Trojans dethrone Royals in lopsided league victory

Showcasing their most dominant performance of the season, the Trojans made short work of league foe Cristo Rey St. Viator last Wednesday.

The Trojans didn’t need to rely on shooting lights out, but rather leaned on their defense in the 51-8 blowout.

Capping off the end of their nine-game road trip, the Trojans last played at home on Dec. 12 prior to defeating Moapa Valley in their backyard on Jan. 9.

Pahrump Valley showcased the whole roster with every Trojan checking in for at least 12 minutes on the floor.

Trojans head coach Bob Hopkins wouldn’t waste the golden opportunity to facilitate the ball to the reserves as Pahrump led at the half 33-3.

“I thought it was awesome to see all of my teammates getting minutes,” Trojans leading scorer Riley Saldana said. “It excites me to see the young players get to score in a varsity game. It reminds me of being a freshman and I’m eager to see their growth.”

Despite shooting just 31% from the field (20-for-64) and hitting a sole three-pointer, Pahrump Valley (7-7, 3-3 Class 3A Southern League) controlled the night’s tempo with stiff defense efforts down in the paint, forcing a slew of turnovers and extra possessions.

Saldana, who only played 16 total minutes on Jan. 7, made the most of them as the junior finished with a team-best 16 points. The junior was dominant in the paint and disruptive defensively, anchoring Pahrump Valley’s attack.

It was a party for the sophomores as Kaitlyn Brown, Ella Odegard, Addi Nelsen and Aurora Bowers all came to boogie.

Brown totaled 9 points and six rebounds displaying efficient inside scoring (3-for-6 on two FGs) while Odegard contributed six points with strong finishes around the rim (3-for-5 FG).

Pahrump Valley’s defense was the key difference as the Trojans collected 29 steals as a team, forced 17 turnovers and gathered 19 offensive rebounds (39 total rebounds).

Nelsen and Bowers combined for 10 steals, sparking the defense with their aggressive man-coverage.

The Trojans couldn’t have scripted a better start, opening the game with a 14–0 run that immediately put Cristo on its heels. Riley Saldana and Ella Odegard connected for the game’s first basket, and Aurora Bowers followed with a layup and multiple steals to fuel the early surge.

Saldana added points at the rim and from the free-throw line, while the Trojans’ full-court pressure limited Cristo to just five shot attempts in the quarter. Though missed free throws kept the score from ballooning even further, the Trojans closed the period firmly in control, 16–2, after turning defense into constant transition opportunities.

The dominance continued well into the second period.

Odegard opened the quarter with a layup, and after a brief scoring drought, Saldana took over completely—finishing through double teams, converting steals into layups, and pushing the lead past 20. The Trojans rattled off another extended run, highlighted by a Brown outback, Addi Nelsen’s three from the top of the key and continuous turnovers forced by stiff defensive pressure off the in-bound pass.

The Royals (0-9, 0-1 3A Southern League) managed just one point in the entire quarter, as the Trojans went into halftime with a commanding 33–3 advantage.

Reserves entered early, yet the Trojans never let up.

Cristo Rey briefly found the basket to open the half, but the Trojans quickly responded with scoring from throughout the lineup.

Trojan sophomore Cindal Monahan knocked down free throws, Emily Zaragoza converted at the line, and Adrian Rogers, Sydney Crotty, Kaylan Robinson, and Julie Briggs all finished inside.

Saldana capped the quarter with consecutive layups as the lead continued to balloon.

The Trojans outpaced Cristo Rey 18–5 in the third quarter, extending the advantage to 51–8.

With the outcome well in hand, the Trojans focused on cleaner ball movement to close out the well-established victory.

Cristo added a free throw late, but the Trojans controlled the pace, protected the ball, and ran clock to seal the 51–8 victory.

Pahrump gained a valuable league victory that will bode them well later come the creation of playoff bracket seedings.

Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.