By DAVE BELCHER
Moapa Valley Progress
The Lady Bulldogs travelled to Logandale on Friday, Dec. 20 to take on the Moapa Valley High School Girls Basketball team. The Pirates beat the Dawgs 47-33 in the second league game for both teams.
Virgin Valley’s head coach Chimane Creer has been with the team for 11 years now. During that time she is 159-108 leading her teams to two state championship games but losing both.
This year the Bulldogs have started out slow at 3-5 overall and 1-1 in the Sunrise after last week’s loss.
Moapa Valley, on the other hand, is 7-2 overall and 2-0 in league play.
On Friday night the Pirates allowed the Bulldogs to take an 8-0 lead to start the game. The Pirates turned over the ball three in the first four possessions on offense.
So Virgin Valley made two three-point shots in the first three trips on the offensive side.
Kaitlyn Anderson started the Pirates scoring with a steal and layup. Then she was fouled on a drive to the basket where she was sent to the free throw line making both shots and cutting the Dawg lead in half.
Virgin Valley had a lead with 1:25 to play in the first quarter when Emma Humes made a three pointer. That started an 8 point Pirate run that carried them to a 14-11 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Anderson finished by scoring the final five points of the first with a drive down the middle, and then a three pointer.
Moapa Valley started the second quarter with a 6-1 run building a 20-12 lead after a layup by Andi Hillstead with under four minutes to play in the half.
Emilie Lyon scored a three-pointer giving the Pirates a double figure lead with just under three minutes to play in the first half. Anderson had scored 12-points in the first half in helping the Pirates with a 26-26 lead at halftime.
A week ago in the Virgin Valley tournament the Pirates beat Virgin Valley 43-41 on an Anderson drive down the middle. THe ball had gone through the hoop as the time ended. It was not going to be anywhere near that close this time around.
Anderson and Hillstead each made three-pointers giving the Pirates a 31-18 lead early in the third. Hillstead made another a minute later. Humes scored on an inbound play followed by an Anderson layup on a fastbreak giving the Pirates a 38-22 lead with three minutes to play in the third. Virgin Valley then scored six points to end the third trailing Moapa Valley 38-28 when the third quarter ended.
In the fourth quarter Moapa Valley slowed the pace scoring nine in the fourth and allowing five points for the final score.
Anderson led the Pirates with 21-points while Hillstead scored 10.
Alexis Boatright led the Bulldogs with 14-points.
Moapa Valley will play this week in the Green Valley Gator Classic at Green Valley High School. They will play SECTA in their game on Thursday then play Yerington on Friday. They will have a game on Saturday as well depending on the outcome of the previous games.
The Pirates will return home on January 7 to play Pahranagat.
