Basketball Recap: Fernley Comes Up Short in High-Profile Game with Churchill County

On Wednesday, Fernley faced Churchill County in a battle between two of the state's top teams. The Fernley Vaqueros took a 53-48 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Churchill County Greenwave. The Vaqueros' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.

Several Vaqueros players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Taylor Tollestrup, who almost dropped a double-double on 13 points and nine boards. Tollestrup is also crushing it when it comes to blocks: she's posted at least three every time she's taken the court this season. Justice Martell Artiaga was another key player, going 6 for 10 on her way to 16 points and seven rebounds.

Churchill County found their leader in sophomore Karlie J. Simper, who went 6 of 11 en route to 18 points in addition to eight steals and five boards. Those eight steals set a new season-high mark for Simper. Another player making a difference was Kortnie B. Simper, who posted 13 points and seven rebounds.

Fernley's defeat was their first in the league, dropping their league record down to 3-1 and their overall record down to 14-4. As for Churchill County, they are on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests, which provided a nice bump to their 13-6 record this season.

Fernley will head out on the road to face off against Lowry at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. As for Churchill County, they will welcome Dayton at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday.