The Pahrump Valley High School Trojans’ B-team girls’ basketball squad wrapped up their season with a hard-fought battle against the Boulder City Eagles at home on Tuesday, January 28. In a game that came down to the final seconds, the young Trojans showed grit and determination before ultimately falling just short, 39-37.
The opening quarter saw Pahrump keeping pace with Boulder City, trailing by just three points at the end of the first, 12-9. The Trojans continued to fight in the second quarter, with Emily Zaragoza scoring early to bring the team within two. As the clock ticked down to halftime, Jane Anson delivered a clutch buzzer-beater to tie the game 19-19, igniting the crowd and sending her teammates into the locker room with momentum.
The Trojans came out strong in the third quarter, with Zaragoza sinking a shot from the top of the key to give Pahrump its first lead of the night at 21-19. Boulder City responded quickly, tying the game and then pulling ahead as the quarter progressed. Despite another key basket from Zaragoza late in the period, the Eagles took a 28-23 lead into the final frame.
In the fourth quarter, tensions ran high as both teams fought for every possession. Zaragoza had an opportunity at the free-throw line after a technical foul but was unable to convert. She made up for it moments later with a bucket to cut the deficit to five. Kaylan Robinson later earned a trip to the foul line, followed by a determined effort from the Trojans, who secured multiple offensive rebounds before Zaragoza once again found the net to bring the score to 32-28.
With just under five minutes to play, Robinson powered through for another basket to keep the Trojans within striking distance. A series of key rebounds led to a score from Ava, bringing Pahrump even closer at 36-32. As the clock wound down, the intensity continued to build. With 1:36 left, an inbound pass found Cindal Monahan, who scored to narrow the gap to 36-34. Monahan then came up with a crucial steal and sprinted downcourt for a layup attempt but lost control of the ball in the final stretch.
As the game entered the final minute, Boulder City called a timeout with 54 seconds remaining. The Eagles managed to score out of the break, but the Trojans answered back in thrilling fashion. Ava Bowers drained a three-pointer with 22 seconds left, bringing the score to 38-37 and giving Pahrump one last chance at victory. However, the Eagles managed to inbound the ball and draw a foul, sending them to the line with four seconds left. They converted one of two free throws to extend their lead to 39-37. The Trojans called a timeout with half a second left, hoping for a last-second miracle, but time ran out before they could get another shot off.
Despite the tough loss, Head Coach Erik Odegard was proud of his team’s effort and growth over the season. “They worked really hard, they hustled,” he said. “But it’s all new for a lot of those girls. And so that’s what the whole season was all about, was working, getting better, and playing stronger. We played a whole lot better tonight than we did when we played at Boulder City. I think we only scored eight points when we went to them.”
Odegard also emphasized the importance of developing young players, noting that everyone on the roster contributed throughout the game. “Everybody played, everybody did their part, they played really hard, they boxed out. I was really impressed with a lot of the boxing out tonight. And even the defense—I thought they played good defense most of the night. Sometimes shots don’t fall. Not quite as strong probably underneath the basket as we want to be when we shoot those shots, so we’ll work on finishing. But yeah, they did a lot of good things all year.”
Although this game marked the end of the season, Odegard reflected on how far the team had come. “They’ve come a long way from where they started to where we finished this year. And it seemed like the girls were happy with how they played tonight. That’s a really important part for the B-team—to make sure that they’re enjoying what they’re doing and having fun so that they come back next year and work hard again.”
While the final score may not have gone in their favor, the Trojans’ performance demonstrated resilience, growth, and the promise of a bright future for the program.
