By Dave Belcher

Moapa Valley Progress

Lady Pirate Hanna Leavitt, #4, shoots for two from the middle of a swarm of Virgin Valley Bulldogs during last Friday’s basketball game.

Friday night the Virgin Valley Bulldogs made their annual visit to Moapa Valley to play the Lady Pirates. They beat the Pirates 70-50 before a packed audience in the Gary Batchelor gymnasium.

Virgin Valley came out smoking hot as they took control early and lead 18-7 after the first quarter. It was the Dawgs inside game that beat Moapa. The Pirates tried to compete from the inside but the bulldogs size and strength controlled the paint.

Moapa scored 14 in the second quarter but the Dawgs opened the game up with 22 points in the same quarter and built a 19 point lead going into the locker room.

Barnard scored 29 points for the Bulldogs in the game leading all scorers and helping the bulldogs to the win. Grajek scored 12 while Arquette added 11.

For the Pirates it was Ashley Noto who scored 17 while Chanel Lacroix added 10. Moapa was 12-25 from the free throw line while the bulldogs shot 25-40. That’s 15 more shots than the Pirates had.

In the 3rd quarter Moapa scored 11 points while the Dawgs added 10 and maintained an 18 point lead.

The 4th quarter was wild as the bulldogs pumped in 20 while Moapa got a hot hand and scored 18 of their own.

The Pirates are now 0-3 in league play while Virgin Valley is 2-1 headed into the final week of the regular season. Virgin Valley will travel to Spring Valley, then host Boulder City Friday night for a chance at first place.

Moapa will host Boulder City then finish with Cheyenne at home before next week’s tournament at Durango.

Moapa is 5-19 on the season. Virgin Valley is 13-9.