By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
The Lady Pirates beat Virgin Valley 39-35 on Friday to improve their league record to 6-4, tied with Boulder City for fourth place in the Sunrise League, but ahead of them in the head to head tie-breaker having beaten them in Boulder City.
Virgin Valley came into Friday’s game sitting in third place with a 7-3 record.
The Pirates led after each quarter in this game: 11-10 in the first quarter then 22-15 at half time.
The Bulldogs closed the gap to three points by the end of the third quarter as they outscored Moapa Valley 16-12 setting up the fourth quarter.
Moapa Valley started the quarter with two turnovers. Virgin Valley then returned the favor plus one as they turned the ball over on their next three possessions.
Moapa Valley decided to slow down the pace and took three minutes off the clock moving the ball around without a shot and without much pressure from Virgin Valley. That may have been a mistake for Virgin Valley as the Pirates couldn’t make a free throw, finishing 4-13 from the line.
Kinlee Marshall with 2:23 to play went to the free throw line and missed the front end of a 1 and 1. After a Virgin Valley turnover Marshall was fouled again and promptly missed another front end of a 1 and 1.
After a Bulldog miss the Pirates rebounded and called a timeout. Walker missed a three-pointer then Virgin Valley turned the ball over forcing another Marshall foul. She missed her free throw again.
Frustrated Marshall went after the ball fouling Spencer Green who went to the line and made her two free throws closing the lead to 38-33.
It was Kayla Shumway’s turn to shoot free throws getting two attempts with 14 seconds remaining. Shumway missed the first then a time out. She missed the second after a return to the floor.
The Bulldogs rebounded and pushed the ball up the floor where Green missed two three-point attempts before being fouled. Green made both shots cutting the Pirate lead to three, 38-35.
The Bulldogs fouled on the inbound with :00.2 remaining. Not enough time remaining. When there is :00.2 left in the game by rule there is no shot quick enough released to get the shot off not even a tip.
Summer Evans made one of two giving the Pirates a 39-35 win after a long heave fell short.
The Bulldogs were led by Briana Todd who scored 18 points. Virgin Valley was 9-11 from the free throw line while making two three-pointers. Moapa Valley was led by two, Summer Evans and Matilda Thompson each scoring 7 points. Moapa Valley was 4-13 from the free throw line and made seven three pointers.
In the first game last week the Pirates fell short of league-leading Chaparral 63-50. Chap dominated from the beginning as they took a 20-7 lead by the end of the first quarter. They raced to a 41-12 lead by halftime then coasted as the Pirates outscored the Cowboys 19-9 then 19-13 in the third and fourth quarters.
Chaparral was a pitiful 13-33 from the free throw line while the Pirates were 10-19. Marcia Hawkins was the leading scorer with 20 points. Jade Hazelton scored 14, Alexis Vanstory scored 12 and Jasmine Martin added 10 points for the Cowboys.
Tapanga Durham led the Pirates with 14 points while Marshall added 13 points.
The Pirates will host the Eagles of Boulder City Tuesday night then travel to Del Sol on Thursday.
