing most of the second half, the Huskies still manage to pour in 37 points. Fallon, though, played better after the break, scoring 12 points in the third quarter and 14 in the fourth.
Senior Sara Parsons led Fallon with 15 points and junior Lena Wolf added 14, with most of her points coming on off of offensive rebounds. The Brown sisters, Kenyah and Khaliah, contributed defensively with each swatting away shots in the key and stealing loose balls up top.
“I'm super proud of my kids. They didn't quit,” Dalager said. “It was great to get into the playoffs but you hate playing as the fourth team.”
Losing five seniors, including the top three scorers, the Browns and Parsons, won't make it any easier next year if the NIAA approves the new realignment proposal. Fallon, which last made the postseason in 2004, would drop to the 3A next year and join Fernley, Lowry, Spring Creek and Truckee. Dalager, though, said that Wednesday's playoff experience will be similar with the smaller schools next season.
“If you think the 3A is going to be easy, you're mistaken because it's just as hard as being in the 4A,” Dalager said.
But that good feeling didn't last long.
After jumping ahead early in the first quarter, the Fallon girls basketball team saw its keel turn completely upside down in the span of four minutes as High Desert League's top-seeded Reno Huskies defeated the Sierra League's fourth seed, 77-44, at Reno High in the opening round of the Northern 4A Regional Tournament.
“It's always like that in the first quarter,” Fallon coach Chelle Dalager said about hanging with one of the state's best teams. “We didn't transition and turn those (turnovers) into scores. We wanted to control the pace of the game … but they got flustered.”
Reno applied pressure after it tied the game at 6 with four minutes left in the first quarter. Buckling down with traps across the court and pouncing on every loose ball and deflection led to smooth transitions for the Huskies. The result: Reno outscored Fallon 12-3 to close the quarter.
“Nobody plays pressure defense like Reno,” Dalager said.
Stephanie Rovetti damaged the Lady Wave from the perimeter while Elizabeth Messick countered inside the paint during the run. Rovetti, though, caught fire in the second quarter as she dropped in 14 of her game-high 19 points in the period. Messick finished with 10 points.
Reno led 40-18 at halftime and with the second string playing most of the second half, the Huskies still manage to pour in 37 points. Fallon, though, played better after the break, scoring 12 points in the third quarter and 14 in the fourth.
Senior Sara Parsons led Fallon with 15 points and junior Lena Wolf added 14, with most of her points coming on off of offensive rebounds. The Brown sisters, Kenyah and Khaliah, contributed defensively with each swatting away shots in the key and stealing loose balls up top.
“I'm super proud of my kids. They didn't quit,” Dalager said. “It was great to get into the playoffs but you hate playing as the fourth team.”
Losing five seniors, including the top three scorers, the Browns and Parsons, won't make it any easier next year if the NIAA approves the new realignment proposal. Fallon, which last made the postseason in 2004, would drop to the 3A next year and join Fernley, Lowry, Spring Creek and Truckee. Dalager, though, said that Wednesday's playoff experience will be similar with the smaller schools next season.
“If you think the 3A is going to be easy, you're mistaken because it's just as hard as being in the 4A,” Dalager said.
