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Whittell basketball wins 9th straight

Whittell sophomore Dylan Wade drives for a layup Saturday, Dec. 16, against Coleville in Zephyr Cove.
Provided / Boyd Dangtongdee |

The Whittell Warriors boys’ basketball team played two different styles Friday and Saturday, Dec. 15-16, but both resulted in victories.

The Warriors defeated Pyramid Lake 37-32 Friday in Nixon, Nevada, and Coleville 72-27 Saturday in Zephyr Cove. Whittell has won nine straight heading into winter break.

Pyramid Lake did everything it could to slow down the Warriors fast-attack offense.



“It was survival of the ‘walk-a-thon,’” said Warriors head coach Phillip Bryant. “They ran a nice patient press break to avoid turnovers and had guards good enough to make it work. They would pass the ball around in a spread offense and when they would finally take a shot, they would pull all five offense players back to stop us from running our break.”

The Warriors didn’t help themselves by hitting just 12 of 47 shots from 2-point range, 3 of 21 from beyond the arc and 4 of 17 from the charity stripe.



“It is always tough out there and it takes a special effort to win. We weren’t too concerned because at the pace the way we’re playing, a four-point lead was the same as a 10-point lead. I liked the fact that we didn’t panic. We just stayed the course, ran our stuff and got a win with composure.”

The Warriors blitzed Coleville right from the start, forcing turnovers and accelerating the pace of the game. By early in the second half, the Warriors had cleared their bench and got everybody involved.

“I thought we played with great energy and moved the ball well,” Bryant said. “It wasn’t a great shooting night but the shot selection was good and the turnovers we created gave us some easy opportunities. The scoring was balanced and our assist totals are steadily improving.”

The Warriors (11-1, 3-0 1A Northern West League) have 20 days in between games. They will be in action Friday, Jan. 5, against Excel Christian in Sparks, Nevada. Whittell returns home Saturday, Jan. 6, to host Smith Valley.

“I am not concerned about the break because we will have practice and the players are committed to staying where we are with conditioning and performance,” Bryant said. “They have time off for any family activities, yet they know that the team that stays ready to play will have the best results when break is over. To play at our pace, you can’t take back steps in conditioning because it’s a Christmas break. Enjoy the break and enjoy your families and have a great holiday, but be ready to play. It’s a simple thing.”


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