Eagles hold court; stay unbeaten

Boulder City High School boys basketball is off to a 9-0 start after defeating a pair of Northern Nevada teams this week.

Hosting perhaps the top two northern teams in the 3A classification, the Eagles topped Fernley 75-63 on Dec. 21, followed by a 59-53 victory over Elko on Dec. 22.

“I’m really happy with how we played those two games,” head coach John Balistere said. “Those are two really good teams and big wins for our programs. I told the guys after the Elko win that I think we’re a really good team this season.”

Pulling away from Fernley in the second half, the Eagles turned up the intensity, going on a 44-25 run to close out the game.

Starring on the night, junior Luke Wright scored 26 points, shooting 5 of 7 from three-point range, to pair with four assists and a steal.

Scoring in double-figures, senior Roman Rose added 18 points with seven rebounds and three steals, while junior Jack Walker added 14 points with nine rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Junior Sean Pendleton added 11 with five assists, while junior Easton Welbourne added four points with six rebounds and two assists.

Tied with Elko heading into the fourth quarter, the Eagles pulled away with a six-point advantage in the fourth quarter, proving that even on off-shooting nights, they can remain resilient and pull out a win.

“I thought they showed a lot of heart against Elko,” Balistere said. “It was a really tight game down to the end and a quality win for us. It wasn’t a game we played particularly well, but they never gave up.”

Connecting on just three of 18 from three-point range, in what was their worst shooting performance of the season, the Eagles earned points when it mattered most, connecting on 20 of their 22 free-throw attempts from the stripe.

Leading all scorers, Pendleton put in 16 points, while Wright added 15 and Walker with 10.

Rose scored nine points, all from the free-throw line, while Welbourne added six points with nine rebounds, three assists and three steals.

“Our guys didn’t shoot it particularly well, but found a way to get points,” Balistere said. “When shots weren’t falling, guys started attacking the rim and even though some of those didn’t fall, they were able to create contact and get to the line. I’m glad they were able to find a different way to win.”

Looking to challenge themselves, the Eagles will head to California this week to play in the Orange Holiday Classic at Orange High.

Contact Robert Vendettoli at BCRsports@gmail.com.