Boys show championship style

Playing like a championship caliber team, Boulder City High School’s boys basketball team has won eight consecutive games, including its toughest contest of the season to date, with a 56-49 victory over SLAM Academy on Monday, Jan. 31.

Battling for first place in the 3A Desert League, the Eagles jumped out to an early 16-10 lead, staying ahead for the remainder of the game.

An intense matchup between 3A state-title hopefuls, senior forward Gavin Douglas led the way with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Martin Thompson added 15 points and six rebounds.

Junior forward Bruce Woodbury added 11 points, three steals and three assists, while sophomore Roman Rose added 6 points and six assists.

“It was a big win against SLAM since we only got one shot at them this season,” said head coach John Balistere. “We were upset our game with them at home was canceled since we’re both sitting at the top of the standings, but I give a lot of credit to our fans for traveling and making this an exciting atmosphere.

“We knew it was going to be a hostile environment and, honestly, we need some more of these games. The boys responded well and gave great effort.”

The Eagles will only get to play SLAM Academy once this season in league play after their Jan. 15 home game was canceled as part of Clark County School District’s five-day pause to help with staffing issues due to the high number of COVID-19 cases.

Showing growth over the last two months, the Eagles avenged their 48-39 loss to the Bulls in the Lake Mead Holiday Tournament on Dec. 4. That game won’t count against league standings.

The Eagles also defeated Pahrump Valley 36-22 on Jan. 26 and Pinecrest Academy Cadence 59-42 on Tuesday, Feb. 1.

Against Pahrump Valley, Thompson and junior Bret Pendleton each scored 9 points, and Douglas added 6 points.

Against Pinecrest, Douglas and Thompson each finished with 11 points and nine rebounds; Woodbury scored 10 points, with three assists. Rose scored 6 points, and seniors Ashton Jensen and Jagar Darling each added 5 points.

With just over a week left in the regular season, the Eagles will travel to Southeast Career Technical Academy on Saturday, Feb. 5, followed by a home game against Coral Academy on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

Contact Robert Vendettoli at BCRsports@gmail.com.