Lake Mead boys cruise to title; Pahranagat Valley girls survive

Jeff Newton didn't need to look deep into the handbook of basketball coaches' inspirational speeches at halftime Saturday. The Lake Mead boys coach told his team two simple words.

"Have fun," Newton said to his Eagles, who led Pahranagat Valley by only four points at halftime of the Class 1A Southern League championship game at Desert Oasis.

The quick speech was just what the Eagles needed. Lake Mead made 11 of 14 field goals en route to a 19-point third-quarter scoring edge to pull away for a 69-50 win.

Both teams were guaranteed a berth in the state tournament, which begins Friday in Reno.

"It was almost like we weren't having fun," Newton said. "We work so hard, and when you work as hard as they work, you have to have fun. We finally kicked it in gear."

Coming off a 103-point performance in Friday's semifinal game against Trinity, the Eagles didn't find their rhythm in the first half Saturday, in large part because of the Panthers' solid defense.

Lake Mead (25-4) made only 13 of 31 first-half field-goal attempts, giving Pahranagat Valley (19-11) opportunities to keep the game close.

"We took away some of their perimeter game in the first half," Panthers coach Brian Higbee said.

De'Quan Thompson scored 10 points, L.J. Yamazon eight and Landon Littlefield seven in the third-quarter spurt that turned the Eagles' 28-24 halftime lead into a 55-32 bulge.

"We just weren't able to keep scoring with them," Higbee said. "We were a little slow rotating on defense in the second half, and it cost us."

Thompson and Littlefield each finished with 22 points for Lake Mead. Tyler Higbee led the Panthers with 13 points.

GIRLS

■ Pahranagat Valley 43, Lake Mead 41 -- Nikki Schofield, who scored a team-high 14 points, gave the Panthers the lead for good with a basket in the lane with 1:29 to go as Pahranagat Valley claimed the 1A Southern League girls title.

Schofield scored while being fouled on the go-ahead bucket, which gave the Panthers (20-9) a 40-39 lead.

Pahranagat Valley's Alyssa Higbee then made 3 of 4 free throws in the final 40 seconds, and the Panthers withstood a potential game-tying shot from Jordan Clarke in the paint to hold on for the victory. The Eagles (23-5) ran out of time before getting off a second shot.

"We got the look we wanted. It just didn't go in," Lake Mead coach Derek Anderson said.

Both teams advanced to the state tournament, which begins Friday in Reno. Pahranagat Valley clinched the South's top seed.

Taylor Badua-Kono scored 21 points on 10-for-20 shooting for Lake Mead, which will play in its first state tournament.