Dave Maxwell
Cullen Highbe guards against Cameron Larson of Moapa Valley. Moapa won the game in overtime 52-47. The boys play this weekend at the Beaver Dam Invitational.
Jacob Roemer’s under-the-basket lay in with 2.9 seconds remaining tied the game, but Pahranagat Valley was held scoreless in the overtime period and lost their opening game of the season to visiting Moapa Valley 52-47.
Jay Mortensen scored 14 points, and the Pirates outscored the Panthers 5-0 in the overtime to pull out a victory.
Koby Frei and Derek Cope each hit two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for Division I-A Moapa Valley, which trailed 34-31 after three quarters. Frei finished with 12 points for the Pirates (3-4), who grabbed a 47-45 lead late.
“It seemed every time we got the lead in the fourth quarter,” said PVHS coach Mike Strong, “those two would knock down a three.”
He said, “It is always tough when you only have a week of practice, since most of the players were on the state championship football team.” The boys took a week off after that, and haven’t really been in the gym as a complete group since Nov. 30.
The Panthers are now 1-3 against the Pirates since 2010, having lost three straight since winning 53-44 in 2010, the year they went on to upset Lake Mead to win the first of their four consecutive state titles.
Pahranagat (0-1) plays this weekend at the Beaver Dam Invitational Dec. 11-12 which includes Beatty, Lund, Virgin Valley JV, Liberty Baptist, and host Beaver Dam. Strong said he expects to play five games there.
Between now and January 7, the Panther boys have only one home game, with Lake Mead on Dec. 19. They face in-county rival Lincoln County in Panaca Dec. 15.
After Christmas, Strong said the team will participate in the Mountain View Tournament in Las Vegas, Dec. 26-30, a 16-team affair that draws some of the better small schools in the area, and some from California. “We start with Bonanza Dec. 26, and after that, I don’t know,” said Strong.
