No. 4 Lady Trojans sink the ship, send Moapa Valley packing — PHOTOS
I could write a book about the season-long efforts of Pahrump Valley High School sophomore Addi Nelsen, but just three words come to mind.
Scrappy. Tenacious. Determined.
The Trojans girls basketball rising star’s efforts combined with her partner in crime Riley Saldana, lifted the program at home past No. 5 Moapa Valley Wednesday night 43-24 in the first round of the Class 3A Southern Regionals.
Pahrump Valley delivered a statement win Friday night, pulling away with a dominant defensive second-half performance, holding the Pirates to only eight total points.
It had the feel of a playoff grind early.
Trojans junior Riley Saldana opened the scoring with a strong take, but Moapa Valley countered immediately as Presley Adams answered inside.
Tasked with shutting down the Pirates leading scorer, Saldana did a fantastic job.
The first quarter turned into a whistle-heavy defensive battle, with both teams trading fouls and fighting for rhythm.
Moapa Valley freshman Phoebe Leavitt drilled a deep three to give the Pirates a spark, but Pahrump Valley stayed poised.
Nelsen continued to steadily attack the lane with clutch free throws from Autumn Colon and Olivia Veloz fueled an 8–0 run that swung momentum.
Lily Cox trimmed the deficit late, yet the Trojans carried a 10–8 edge after one.
The Pirates faced foul trouble in bonus with 2:30 left to play in the quarter but struck brief luck with multiple missed free-throw attempts from Pahrump.
The second quarter simply showcased Pahrump Valley’s depth.
Trojans senior Jules Ondrisko took over the quarter, igniting the offense with back-to-back buckets, stretching the floor and forcing defensive adjustments.
Moapa Valley junior co-captain Adri Hillstead buried a triple to keep Moapa within reach, and Leavitt added another tough finish, but every Pirate push was quickly staved by a Trojan response.
Ondrisko’s three-pointer late in the half felt like a dagger for the Pirates before the break, sending Pahrump into halftime up five, 21–16.
Then came the knockout punch.
Ella Odegard opened the third with a smooth three that lit up the entire student section and Nelsen followed with one of her own as the Trojans erupted on an 11–3 run coming out of halftime.
Once again, the Pirates found themselves plagued by foul trouble, reaching bonus for the second time in 32 minutes on the floor.
Saldana controlled the paint, scoring through contact and converting key free throws. Suddenly the lead ballooned to 32–19 heading into the fourth.
Moapa Valley tried to rally, but foul trouble continued to mount quick.
Taylee Bunch and Presley Adams fouled out, stalling any comeback hopes for the Pirates who travelled 130 miles one-way for the contest.
Meanwhile, Nelsen and Saldana continued to dictate the game’s tempo, closing the game at the line and slowing down in transition.
A late bucket from sophomore Cindal Monahan capped it off as Pahrump Valley finished strong, outscoring the Pirates 22–8 in the second half to seal a commanding 43–24 victory.
The Trojans finished shooting 15-of-52 shooting (29%) from the field and went 3-of-11 (27%) from three while hitting 10-of-29 (34%) at the free-throw line.
Saldana capped a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Nelsen added 12 points and five steals. Ondrisko followed with eight points, five rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.
The Trojans grabbed 38 rebounds and forced 19 steals but committed 22 turnovers in the game.
Next Round
The Lady Trojans are set to return tonight for the semifinals of the Class 3A Southern Regionals playoffs against the No. 1 seeded Virgin Valley Bulldogs at 6:20 p.m.
Wear all white to support your Trojans in the gym!
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
