Sunrise Mountain freshman carries Miners past Trojans
It was trouble from the jump as the Trojans came into Sunrise Mountain for a non-league scheduled contest Monday evening.
The Class 4A Lake League Miners, who showed little mercy on the Trojans JV program, carried that attitude into their game against the varsity program.
Getting off to a quick 11-0 run to open the game, the Miners were propelled by a 20-point performance by freshman Amari Carroll that led Sunrise Mountain to a running clock 89-58 victory over the Trojans.
Blending a mixture of physical play inside and strong shooting from the beyond the arch, the Miners (10-8) were able to shoot an overall 52% from the floor.
Early trouble
The game was barely six minutes old when the tone had already hardened into something the Trojans would spend the rest of the night trying—and failing—to soften.
By the time senior Keir Sheppard finally put the Trojans on the board with a layup at the 4:40 mark of the opening quarter, Sunrise had already established consistent ball movement.
Sunrise’s physicality for being a younger roster showed immediately down low in the paint.
The Trojans struggled to finish around the rim early—missed floaters, point-blank layups, rushed jumpers—while Sunrise capitalized with second-chance points and constant pressure off the in-bound.
No possession sums it up more than Sunrise’s senior Anthony Brinson grabbing three offensive rebounds on a single trip before finally converting a put back plus a free throw, stretching the lead to 26–11 late in the first quarter.
Pahrump Valley junior Lucas Gavenda and Sheppard were nearly alone in keeping the Trojans afloat early.
Keir’s steal-and-score sequence and his ability to attack in transition briefly slowed the Miners’ momentum, while Gavenda found success slipping inside for finishes late in the quarter.
Still, Sunrise carried a commanding edge into the break, with the Trojans trailing by nine after one, despite flashes of life.
Trojans can’t capitalize
Following Sunrise’s opening run, the Trojans turned to a full-court press—and for a stretch, it worked.
The second quarter featured the Trojans’ best basketball of the night.
Junior Samuel Mendoza knocked down back-to-back corner threes, Keir scored on a pull-up jumper, and Gavenda added a steal-and-layup in transition that trimmed what had once been a 17-point deficit down to 10.
For a brief moment, Sunrise looked uncomfortable.
But not for too long. The response came not with pace, but with poise.
Sunrise slowed down the game, attacked mismatches, and closed the half on another scoring surge behind interior finishes and trips to the free-throw line.
Every Trojan push was met with an answer, and by halftime, Sunrise had reasserted control with a sizable cushion of 55-36.
Third-quarter scrap
Any hopes of a second-half comeback disappeared quickly.
Sheppard opened the third quarter aggressively, scoring twice at the rim as the Trojans again went to a full-court press.
But Sunrise’s guards handled the pressure cleanly, and once the first few presses were broken, the floodgates opened.
A three-pointer by Carroll at the 6:31 mark pushed Sunrise’s lead to its largest of the night (36) and from there the game tilted sharply.
Sunrise rained in perimeter shots, finished in transition, and punctuated the quarter with a dunk that symbolized the growing scoring rap between the teams.
Down but not out
The lead ballooned again past 30, forcing a Trojan timeout as Sunrise’s confidence visibly surged.
Despite the margin, Mendoza continued to compete, knocking down another three, and the Trojans showed resilience in spots late.
The fourth quarter became a formality as Sunrise pushed the lead as high as 49 before closing out the 89–58 win.
With the opportunity, the Trojans were able to check in a couple reserves including Kristopher Trejo, Kamden Moore and Luca Blundo.
The final score reflected what the game had been from the opening minutes: Sunrise dictating terms with pressure, physicality and balance, while the Trojans were left chasing rhythm they never quite found.
For the Trojans, the takeaway was clear—when their press generated turnovers and pace, they were competitive.
When it didn’t, Sunrise made them pay.
By the numbers
Sunrise Mountain shot an efficient 52% from the field (35-of-67) and 61% on two-point attempts, consistently finishing around the basket.
Three-Point Shooting
Sunrise Mountain connected on 7 three-pointers, while Pahrump Valley struggled to generate perimeter offense despite conversions from Mendoza.
Rebounding
Sunrise Mountain dominated the glass 44–22, including 20 offensive rebounds, creating extra possessions throughout the game.
The Trojans grabbed 22 total rebounds, with 4 offensive and 18 defensive rebounds. They moved the ball for 14 assists and recorded 6 steals.
Play making
The Miners recorded 19 assists, showing strong ball movement and unselfish offense.
Defense
Sunrise Mountain forced turnovers with 18 steals and 6 blocks, disrupting Pahrump Valley’s rhythm. The Trojans finished with 3 blocks and committed 7 turnovers while recording six steals.
Game Leaders
Sunrise Mountain
Amari Carroll (Fr) — 20 points · 4 threes · 7 rebounds
A. Hawkins Jr. (Fr) — 15 points · 5 rebounds · 3 assists
D. Baker Williams (Jr) — 14 points · 7-for-11 shooting
Anthony Brinson (Sr) — 11 points · 4 rebounds
Pahrump Valley
Lucas Gavenda (Jr) — 21 points · 3 rebounds · 3 steals
Keir Sheppard (Sr) — 12 points · 7 rebounds · 4 assists
Samuel Mendoza (Jr) — 9 points
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@pvtimes.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
