Legacyճ Chris White (5), left, watches as teammate Cristian Pitts (3), second from left, dribbles the ball past Canyon SpringsՠKaeJon Barnes (20), second from right, and Knylen Miller-Levi (13), right, during the second quarter of a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Canyon SpringsՠKevin Legardy (4), center, eyes the ball following a free-throw during the second quarter of a basketball game against Legacy at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Canyon SpringsՠKaeJon Barnes (20), second from left, scores against Legacyճ Chris White (5), left, during the second quarter of a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Legacyճ Cristian Pitts (3), center, jumps for the ball as Canyon SpringsՠChristopher Ward (10), left, follows during the second quarter of a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Canyon SpringsՠJorden Williams (3), left, is blocked by Legacyճ Tyrell Nolen (11), right, during the first quarter of a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Canyon SpringsՠKevin Legardy (4), left, and Legacyճ Cristian Pitts (3), right, race toward the ball during the first quarter of a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Legacyճ Jayvon Lewis (4), left, and Canyon SpringsՠJorden Williams (3), center, dive for the ball during the third quarter of a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Canyon Springs won 72-54. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Legacyճ Cristian Pitts (3) shoots a free-throw during the third quarter of a basketball game against Canyon Springs at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Canyon Springs won 72-54. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Canyon SpringsՠKayvon Alexander (11) grips his hands together as he watches during the fourth quarter of a basketball game against Legacy at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Canyon Springs won 72-54. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Legacyճ Cristian Pitts (3), left, is helped up by teammate Chris White (5), right, after falling during the third quarter of a basketball game against Canyon Springs at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Canyon Springs won 72-54. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Canyon SpringsՠChristopher Ward (10) scores against Legacy during the fourth quarter of a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Canyon Springs won 72-54. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Legacy head coach Jack Tarango III kneels as he rubs his head following a Canyon Springs free-throw during the fourth quarter of a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Canyon Springs won 72-54. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Officers respond after using pepper spray to break up a fight following a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Officers respond after using pepper spray to break up a fight following a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Officers respond after using pepper spray to break up a fight following a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Officers respond after using pepper spray to break up a fight following a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Officers respond after using pepper spray to break up a fight following a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Students stand nearby after officers cleared an area using pepper spray to break up a fight following a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Officers respond after using pepper spray to break up a fight following a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Officers respond after using pepper spray to break up a fight following a basketball game at Canyon Springs High School in North Las Vegas, Friday, Dec. 8, 2017. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Knylen Miller-Levi immediately saw who was going to shoot and immediately decided he was going to stop him.
The Canyon Springs senior guard recognized his AAU teammate and Legacy senior Cristian Pitts moving toward the basket as time was expiring in the first half. Pitts went up for what would have been the game-tying layup at the buzzer, but Miller-Levi stuffed him with a monster block to preserve the Pioneers’ two-point lead.
That defensive effort set up a dominant second half, and Canyon Springs senior Kevin Legardy scored a season-high 35 points as the Pioneers rolled to a 72-54 home victory.
“He’s not going to get the last shot. That’s just not going to happen,” Miller-Levi said. “I think it was a momentum-changer.”
The Pioneers (5-0) led 30-28 at halftime but started to pull away by scoring the first 10 points of the third quarter. And the second half was pretty much Legardy’s showcase.
He scored 20 points in the half, including a 3-pointer three seconds into the third quarter. He made another 3-pointer — in the face of a Legacy defender — to open his team’s scoring in the fourth quarter.
“I was just feeling it right there,” Legardy said. “I’m like ‘I have to let it go.’ ”
Alexander Spaight added 15 points for Pioneers.
The Longhorns (3-5) started off hot and had a 21-17 edge in the second quarter. Six of their 10 baskets in the first half were 3-pointers, but they did not connect from 3-point range in the second half. D’Eric Marlowe led the Longhorns with 14 points, and teammate Jaylon Jones added 12 points and 11 rebounds.
But Legacy had no answer for Legardy, who is averaging 27.6 points.
“If we keep it up, we can really do something this year,” Legardy said. “If we keep playing how we’re playing now, you’ll see us in the long run.”
A Clark County School District police officer deployed pepper spray Friday night to break up a fight between two girls following the Canyon Springs and Legacy game.
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