2A GIRLS: Lincoln County spoils Needles’ bid for unbeaten season

Lincoln County’s girls basketball team has another Class 2A Southern League tournament championship.

Now the Lynx can focus on obtaining the prize they really want — their first state title since 2000.

Marissa Smerek had 20 points and nine rebounds, Kori Gloeckner added 16 points and Lincoln County cruised to a 68-51 win over rival Needles in the 2A Southern League final Saturday at Desert Oasis.

“It’s a good win, but we’ve been here before,” Gloeckner said. “We just have to keep pushing forward. We’ve got to keep going on into state.”

Lincoln County (21-7) clinched the South’s No. 1 seed for the state tournament, which it will open against North No. 2 Battle Mountain on Friday in Reno.

The Lynx are hoping they don’t have a repeat of last year’s postseason, when they upended Needles 52-48 in the league tourney final, only to lose to Needles 46-39 in the state title game.

“That’s what we want. We’re just a little short every year,” Lynx coach Henry Frehner said of a possible state crown.

Lincoln County used a 20-3 second-quarter run to build a 34-18 lead, and wasn’t seriously threatened the rest of the way.

The Lynx trailed 18-14 early in the second quarter, but drew foul after foul against Needles’ starters and made 15 of 25 free throws in the first half.

Gloeckner scored 13 points before her only field goal, which came in the third quarter. She finished 14-for-20 from the foul line.

“That was the key to the game,” Frehner said of Gloeckner’s foul shooting. “It kept us ahead. She’s quick and knows how to get around players, and how to put it off the glass.”

Melanie Florence added 10 points for the Lynx, and Mary Culverwell had six points and four steals.

Lincoln County spoiled a possible unbeaten season for Needles (26-1), which hadn’t lost since the league tourney final to Lincoln County on Feb. 21, 2009.

The Mustangs’ last three losses have all come at the hands of Lincoln County.

“We’d much rather do it now instead of (state),” Mustangs coach Manuel Calderon said of his team suffering its first loss. “Hopefully we regroup on Monday.”

Needles will play Northern Region champion Pershing County in Friday’s state semifinal.

Danielle Ramos scored 11 of her 14 points in the first half, and hit four 3-pointers, to lead Needles.

Alex Chandler (12 points), Kristin Arthur (11) and Miranda Brackett (10) also scored in double figures for the Mustangs. Arthur had nine rebounds, and Brackett grabbed seven.

Needles played without starting wing Gena Chavira, who suffered a knee injury during a semifinal win over West Wendover on Friday.

“I don’t know if it would have made a difference,” Calderon said. “Lincoln County played a great game. They were very deserving.”

Calderon said Chavira’s status is uncertain for the state tournament, but “she feels like she’ll be good to go.”