DIVISION III GIRLS: Pershing County’s Condie too much for Lincoln County

Lincoln County coach Lori Cheeney has witnessed her squad, time and again this season, fall flat at some point during the game.

“We usually have a quarter where we can’t seem to get anything going,” Cheeney said. “We overcame that (in the state semifinal).”

But with the girls Division III state championship on the line Saturday, it was a different story.

Sarita Jo Condie poured in 29 points for Pershing County, which held the Lynx scoreless in the third quarter en route to a 59-34 victory at Orleans Arena.

“Obviously, I’m disappointed,” Cheeney said. “I thought we could give them a better game than that. Lovelock is a good team, and we knew that. We put a lot of energy and thought into the White Pine game because we had to get past them to get anywhere else.”

Condie jump-started the Mustangs (31-2) on a 16-4 run to open the game. The 5-foot-7-inch Navy-bound guard scored Pershing County’s first nine points and 11 of the team’s 16 first-quarter points. Condie set the combined Class 2A/Division III state tournament record for most points in a two-game stretch with 60.

“She’s the best player I’ve ever coached, and she’s a better kid than she is a ballplayer,” said Mustangs coach Steve Cerini, whose squad captured its third straight title. “I can’t you tell what tremendous character and team leadership she has.”

Lincoln County (18-12), which trailed 24-14 at the break, shot 27.4 percent (14-for-51) from the field.

Pershing County used a 21-0 run between the third quarter and the start of the fourth to run away.

Jaycee Wadsworth paced the Lynx with 12 points and six rebounds.