Late rally lifts No. 3 Boulder City past No. 4 Pahrump Valley on Senior Night
Pahrump Valley High School sophomore Addi Nelsen was merely one more three-pointer away from turning the tide against the Eagles on Senior Night.
Already having knocked down three clutch three-point attempts, Nelsen’s shots wouldn’t continue to fall late as the Trojans dropped the last game of the regular season at home to Boulder City last Friday night, 39-36.
Despite Nelsen’s career-high performance, the Eagles were able to outscore the Trojans 14-9 in the fourth quarter ensuring them the gritty road league victory.
Prior to the tip-off, multiple Trojans seniors, including basketball’s Jules Ondrisko, Julie Briggs and cheer’s Ana Mateos, Micaela Carson and Kyndra Cardwell, were honored in their last year for their contributions to their programs.
Eagles try to claw at Trojans
Boulder City (14-13, 9-5 3A Southern League) rallied from a two-point halftime deficit and closed strong in the fourth quarter to earn a 39–36 win over the Trojans in a tightly contested matchup.
With a slow opening to the first quarter, both defenses took their time to feel each other out offensively.
Pahrump Valley scored first at the free-throw line from Kaitlyn Brown and built an early lead behind buckets from Riley Saldana and Addi Nelsen.
The Eagles stayed within striking distance, getting first-quarter points from sophomores Kyra Stevens and Lauren Mueller, but Pahrump Valley held an 8-5 edge at the end of the opening period.
Quickly finding a momentum early in the second quarter, Eagles junior Makenzie Martorano scored consecutive baskets to give the Eagles their first lead of the game at 9-8.
During a very physical quarter, multiple fouls on both sides were issued alongside a technical assessed to the Pahrump Valley bench.
Despite Boulder City briefly extending its lead behind scoring from senior Kendall Shamo and Mueller, Pahrump Valley responded late.
Nelsen knocked down a key three-pointer from deep atop the key in the final minute to give Pahrump Valley a 19–17 advantage at halftime.
The Trojans briefly carried that momentum into the third quarter, opening with a three-pointer from Ondrisko, gradually extending the lead to seven with six minutes to play following layups inside through traffic from Saldana.
Boulder City responds fast
With scoring from Mueller, Malley Jobin, and a late three from Shamo to trim the deficit, the Eagles cut the lead to just two, 27–25, heading into the final quarter.
The final push featured several lead changes and clutch plays on both ends.
Pahrump Valley briefly pushed the lead to four, but Martorano took over offensively, tying the game at 29–29 with a free throw.
Shamo then drilled a dagger of a three-pointer to give Boulder City a 32–29 edge.
After Nelsen tied the game with yet another three, Boulder City responded at the free-throw line, with Stevens calmly converting two shots to regain the lead.
Shamo added her second three of the quarter to stretch the advantage, and Stevens scored again late to make it a five-point game.
The Trojans (13-11, 8-6) continued to fight, cutting the deficit to three in the final minute, but Boulder City’s defense and late-game execution sealed the victory.
Boulder City was led by a balanced scoring effort, with key contributions from Martorano, Shamo, Stevens, and Mueller.
Pahrump Valley received equally strong performances from Saldana and Nelsen, who kept the game close throughout with 13 points apiece.
Playoffs set
Finishing as the No. 4 seed in the Class 3A Southern Division, Pahrump Valley will host their rival, the No. 5 seed, Moapa Valley on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the PVHS Gym.
The Trojans are 1-1 this regular season against the Pirates, as Pahrump sunk the ship at home 37-27, on Jan. 9 before falling to Moapa Valley on the road 49-44 on Jan. 30.
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
