Panthers to play for first seed in Southern 1A playoffs

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After wins over Adelson, Liberty Baptist and Beaver Dam, the Pahranagat Valley High School boys basketball team will be playing for the top seed in the Southern 1A playoffs against Word of Life Christian Academy (11-4, 11-2) in Alamo on Friday at 6 p.m.

The Panthers rolled the Adelson Lions in Alamo on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 66-35. PVHS jumped out to a 25-10 lead and went to halftime up 38-17. After outscoring the Lions 18-7 in the third quarter, the Panthers coasted in the fourth.

On Monday, Feb. 2, the Panthers bested the Liberty Baptist Academy Knights 63-51. An 18-2 run fueled by transition buckets in the second quarter propelled the Panthers to victory. 

The Panthers did take an unexpected loss at home to the Mountain View Christian Saints, 50-43. MVC junior Ethan Dobbins was a problem, scoring 33 points on 75% shooting. Due to that loss, the WLCA game to close the regular season decides the league champion.  

“We had our opportunities, but only shot 24% from the field, and 5for-38 from three,” informed PVHS head coach Michael Strong. “A little surprising because we have shot the ball well from deep in the league.”

On Friday, Jan. 30, the Panthers pulled away from Beaver Dam in the second half. After leading 18-16 at halftime, PVHS put up 37 points in the second half and held the Diamondback to just 13 points.

“Very competitive game through the first half. They controlled tempo more than we would have liked. Third quarter we were able to turn them over and get some easier looks,” Strong said. 

The Panthers will be honoring the 1981 State Championship team prior to Friday’s game. Most of the players will be attending the game and will be brought out onto the court to be honored. Strong says they should be treated to a fun game.

“They are a solid team,” Strong said of WLCA Eagles. “They have a guard who can get hot, and some nice role players to play around him. They are aggressive in the 2-3 zone and like to play up-tempo. Should be a fun matchup.”

That guard, senior Jonothan Villanueva, is averaging 27 points per game this season. The Panthers will have their hands full containing him. WLCA won the first matchup between the two teams 50-44 in Las Vegas on Jan. 20.