Lady Indians focus on Spanish Springs
By MARTIN HARRIS - Sports Editor
Wednesday, January 30, 2008 8:41 AM PST
ELKO - The Elko girls basketball team faces a crucial stretch of road games this weekend.
The Indians (13-10, 5-2 High Desert League) play Thursday at Reed, Spanish Springs on Friday and Fallon on Saturday. But all those games do not weigh the same in importance as the team still has its goals in mind - host a first-round playoff game.
After one look at the league standings, it is clear Friday's game outweighs the importance of Thursday's. Reed is a perfect 7-0 in league and barring a breakdown will take the top seed in the league regardless of Thursday's outcome. However, Spanish Springs is 6-2 and one win ahead of the Tribe. The winner of Friday's game has the clear inside track to the second seed and a home playoff game.
Elko coach Karen Hoem had no problem seeing the obvious as well.
“I've had a talk with my team and we're going to put our eggs in the Spanish Springs basket,” she said. “Our focus this week in practice is Spanish Springs. I think we can give Reed a good game but I think we'll give them an even better game at the end of the season here (at Centennial Gym).
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“There are too many scenarios but the bottom line is we have to win Friday.”
Last year, the Lady Indians missed the second seed due to one road loss. They were forced to go on the road as the third seed and lost a close game at Reno High. Hoem does not want that to be the case again this year.
Spanish Springs pushed the Tribe to the limit in the previous encounter at Centennial. Elko held on for a 68-60 win but knows it will need to play better to pull off the road victory.
The Cougars' Jordan Rogers scored 24 points in that game and Courtney Darby added 18.
“We know Jordan Rogers will get hers,” Hoem said. “We just need to contain the role players. Darby scored 18 points against us last time and she wasn't even on our scouting report.”
Arianna James and Jacie Carlson are also a pair of standouts for the Cougars.
Hoem said her role players need to step up as well.
Elko standout Taylor Altenburg leads the team at 20.7 points per game and Ciera Dunbar is next at 10.4 ppg. Lorena Torres has stepped up her offensive contribution at 10.3 ppg over the last three contests.
Elko's depth has taken a hit as the roster is down to nine. Lyndsey James tore her ACL against Fallon and will miss the rest of the season. James was in the middle of a career-best, eight-point performance when she planted with about 30 seconds to go and her knee buckled.
The rest of the roster has spent the last few practices in preparation for Spanish Springs as a time to review.
“We're reviewing our fast-break scenarios and secondary break scenarios,” Hoem said. “We want to push the ball a little more.”
Hoem especially wants her team to start the game better. The Indians have trailed three HDL games at halftime and went on to lose two of those contests, while they are a perfect 4-for-4 in league games they lead at the break.
Elko has not played Reed yet due to a scheduling complication with their previous meeting but the Tribe hammered Fallon, 69-40.
“Fallon doesn't have anything to lose and we're going to be tired playing our third game in three days,” Hoem said. She doesn't want her team to overlook the Greenwave and wind up losing their postseason goals because they took them too lightly.
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