The Spanish Springs Cougars were playoff virgins prior to Tuesday’s night postseason tilt against the perennial playoff contenders from Reno.

Spanish Springs played the part, looking like a team that had no playoff experience while Reno showed it had been around the regional tournament block a time or two. The result was a 79-47 Reno victory in the first round of the 4A North Region Boys Basketball Tournament.

“We played scared ... They are very good, but we’re not 40 points worse than they are,” said a frustrated Spanish Springs coach Kyle Penney said.

The visiting Cougars scored the first points of the game when junior Tyler Emrick dropped in a turn-around baseline jumper 30 seconds into the game. That’s as good as it got for Spanish Springs.

Reno reeled off 20 unanswered points over the next six minutes to take control. Spanish Springs was never within single digits of the lead the rest of the way.

“It was kind of a haywire

atmosphere. There was no girls game before us. There was playoff pressure,” Reno coach Kyle Schellin said. “So to come out and get some points and stops early was real positive for us.”

The Huskies got a pair of free throws from Zach Sanford at the 5:48 mark of the second period to push their lead to 20 points for the first time, 28-8.

That’s when the Cougars briefly stopped the bleeding and settled in for a few minutes of competitive basketball. The Cougars scored six straight points capped by a pair of Dan Lide free throws with 3:22 remaining before halftime. That made the score 28-14.

The margin was still 14, 34-20, after two Emrick free throws with 1:26 showing on the second-quarter clock.

Reno responded with a pair of baskets 13 seconds apart before Spanish Springs senior forward Zach Beebe buried a 3-pointer as the horn sounded on the first half. Reno took a 38-23 lead into the locker room at the intermission.

The host Huskies came out for the second half looking more like the team that cruised in the first quarter than the one that traded points in the second period. Reno outscored Spanish Springs 25-5 in the third quarter, nixing any hopes the Cougars may have had to get the game close.

Reno’s Olek Czyz, who has already committed to play at naitonal collegiate power Duke next winter, tallied 12 points in the third period to key Reno’s outburst. He finished with a game-high 23 points despite playing just about half the game.

“The third quarter was very key. Spanish Springs is a good basketball team and it has played in that tough (High Desert) conference. They know good competition,” Schellin said. “It was good for us to come out after halftime and re-establish what we wanted to do, get the tempo going up and down and play better defense.”

Austin Morgan chipped in 16 points for Reno and Sanford added 10 points to the Huskies’ winning cause.

Reno took its biggest lead of the night on a David Jamieson basket midway through the final quarter. The bucket gave the Huskies a 38-point advantage, 74-36.

“This (year and making the playoffs) was an excellent experience for our returners,” Penney said. “And everyone can say it was nice to be in the playoffs, but that’s not me. You’re supposed to be in the playoffs and compete.”

Spanish Springs concludes it season with a 13-10 record, the first winning campaign in the seventh-year school’s history.

Beebe and Emrick both finished with 11 points Tuesday to lead Spanish Springs in the scoring column.

Reno (22-6) will meet Bishop Manogue Thursday at 7 p.m. in a regional semifinal at Spanish Springs.