By GANNON HANEVOLD
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley High School Girls Basketball team fought out three tough games last week which included a Nevada 4A school, a contender from Utah, and arguably one of the Pirates’ toughest competitors in the 3A. It was a full schedule for Moapa to handle.
The Pirates started the week on Tuesday, Dec. 11, with a home game against Pine View (UT). The Panthers came into the gym with one noticeable defining trait: height. The team boasted two athletes over six feet tall, As such, the Pirates were ready to focus on keeping the Panthers out of the paint.
In the first quarter, both sides got off to a well-fought start. Both teams seemed to be in a consistent rhythm. The quarter was capped off by an Emilie Barraza corner three-pointer just as the buzzer sounded. Barraza’s highlight-reel play knotted the score at 11.
In the second quarter, both sides focused on their defensive performance. The offense of each team struggled while defenses rallied consecutive stops on both ends of the court.
Ultimately, Moapa Valley would go into halftime with the slimmest of leads, 17-16. They would still lead by one going into the fourth quarter.
With the game still close and just minutes left, it came down to who made shots at critical times. Unfortunately, the Pirates’ shots didn’t seem to fall at opportune moments. Meanwhile, Pine View used their post players to make plays. Ultimately, the Pirates fell 42-38.
Kaitlyn Anderson led the way for the Moapa team with 15 points.
“We probably played our best defensive game of the season,” said Pirate head coach Brandon Jones. “Towards the end of the game, they just made two more plays than we did. I was proud of the girls and that we battled against their size.”
The next evening, the Pirates hosted the Shadow Ridge Mustangs of the Division 4A. The week earlier, the Mustangs held Moapa to just 25 points. This time around, the offenses were on display.
Going into the fourth quarter, the Pirates trailed 45-27, but refused to go down without a fight. The team strung together shots from Kaitlyn Hopkins, Peyton Schraft, and Lainey Cornwall to cut the lead to just five late in the game. The Pirates eventually lost momentum and would fall 63-55.
“The girls had a mental switch and were very unselfish on offense and were able to press to force a few turnovers,” Jones said. “We just ran out of steam.”
Late in the game, the Mustangs ran a defensive style where they played man defense against Cornwall and Anderson, but played zone with their other three defenders.
The Pirates saw this same defense tactic once more in their final game of the week at Pahrump Valley. The Trojans and Pirates came to play in a physical environment.
“This was more of a rugby match!” said Jones of the struggle. “There were times where I couldn’t tell what sport was being played.”
Both sides faced early foul trouble that changed the game’s strategy. At halftime, the Pirates led 17-16 for their second game this week. With Pahrump and Moapa as the two favorites to win their respective leagues, this game had plenty of relevance for the playoff outlook later this season.
With two minutes left, the game remained close, and would be tied just under that 120 second mark. As Lainey Cornwall and Kaitlyn Anderson were locked up defensively, Jones called on junior Andalin Hillstead to deliver the important basket to take the lead. Hillstead delivered, and one possession later freshman Emma Humes would score to give the Pirates a five point lead. They held onto it until the final buzzer.
The unsung heroes Humes and Hillstead provided confidence that the Pirates can count on anyone on the court to score in critical moments.
“They made the two biggest plays of the game and we were able to hang on,” Jones said. “It was a good experience. The girls are fearless.”
The fearless Pirates will take on Pahranagat Valley this Friday night before their winter break begins.
