Eagles rebound from tourney losses with strong win

After a 1-3 stint in the Orange holiday tournament in California, Boulder City High School’s boys basketball team picked up a 57-11 victory over Equipo Academy on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

“I thought we played really well tonight as a team,” head coach John Balistere said. “A lot of guys who usually don’t get minutes for us got to contribute. It was a good way to start the new year before league play begins.”

Dominant from the opening tip, junior Troy Higley had his best game of the season, scoring a game-high 16 points with eight rebounds.

Senior Bruce Woodbury added 11 points with two assists, while sophomores Jack Waker and Luke Wright each scored six points.

In the Dec. 26-28 California tournament, the Eagles defeated Twentynine Palms 58-41, but fell to Cerritos (44-33), La Habra (63-35) and St. Margaret’s (52-41).

Against Twentynine Palms, senior Bret Pendleton led the way with 19 points and nine rebounds; Woodbury added 12 points and four rebounds. Sophomore Sean Pendleton scored 10 points, and senior Tyler Lemmel and Wright each scored six points.

Junior Brady Sorenson, Woodbury and Wright each scored six points against Cerritos, while Bret Pendleton scored eight points against La Habra.

Against St. Margaret’s, Woodbury scored 14 points and junior Roman Rose scored 10 points.

Looking to build a winning streak before league play begins, the Eagles will host Pinecrest Academy on Friday, Jan. 6, followed by a road game at rival Moapa Valley on Tuesday, Jan. 10.

“We look forward to this next week of play,” Balistere said. “We’ve been dealing with some injuries to start the season, but I like the makeup of this team. We’re excited to get into league play and see what happens.”

Contact Robert Vendettoli at BCRsports@gmail.com.