Reed coach Sara Schopper-Ramirez has had an image in her head all season.
On Friday night, that image finally became a reality.
Serene Townsell-Williams led the fast break, Vanessa Hernandez took over when necessary and posts Zoe Scott and Tori Baer combined for 18 points as the Raiders put together their best effort of the season, a 59-53 home upset of McQueen.
“They finally played it start to finish. And it had a lot to do with Serene,” Schopper-Ramirez said. “Now they just have to remember that. It’s taken us all year to figure that one out.”
The Raiders improved to 8-6, 7-5 in the DI North and drew even with North Valleys for third place in the High Desert League. The Lancers, who are two games ahead of Reed and North Valleys for second, dropped to 16-5, 9-3 with their second-straight loss.
Leading 38-33 with 3:02 left in the third, Reed went on an 11-0 run that ended early in the fourth. McQueen wasn’t able to make up the difference.
Hernandez, Reed’s freshman point guard, scored the final seven points of the game-deciding run.
“That was huge,” Schopper-Ramirez said. “I had to keep reminding them, that wasn’t the game guys. They’re going to make a run.”
And McQueen did make a run. But the 16-point hole was too deep to climb from.
The Lancers scored eight-straight points to get within eight, 53-45, with 4:07 left but got no closer until hitting a pair of triples in the final 15 seconds.
Hernandez and Townsell-Williams both scored 16 points to lead all scorers. Baer had 10.
Sadaria McAlister led McQueen with 13.
The Raiders held a narrow 26-24 edge at the half thanks largely to a 12-1 run that spanned from late in the first quarter until more than midway through the second.
The burst turned a 13-7 hole into a 19-14 advantage.
Holly White finally stopped the bleeding for the Lancers with a triple with 3:43 left in the initial half.
Townsell-Williams cashed a turnover into a bucket and Johnson hit a pair of free throws to grow the lead to 23-17—the largest of the half—with 2:22 remaining before White hit her second triple of the quarter to get the Lancers back within three.
Leila Bishop-Parise sunk a pair of free throws with no time left to cut Reed’s lead to 26-24 at the break.
Reed goes to Hug on Tuesday.
“We need (to build off the win),” Schopper-Ramirez said. “We need a W against a Hug, a W against North Valleys. Hopefully the cards line up and we host a playoff game.”
Hug no problem for Spanish Springs
The Cougars got back in the win column with a convincing 52-17 win at Hug on Friday night.
With the win, Spanish Springs improved to 7-16, 4-8 in the DI North and while not mathematically eliminated from the postseason, it will need something special. The Cougars are four games out of fourth place with just four games remaining.
The Hawks remained winless in 18 attempts.
Anhelica Shanrock led the way for the Cougs with 10 points.
Spanish Springs continues High Desert League play on Tuesday night at home against first place Reno.
Sparks-Spring Creek postponed
Sparks was scheduled to host Spring Creek on Friday night but the game was postponed.
The Spartans were unable to make the trip to Sparks because of traffic problems caused by the winter storm blowing through the region.
Sparks home game on Saturday against Elko was also postponed.
The game with Spring Creek was rescheduled for next Thursday at 6 p.m. and the contest with Elko will be made up Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 3:30 p.m.
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