The Pahrump Valley High School Trojans boys’ junior varsity basketball team hit the road on Friday, Dec. 5, to face Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon, delivering a high-energy performance in a game defined by defensive pressure, quick transitions, and steady improvement across all four quarters. Although the Trojans ultimately fell 62–53, the team showed strong teamwork, resilience, and multiple standout moments that kept them competitive throughout the night.
PVHS opened with starters Kamden Moore, Josh Gent, Anthony Montanez, Chasen Hamann, and Tanner Gott. The Trojans secured the opening tip, setting the tone early with confident ball movement and willingness to shoot. Despite a few early misses, Pahrump stayed composed under heavy defensive pressure from Sloan Canyon’s full-court press.
After falling behind 4–0, PVHS broke through at the free-throw line when Gott drew contact driving to the basket and sank both shots, making it 4–2. Kris Trejo entered off the bench and immediately provided a spark, scoring on a clean fast-break layup to help close the gap late in the first quarter. Montanez added a smooth pull-up jumper at the free-throw line with five seconds left, cutting the Pinecrest lead to 13–6 after the opening period.
The Trojans opened the second quarter with intensity, turning up their own full-court pressure. The adjustment paid off quickly—Trejo scored again in transition, and Montanez capitalized on a steal for an easy bucket to make it 14–10. Pahrump’s ball movement continued to shine on inbound plays, with Montanez knocking down a corner shot and Moore scoring on a strong baseline drive moments later.
With 3:48 left in the half, Moore absorbed contact, went to the free-throw line, and calmly hit both to tie the game 16–16. The back-and-forth continued as Montanez dropped in a floater to give PVHS a brief 18–16 lead. Pinecrest answered each push, and the Trojans trailed just 24–22 at halftime—well within striking distance.
Coming out of the break, Sloan scored first on a transition basket, but the Trojans matched them possession for possession. Hamann muscled in a key rebound and putback to make it 26–24, and moments later Gott buried a momentum-building three-pointer to pull PVHS within 28–27. The Trojans’ defensive energy remained high with Hamann recording a strong block late in the quarter, and Trejo finishing at the rim to give PVHS a 37–36 advantage before Sloan regained a one-point lead heading into the final period.
The fourth quarter saw Pinecrest open with a flurry, stretching their lead on a pair of baskets and converting a three-point play to make it 41–37. They continued to pressure PVHS, forcing steals and drawing fouls to widen the margin. Despite the run, the Trojans continued to battle. Gott scored on a drive, Moore knocked down multiple free throws, and Hamann produced several big plays—including a made basket through contact to trim the score to 54–46.
Montanez added another strong drive from the corner to bring PVHS within six, 54–48. Moore followed with a basket of his own and later sank two more free throws as the Trojans trimmed the margin again, 56–52, heading into the final minute. PVHS continued to push, forcing Pinecrest to earn every point at the line, and Montanez added one more free throw with 36 seconds remaining. Despite their late surge, the Trojans ran out of time, falling 62–53 in a hard-fought contest.
After the game, JV Head Coach Royce Avena praised the effort while noting what the team hopes to sharpen moving forward, saying, “As a team we play really hard, really intense. We just need to make sure we do it for the whole game. The basics, rebounding, unforced errors are what we are going to focus on next game.”
While the scoreboard didn’t tip in their favor, the Trojans demonstrated hard work and promising development across all four quarters. With multiple players contributing offensively and the team showing strong execution in the press and inbound sets, Friday’s game offered plenty to build on as the JV squad gets going in the season.
