Girls
The first time the two teams met, Reed needed a rally in the final 30 seconds to beat Spanish Springs.
The second meeting, with a home playoff game on the line, did not provide nearly as much drama.
Reed score 28 second-quarter points and went on to roll Spanish Springs, 72-46, at home on Friday night, the final night of the regular season.
With the win, the Raiders (18-5, 12-4) clinched the High Desert League No. 2 seed. The Cougars dropped to 17-9, 11-5 with their second straight loss and will open the postseason on the road as a No. 3 seed.
“I think our defense (was the difference from the first meeting),” Reed coach Sara Schopper-Ramirez said. “I thought we came out with our hands up, and trapping hard and were intense. Intensity feeds our offense and we kind of roll from there.”
Sophomore Janae Bluehorse had one of her best games in a Reed uniform, scoring a game-high 21 points. Taylor Johnson (16 points), Vanessa Hernandez (11 points) and Autumn Wadsworth (10 points) also reached double figures.
Spanish Springs trailed by as much as 25 in the first half, before taking a 42-22 deficit to the locker room.
The Cougs were never able to close the gap as the deficit fluctuated between 24 and 30 the vast majority of the final two quarters.
Anhelica Shanrock led Spanish Springs with 12 points. Kierra Johnson and Ireland Bennett both added nine.
The Cougars will open the 4A North regional tournament on Wednesday night at the loser of Saturday’s Carson-Douglas game.
The Raiders, winners of four straight and six of their last seven, will host the loser of that game the same night.
“I think we’re peaking at the right time,” Schopper-Ramirez said. “Our confidence in each other right now is awesome. In the playoffs, anything can happen.”
4A North scoreboard
Reed 72, Spanish Springs 46
Reno 65, McQueen 53
Galena 59, Damonte Ranch 30
North Valleys 46, Hug 18
Bishop Manogue 70, Wooster 6
Boys
Cougs complete perfect season
Spanish Springs just did something not a lot teams do.
Well, except for Carson. Carson did it last year.
The Cougars (21-4, 16-0) completed a perfect run through regional play on Friday night with an 81-60 romp at Reed, which dropped to 8-16, 7-9.
“I’m proud of the kids for it (perfect season). The regular season, obviously, it means a lot,” Spanish Springs coach Kyle Penney said. “That doesn’t happen very often. It happened last year with Carson, but it really doesn’t happen very often.
“But it’s not time to enjoy it either.”
Reed turned the gym lights off during pregame and used a spot light for starter intros as part of the Senior Night festivities. The large, loud home crowd didn’t have much to cheer about after that.
The Cougars scored 20 of the first 25 points and went on to cruise to their 14th straight win.
“I think it (fast start) was important,” Penney said. “The lights haven’t out been out on us once for a starting lineup. So as a coach I’m sitting there worrying about ‘oh, are we going to get too hyped?’ It goes back to senior leadership … I can trust them.”
Seniors Josh Prizina (18 points) and Marcus Loadholt (15 points) led the way before sitting the entire fourth quarter as the lead grew as large as 34 – one point shy of running clock – late in the third.
Jalen Townsell added 11, including a steal and a dunk at the first-quarter buzzer, giving the Cougs a 29-9 advantage.
Jeremy Ramos went off for 25 points in his final home game as a Raider. Lincoln Turner added 18.
With reserves on the court the final eight minutes of play, Reed used a 10-0 run to get within 78-60 in the final minutes.
The Raiders must still await their postseason outcome. They are tied with McQueen for third in the High Desert League. Saturday’s Carson-Douglas game will serve to be the tiebreaker. Reed gets the No. 3 seed with a Carson win, McQueen gets it with a Douglas victory.
Either way, Reed will open the 4A North Regional tournament Tuesday night on the road.
Spanish Springs knows its opening-round fate. The Cougs will host Douglas, the Sierra League No. 4 seed on Tuesday.
Spanish Springs won the two team’s only meeting, 77-64, in December. That game was also played at Spanish Springs.
“They (Tigers) are well coached and they’re playing well. They beat Galena,” Penney said. “And they’re confident too.”
4A North scoreboard
Spanish Springs 81, Reed 60
North Valleys 56, Hug 50
Reno 60, McQueen 53
Galena 93, Damonte Ranch 57
Bishop Manogue 65, Wooster 47
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