Fast-starting Cheyenne routs Mojave

Effort hasn't been a problem for Cheyenne's boys basketball team this season, but sometimes it has taken the team a while to kick things into gear.

That didn't happen on Monday night.

The Desert Shields used an early 18-2 run to take control and rolled to a 69-43 road win over Mojave.

"We have been struggling all season with getting good starts at the beginning of games," Cheyenne coach Teral Fair said. "We've done a great job of competing throughout games, but tonight was the first time we actually were able to come out with a lot of energy, playing with a lot of passion, playing with a lot of purpose and were able to sustain it through the whole game."

Senior forward Dewayne Alexander helped ensure the good start, scoring eight of his game-high 19 points in the opening quarter. He also finished with eight rebounds and three steals.

"We've been trying to get Dewayne to be a lot more aggressive offensively," Fair said. "By nature, he's a pass-first, team kind of kid and player. But he has a real unique skill set that makes him a very dynamic player. And when he's involved offensively like he was tonight, then it makes things a lot easier for everyone."

The 10th-ranked Desert Shields (12-4, 5-3 Sunset League) led 11-8 before starting an 18-2 run on a basket by William Federson with 3:04 to go in the first quarter. Cheyenne led 17-10 at the end of the first quarter, and Alahjan Banks helped them extend the lead in the second quarter, scoring seven straight points on a drive, a beautiful crossover move that led to a runner in the lane and a long 3-pointer that made it 27-10.

Kavon Williams finished off the run with a driving layup, and Mojave (9-7, 4-4) never threatened. Cheyenne holds a half-game lead over fourth-place Sierra Vista in the league. The Desert Shields are 1½ games behind second-place Faith Lutheran.

"Right now in this league, every game is the same," Fair said. "It's not about the opponent, it's us right now. Every game is a must-win situation, every game is a playoff situation right now. We plan on trying to win each and every last one of our games from here on out for the rest of the season, and we've got to play like there's no tomorrow."

William Moore added 16 points, 12 rebounds and three assists, and Federson came off the bench to chip in 13 points and five rebounds.

Chrishawn led Mojave with 13 points, and teammate Richard Edwards had 10 points and 13 rebounds. The Rattlers were 6-for-29 (20.7 percent) from the field in the first half and 15-for-54 (27.8 percent) for the game. Cheyenne forced 22 turnovers.

"Our whole game is predicated on energy and effort," Fair said. "Defensively, we've been playing solid all season. This is the first time that we've played on the defensive end where we've been aggressive and in attack mode."

— Contact prep sports editor Damon Seiters at 702-380-4587 or dseiters@reviewjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter: @DamonSeiters