By GANNON HANEVOLD
Moapa Valley Progress
Despite it being a fairly close 24-15 game at halftime, it was the third quarter that won the game. The Pirates outscored the Roadrunners 24-10 to pile onto their lead.
Moapa Valley would eventually win by a final score of 60-34. Leading the Pirates in scoring were underclassmen Lainey Cornwall and Kaitlyn Andersen with 12 points apiece. Senior Kinlee Marshall added 11 as well.
Following the win against SECTA, the Pirates would return home for the first time in twelve days to take on Chaparral.
Early on, the Pirates seemed to have a force field around their rim. Shot after shot couldn’t find the bottom of the net.
Despite being pummeled by Moapa earlier in the year, Chaparral found a way to start strong and led 5-3 in the first quarter.
However, the Pirates found a way to get the team clicking, as they have time and time again this season. A 10-0 run, led by a pair of threes and bookended with a Shelbi Walker layup in transition, put Moapa in the lead 13-5. They would go on to lead 17-7 after eight minutes of play.
With the margin still ten points at 20-10 late in the second quarter, the Pirates began to pull ahead. They scored six unanswered to end the half with a score of 26-10.
They carried their momentum into the second half as they came out and started running the fastbreak offense with efficiency. Basket after basket piled on in what would turn out to be a 20-2 run by Moapa Valley. If the six point spurt to end the first half is included, the run could be called a 26-2 run, which is certainly one of the Pirates’ best of the year.
Moapa Valley would go on to hold onto their lead and defeat the Cowboys by a final score of 55-24. Leading the Pirates once more in scoring was sophomore Lainey Cornwall, who had 10 points for the game. Following Cornwall on the scoresheet would be the trio of seven points each out of Shelbi Walker, Kinlee Marshall, and Matilda Thompson. Macy Morgan and Natalie Mills added five and four points in quality minutes off the bench as well.
This week the Pirates will get their well-awaited rematch with the rival Bulldogs on Friday. However, this time, Virgin Valley will be forced to travel into Moapa and face the home crowd of the Pirates. The game is sure to be another blockbuster.
