By Dave Belcher
Moapa Valley Progress
| MVHS | 47 |
| Del Sol | 36 |
| MVHS | 21 |
| Arbor View | 58 |
| MVHS | 30 |
| Rancho | 38 |
Girls basketball circuit Pirate fans were left scratching their heads last week. The question was: Which Lady Pirate team would show up to play in each of the three games on the schedule? At times, it all clicked into place and was smooth running. Then all of a sudden everything would come apart. Shots hit the top of the backboard, side of the backboard, air balls. Reach fouls as the girls are caught standing instead of in their stance moving their feet with the ball and their opponent. In other words, mass confusion or a thing of beauty? Beauty and the beast.
The game on Monday, December 12, was a thing of beauty at home as the Lady Pirates took on Del Sol from Las Vegas and beat the Dragons 47-36. Ashley Noto led the Pirates with 18 points including an 8 point run to start the 3rd quarter when she connected on two three pointers then stole the ball and scored a layup to give the Pirates a double digit lead and pushed Moapa over the top for the win.
Del Sol was playing only their second game of the season. They were 0-2 after the battle with the Pirates.
Chanel Lacriox knocked down four three pointers for her 12 points on the game. Hanna Leavitt made one three pointer as the Pirates made 7-12 from three point range which was almost as good as their free throw percentage as they made 14-26 from the line.
Malory Reid finished with 12 points and 17 rebounds. Emily Mills had 5 and Makendie Frie scored 1.
On Wednesday night the Ladies returned to Las Vegas and Arbor View High School and took the beast with them. They were beaten 58-21.
The Pirates were dominated on the boards with 8 rebounds to the Aggies 28 for the game.
Moapa shot 4-13 from the line and scored a game high 8 in the fourth quarter which was as many as they scored in the first half. Chanel Lacriox led the Pirates with 5 points followed by Ashley Noto and her 4.
Moapa was down 15-5 after the first quarter then 31-8 at the half.
Arbor view scored 18 in the third quarter to the Pirates 5 and led 49-13 going into the final eight minutes.
Friday night the Ladies returned home to play Rancho. The were able to shake the beast for the first half. But it returned in the second half to end in a loss of 38-30.
Lakissa Martin from Rancho dominated the inside as she scored 19 points.
One of two frustrations was the foul shot totals. The ball was going inside so many times the Rams were getting free throws and shot a whopping 29 times making 14. Moapa shot only 10 making 5.
Frustration number two: three points for the entire second half. Those were a free throw by Reid and a 15 foot jumper from Noto both in the third quarter.
Moapa still lead 30-29 going into the 4th. But the Lady Pirates went scoreless for the final quarter as both teams came out in their own form of stall.
Pirates started in a four corners which they abandoned and Rancho with two posts above the three point line and three guards holding the ball out front. This slowed the tempo way down.
Rancho scored nine in the quarter getting the win, enough said.
Ashley Noto and Hanna Leavitt each had 9 points with Lacriox scoring 5 and Emily Mills getting 4.
Lakissa Martin had 19 with her sister getting 5. Kanosha Grayhad 9 for the Rams.
The Pirates are in Vegas the next two weeks with the Mountain View Tournament this week and the Las Vegas Invitational next week at Centennial High School where they are scheduled to play Centennial: the best team in the state.
The High School Gym will be closed for the two weeks of break as the School district has decided to reseal the floor. This puts a huge strain in the scheduling of all the practice times for two weeks.
