With wins, Lady Vandals run record to 13-1

The Eureka County High girls’ basketball team kicked off its conference schedule in grand fashion with a pair of double-digit wins at home last week.

Returning to the floor for the first time since Dec. 28, the Lady Vandals showed no signs of rust in their dominant 58-7 win over Carlin on Jan. 10.

The game was basically over after the first quarter when Eureka jumped out to a 17-5 lead. It never got any better for the Lady Railroaders as they were held scoreless in the second half, allowing the home team to cruise to victory.

“We played good defense the entire game, that’s what we try to focus on,” said Eureka County High coach Ken Fujii.

Senior Natalie Norcutt finished with a game high 24 points, while Angela Porter and Beth Damele each had 10.

It was a little tougher for the Lady Vandals the following day when they took on Owyhee, but the outcome was still the same as they pulled away late for a 57-42 win.

“We got the lead early, but Owyhee kept it close until the fourth quarter,” Fujii said. “We were able to establish a lead and came out with the win.”

Norcutt led the way again for Eureka, leading both teams in scoring with 24.

While Fujii preaches to his team that defense comes first, he is impressed with the way his senior guard has been playing.

“She (Norcutt) manages to score in a lot of different ways, and is a very accurate shooter,” he said.

Taylor Usry chipped in with 10 points in the win, while Porter finished with 8 and Shara Green 6.

The pair of wins marks one of the best starts in recent history for the defending state champions. The Lady Vandals now sit at 13-1 overall and are off to a 2-0 start in the tough IV Northern East conference. They will look to continue their hot start when they travel to Wells and Jackpot on Friday and Saturday, before taking on Division III opponent White Pine at home on Tuesday.

“I’m happy where we’re at, but we haven’t won anything yet,” Fujii said. “We hope to keep getting better and stay in the hunt at the end when in counts.”