Basketball Recap: Fernley Comes Up Short in High-Profile Contest with Spring Creek

On Saturday, Fernley faced Spring Creek in a battle between two of the state's top teams. The contest between the Fernley Vaqueros and the Spring Creek Spartans didn't end well, with the Fernley Vaqueros falling 59-44. The Vaqueros were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Spartans apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in February of 2024.

When it comes to explaining why Fernley lost, don't look at Michael Fitzgerald. Despite the final result, he posted 12 points. Fitzgerald is trending in the right direction considering he's improved his point production for three straight games. Sheldon Jacobson was another key player, putting up eight points.

Spring Creek was led to victory by Scott Bylund and Tayden Francis. Bylund went 8 for 13 on his way to 20 points in addition to seven boards and three steals, while Francis went 10 of 18 en route to 24 points. Those 20 points gave Bylund a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Lelanyd Bautista, who earned 12 points.

Vaqueros

Previous 5 Games

01/11/25 @ Spring Creek	44-59
01/10/25 @ Elko	58-40
01/03/25 vs Dayton	54-30
12/28/24 vs Dayton	57-39
12/27/24 vs Lowry	64-44

The defeat snapped Fernley's winning streak at six games and leaves them with a 11-5 record. As for Spring Creek, the victory was the fourth in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 12-5.

Fernley has already played their next match, a 74-38 win against Churchill County on the 15th. As for Spring Creek, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next game, a 48-35 victory against Elko on the 16th.