64°F
weather icon Clear

Eagles open season with win

Boulder City High School boys basketball team opened its season Tuesday with a 50-39 road victory against 4A Basic, despite not playing up to its regular standards.

Heralded as one of the favorites in the 3A classification to compete for a state championship after a 20-7 record last season, head coach John Balistere knows there are issues for the boys to clean up but was positive knowing the Eagles walked away with a win.

“Anytime you can go on the road and get a win it’s great,” Balistere said. “I didn’t think we played our best. We didn’t do a very good job of taking care of the ball down the stretch. We didn’t execute very well, but they kept playing, kept grinding. We have to work on our free throws, but this is a great win and a great start.”

Despite their woes throughout the night, the Eagles found success by constantly attacking the paint against the Wolves, scoring a majority of their points on layups and put-back shot attempts.

“Our size is definitely an advantage,” sophomore Matt Morton said. “We have a huge starting lineup and if we get the ball down low, it’s creates a huge disadvantage for other teams.”

Leading the way for the Eagles offensively, Morton scored a game-high 16 points, giving the Eagles a versatile 6-foot-6 wing who can finish inside the paint while running the floor to help create offensive flow. Averaging 5.2 points as a freshman reserve last season, a breakout season is expected of Morton and he delivered Tuesday.

“I thought he did a good job of being aggressive,” Balistere said. “They’re sophomores now with more experience. There’s things that we’ll get him and Ethan (Speaker) to do a little bit more. They bring so much to the group it’s amazing.”

Having a solid night as well, sophomore Ethan Speaker scored 5 points.

Controlling the game from the opening tip, the Eagles started with a 13-4 run before letting the Wolves ease closer at halftime 27-23.

Despite momentum on the Wolves’ side heading into the half, the Eagles continued to step on the gas offensively in the third quarter with a 12-6 run, not allowing the prestige of their higher-classified opponent to steal the victory.

“I think sometimes we get caught up in who’s 4A, 3A; if you’re a good team, you can play in any league,” Balistere said. “I think we’re a good team. Any win is good. As long as we keep playing better, we’ll be a really good team by the time league rolls around.”

Senior Derrick Thomas added 12 points while senior Karson Bailey added 10 points.

The Eagles will have their hands full this weekend in the Lake Mead Holiday Classic. A highly competitive tournament, the Eagles will be tested early, starting with a contest tonight against The Meadows.

Contact Robert Vendettoli at BCRsports@gmail.com.

MOST READ
LISTEN TO THE TOP FIVE HERE
THE LATEST
Eagles grounded at homecoming

The scoreboard may have reflected a dreaded 44-8 loss to rival Moapa Valley on Oct. 3, but the optimism surrounding the Boulder City High School football team is much brighter heading into this week.

Girls golf ends season undefeated

Finishing the regular season with an undefeated record, Boulder City High School girls golf finished strong at Casablanca on Sept. 30.

BC seniors swim to victory

Competing at the Silver State Senior Games swim meet at Pavilion Pool in Las Vegas October 4-5, four members of Boulder City’s Masters swim team SONAR dominated the field.

Runners look toward postseason

Competing at the CSN Invitational at Floyd Lamb Park on Oct. 3, Aiden MacPherson and Caleb Wolfe finished fourth and fifth respectively out of 121 runners.

Tennis teams look toward postseason

Clinching regular-season league titles, both Boulder City High School programs defeated Adelson on Sept. 30.

Lady Eagles volleyball goes 3-4 in Las Vegas tournament

Facing strong competition in the Del Sol tournament on Sept. 26-27, Boulder City High School girls volleyball advanced to 11-14 on the season.

Eagles win third game in a row

Starting off league play strong, Boulder City High School defeated Democracy Prep 30-14 on Sept. 26.

Eagles win in OT on the road

Defying the odds, Boulder City High School football escaped an overtime thriller with 4A Eldorado on Sept. 19, winning 26-20.

Sports Roundup: Hinds continues to pace golf team

Remaining undefeated on the season, Boulder City High School girls golf won their league match at Coyote Springs on Sept. 15.

Volleyball looks to move closer to .500

The BCHS girls volleyball team advanced to 7-9 on the season after defeatimg rival Pahrump Valley 3-1 on Sept. 17.