By GANNON HANEVOLD
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley High School Girls Basketball team has left the annual Lake Mead Holiday Classic tournament with a championship trophy for the previous two seasons. In both of those years, the team has found success in both regular and post seasons.
This year, with high playoff hopes, they hoped to start on the right foot again.
But before the tournament, the team took on the SLAM Academy Bulls on Tuesday, November 27 in their home opener. Missing was their two top scorers: Lainey Cornwall and Kaitlyn Anderson, who were away on a school trip.
All the same, the team found a way to pull off the victory regardless. Eleven points from freshman Emma Humes and ten from junior Andalin Hillstead led the way for Moapa Valley as they defeated the Bulls 41-22. Kyla Bradshaw also added eight points and the team started the season with a 1-0 record.
“It was a good opportunity for some of these younger kids to play a bunch,” said head coach Brandon Jones.
Days later, after the missing players had returned to the team, the Pirates traveled to the Lake Mead Holiday Classic.
Their first game came against SECTA. Moapa struggled out of the gates in this matchup.
“Getting those girls back late Wednesday night and having to come back Thursday – we were just a little rusty,” Jones said. “That was really our first game together. Once we got going, we were pretty good.”
The team put on a clinic late in the game despite a rally by the Roadrunners to tie the game in the second half. The team sunk nine threes in total for the game, including four from Lainey Cornwall. Cornwall scored 24 points to lead all scorers and send the Pirates to the next round with a 65-50 victory.
Their next game came against the host school: Calvary Chapel Lions. The Pirates comfortably led at halftime, 32-17. But Calvary Chapel did not go out quietly. Once again, the Pirates had to protect against a late game rally. The combination of Cornwall and Kaitlyn Anderson warded it off. The Pirates’ two leading scorers combined for 44 of the team’s 55 total. Twenty-three came from Anderson, and 21 from Cornwall. The final score would be 55-45, sending the Pirates back to the championship game.
There, they met the rival Boulder City Eagles. Early in that game, the Eagles gave the Pirates plenty to worry about. At the end of the first quarter, Boulder City led the Pirates 14-9, despite five early points from Kyla Bradshaw.
Between quarters, head coach Brandon Jones challenged his team to step up on the defensive end. The Pirates responded to the challenge. They held the Eagles to five second quarter points and just three in the third. The score was 30-22 for Moapa Valley going into the final period.
There, the Pirates faced yet another fourth quarter comeback attempt. The Eagles cut the lead down to just three points with under thirty seconds left.
Boulder City now had an opportunity to tie the game. But a turnover gave the game to Moapa Valley. The final score was 41-38, Pirates, and MVHS took home the tournament trophy for the third straight season.
Unsurprisingly, Lainey Cornwall took home tournament MVP honors for averaging 20.3 points per game. Right alongside her, Kaitlyn Anderson averaged 15.3 with nine rebounds per game as well.
“These girls know how to play close games, and they always seem to find ways to win,” Jones said. “I know what they can do, and this group of girls just hates to lose.”
The Pirates start the year 4-0 and bring home a nice trophy plaque to show off back on campus. They’ll look to stay hot with another preseason tournament this weekend in Virgin Valley starting Friday.
