By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
Last week was a busy one for the Moapa Valley High School Boys’ Basketball team. They played three games, two at home and one on the road.
Let’s start with the Tuesday, Jan. 9 game against Beaver Dam Arizona. It wasn’t much of a contest as the Diamondbacks were outmatched in every sense of the game. The Pirates scored a 24-6 first quarter which started a little slow.
The Pirates used a full court man to man press to start the game. Each team turned the ball over as they were getting into the flow of the game.
Beaver Dam scored their six points in the first half of the first quarter then turned the ball over again and again and watch as Moapa Valley scored one layup after another to build their lead.
The second quarter went much like the first quarter. The Pirates built a 41-16 lead by halftime.
Moapa Valley played JV players starting in the middle of the second quarter. Even so, the Pirates built a 60-19 lead by the end of the third quarter before finishing with the final score of 71-28.
The second game of the week was played at Del Sol. It wasn’t a clean game as both teams struggled scoring and keeping the ball in their own possession.
The game was close throughout with neither team building a lead larger than six points. Moapa Valley held a one point advantage, 11-10, after the first quarter.
The second quarter had the teams finding the basket more. The Dragons took a one-point lead by halftime.
Nathaniel Thompson carried the Pirates throughout the game. He totaled 19 points by the end, the only Pirate in double figures, Moapa Valley held a 35-34 lead by the end of the third quarter. The Pirates did not score for the first four minutes of the of the fourth quarter. Then Lucas Walker hit a three pointer for the first score of the quarter.
Del Sol followed with a layup for a 43-40 lead. With under a minute to play Trey Jones made a three pointer from straight away tying the game at 43-43.
Del Sol moved the ball up the floor where Keith Seldon was found wide open behind the three-point line. He knocked the shot down for a 46-43 lead.
Moapa Valley was unable to connect on a three ball and wound up with a loss.
Seldon scored 23 points for Del Sol to lead everyone. Del Sol is now 4-1 in league play.
The Boulder Eagles came to town on Friday night to play the Pirates. The Moapa Valley/Boulder City rivalry is a hard-fought battle every time the two teams meet.
The Eagle built a 14-10 lead by the end of the first quarter and trailed by three points in the third quarter. Thompson once again carried the Pirates as he rebounded and scored from under the basket. The problem was he fouled out with 1:05 to play in the third quarter.
Moapa Valley trailed 35-30 after the third quarter.
The difference in the game came from the free throw line. Boulder City shot 31 freebies making 24 of them.
Of the 18 points the Eagles scored in the fourth quarter, 13 of them came from Billy Ferrence, all of those from the free throw line. They were the only points he would have all night.
Moapa Valley could not catch the Eagles as the Eagles pulled away for a 53-45 win.
Ferrence led the Eagles with his 13 free throws, Karson Bailey added 11 points.
Thompson lead the Pirates with 16 points in just under three quarters of play. Freshman Lucas Walker scored 11 for Moapa Valley.
The Pirates will travel to SECTA on Thursday for an important league game. It is also the first games of a six-game road trip before Del Sol returns to visit. The Pirates have just two home games remaining with nine games left in the season.
