Eagles make early exit from playoffs

Live by the three, die by the three plagued Boulder City High School boys basketball on Feb. 10, turning a regular season league-title-winning team into an unexpected first-round playoff exit.

Falling to rival Virgin Valley 60-45, the Eagles shot a combined four for 24 from long range, digging themselves a hole too big to come back from.

“Obviously, we didn’t shoot the ball very well,” head coach John Balistere said. “You’re not going to win games when your best shooters can’t get the shots to fall. All the credit goes to Virgin Valley. They made shots and we missed them.”

Battling back from a 28-17 first-half deficit, the Eagles at one point cut the Bulldogs’ lead to two points, before ultimately running out of gas.

“I was proud of the boys for battling back,” Balistere said. “They’ve done it numerous times this season, unfortunately, the hole was too deep this time. Every time we would go on a run of game momentum, Virgin Valley would go on one of their own. They played a great game and were the better team.”

Battling back in the third quarter with a 16-11 run, the Bulldogs hit crucial shots in the fourth to close out the game with a 21-12 quarter.

Leaving it all out on the court, Sean Pendleton scored 21 points, shooting 3 of 7 from three-point range, while dishing out three assists.

Luke Wright added eight points with four rebounds, while senior Carson Alder added six points and six rebounds.

Bounced early from the postseason, the Eagles finished with an overall record of 20-7, sharing the regular season league title with The Meadows.

“It’s tough to lose early,” Balistere said. “We didn’t play our best basketball of the season when we needed to, but I’m very proud overall for how our season went. I’m especially proud of our seniors who gave it their all.”