91°F
weather icon Mostly Clear

Eagles hold on for 57-52 victory over Pahrump

Boulder City High School boys basketball found themselves in a funk Monday, Jan. 8, against Pahrump Valley, but found a way to hold on late with a resilient 57-52 victory.

“I thought we came out a little flat,” head coach John Balistere said. “We let them keep the game close for the majority of the night, but we stepped up more in the second half and closed it out. The resiliency of this team is something special. They expect to win and find ways to win, even when we’re not playing our best.”

In what turned out to be a sloppy outing in their first game back from the holiday break, the Eagles settled for too many jump shots early that didn’t fall, while missing 14 free-throw attempts, finishing 24-of-38 from the charity stripe.

“We were definitely off tonight, shooting wise,” Balistere said. “Early on I thought we settled for too many jumpers that usually go in for us, but just weren’t falling. We did a better job attacking the rim later in the game, but still have to do a better job with our free-throw percentage if we want to win games against tough teams.”

Finding his way to the basket routinely throughout the second half, junior forward Derrick Thomas poured in a game-high 22 points with a majority of his points coming off fast break layups and free-throw opportunities.

“Derrick really helps the dynamic of our offense,” said senior guard Carson Balistere. “We know that when none of us are hitting our jump shots, we get him involved and he’ll get us a quick bucket or two.”

Finding a way to stay productive despite off shooting nights, Carson Balistere and junior forward Karson Bailey each added 7 points, while senior forward Clayton Pendleton added 8 points in a must-win game for the Eagles.

“We definitely wanted to come out of the break with some momentum heading into league play,” John Balistere said. “Give all the credit to Pahrump, they came out and played us tough and gave us a really good game. I really think experiencing this our first game back will help set the tone for the rest of our season.”

Looking to stay competitive in the 3A Sunrise League and end a three-year postseason drought, the Eagles will head to Moapa Valley on Friday, before hosting Del Sol on Tuesday.

Results from Wednesday’s contest against Southeast Career Technical Academy will appear in next week’s issue.

Contact Robert Vendettoli at BCRsports@gmail.com.

Upcoming games

Friday, Jan. 12, at Moapa, 5 p.m. junior varsity, 6:30 p.m. varsity

Tuesday, Jan. 16, vs. Del Sol, 5 p.m. junior varsity; 6:30 p.m. varsity

MOST READ
THE LATEST
Nevadapreps names 10 Eagles to all-state team

Capitalizing on great individual efforts, 10 Boulder City High School male athletes were named to the Nevadapreps All-Southern Nevada team, which features the top players in the region regardless of classification.

Lady Eagles pick up state hardware

Five Boulder City High School female athletes were recognized for their impressive efforts and in the process were named to the Nevadapreps All-Southern Nevada team, highlighting the top players in the region regardless of classification.

Jenas-Keogh named BCR’s Athlete of the Year

Excelling as a three-sport athlete, Boulder City High School junior Sancha Jenas-Keogh has been named Boulder City Review girls athlete of the year.

Bonar receives one last high school honor

As a result of excelling as a three-sport athlete, Boulder City High School senior Sam Bonar has been named Boulder City Review boys athlete of the year.

Awards continue for volleyball team

Continuing their claim as the most accomplished high school boys volleyball program in the 3A classification this decade, Boulder City High School had four players named to the All-State team.

Robinson named to 1st team All-State

Four Eagles were named to the 3A All-State team after helping Boulder City High School baseball reach the 3A state tournament.

Rogers named league player of the year

Leading Boulder City High School softball to the 3A state tournament, eight Eagles were named to the All-Mountain League team, highlighted by player of the year Payton Rogers.

Eight swimmers lead awards for girls

Boulder City High School girls swimming finished fourth at the 3A state meet, and for their efforts, eight Eagles were named to the All-Southern Region team.