Six Straight: Lady Trojans roll past SECTA, continue red-hot league surge — PHOTOS
Count em up!
That’s now six wins in a row for your Lady Trojans varsity basketball program.
After defeating Southeast Career Technical Academy at home 58-35 Tuesday night, Pahrump Valley has now improved to 9-7 overall with an impressive 4-2 3A Southern League record.
Pahrump currently sits third in the standings behind CASLV and Virgin Valley, with Boulder City looming just behind.
The Eagles, whom Pahrump will face later today on the road, are 4–2 in league play and 9–10 overall.
Despite a strong showing from SECTA junior scoring leader Mila Vidacic, who finished with 14 points, and 12 from sophomore Gianna Johnson-Jeffries, the Roadrunners couldn’t keep the pace.
The Trojans’ balanced attack proved decisive, as Riley Saldana (20), Kaitlyn Brown (13), and Sydney Crotty (10) all reached double figures on the scoreboard.
Brown continued to dish the ball for the Trojans as the sophomore totaled a whopping 15 rebounds on the evening.
Crotty wasn’t far behind herself with eight boards of her own.
Pahrump Valley only shot 35% overall from the floor (35/62) and 12-21 overall from the free-throw line but it wouldn’t matter as the Trojans opened hard with 18 points and carried that momentum into the second, limiting SECTA to just six points in quarter two.
With a comfortable 34-20 lead at halftime, the Trojans would check in reserves Adrian Rodgers, Julie Briggs, Kaylan Robinson, and Cindal Monahan all came on for more than four full minutes.
“It’s awesome seeing them get in minutes and they’re scoring too. It’s not like they’re coming in and not doing anything,” Saldana said. “They’re pretty good on defense, and I’m proud of how they’ve been performing lately.”
Despite the rotations, Saldana, Crotty and Brown were not limited on minutes as the Trojans took full advantage of being able to execute different offensive schemes.
This season has been what Saldana has called a “night-and-day difference” but it’s not by accident.
As head coach Bob Hopkins opened the gym up those early rising summer mornings, the girls showed up and didn’t waste the opportunity.
“It means a lot. Because if you’ve seen who we were last year compared to this year, it’s been a big change, the preparation,” Saldana said. “We were in the gym every single day, working as a team.”
Just as the student-made banner that hung in their gym Monday night read, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard,” the Trojans are showing home fans this season that mantra with a vengeance.
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
