PHOTOS: Trojans boy’s basketball outmatched on the road by Del Sol
The old phrase, “Rome wasn’t built in a day” couldn’t apply more this season to Pahrump Valley High School’s boys basketball team.
The Trojans (6-18, 2-8) have demonstrated glimpses of greatness in their six victories but overall haven’t quite lived up to their full potential, missing the playoffs this season.
Falling last Wednesday in blowout fashion 58-29 versus Del Sol (4-15, 0-8) on the road was no exception as the Trojans couldn’t slow down the three-point barrage from the Dragons.
Snapping an eight-game losing streak and an 11-game home losing streak, Del Sol was able to shoot 33% from beyond the arch, pushing the lead the whole game.
Dragons PG/SG Jaeden Alexander had a massive game as the junior shot 11-for-20 with 25 points, seven boards and five steals for Del Sol.
“I think they just had good high ball pressure, and we just couldn’t take care of the basketball,” coach Braydon Preston said. “They were just flying around the court, like I expected my team to do. But we just didn’t get the job done tonight, and we’ve just got to get better.”
The Dragons extended their lead over the Trojans quickly to open the contest, finishing the first quarter leading 21-8.
Offensively, the Trojans in the second quarter could only score two following a handful of turnovers that led to easy fast-break opportunities for Del Sol.
Screaming “scoreboard!” following the third quarter, Del Sol’s boisterous student section hammered in that the Dragons had extended their lead to as many as 40.
Despite multiple drives by Jack Toth and Cartier Jenkins, shots just wouldn’t seem to fall as the Trojans converted only 11-for-49 from the field.
Coach Preston was forced to make a major coaching change toward the end of the game, substituting all the starters for the underclassman.
The Trojans came alive in the last two minutes following the substitutions, holding the Dragons scoreless for the first time in the contest. Alejandro Lazano led the scoring for the Trojans, notching six points.
“I think it was probably about two minutes into the fourth quarter, all the way ‘til the end of the fourth quarter that they didn’t score a single bucket,” Preston said. “I appreciate their hard effort that they had the rest of the game as I told them that they got two minutes left and I want you to do go 1,000%, and they did.”
Contact Jacob Powers at jpowers@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jaypowers__ on X.
