The Pahrump Valley High School boys’ basketball team put together one of its most complete and resilient performances of the season Friday night, January 9, rallying from a 15-point deficit to defeat the Moapa Valley Pirates 68–62 at home in Pahrump.
Moapa Valley struck first, scoring on its opening possessions and knocking down an early three to take a 5–0 lead. The Trojans responded with Keir Sheppard drawing contact and converting both free throws before burying a three-pointer to tie the game at 5–5. The opening quarter remained physical and fast-paced, with Lucas Gavenda finishing through contact for an and-one opportunity and Trae Plein scoring late to keep Pahrump Valley close. Despite those efforts, Moapa’s efficiency from the perimeter and at the line gave the Pirates a 16–11 advantage at the end of the first.
The second quarter tested the Trojans’ depth and composure. Foul trouble forced lineup adjustments, but Pahrump Valley continued to battle. Plein provided a spark with a steal and finish in transition, while Sheppard stayed aggressive attacking the basket and converting at the line. Sam Mendoza added a key bucket late in the half, and Sheppard tipped in a missed shot to help slow Moapa’s momentum. Even so, the Pirates capitalized on free throws and second-chance opportunities to carry a 31–23 lead into halftime.
The tone shifted immediately after the break. Sheppard opened the third quarter with a three, followed by a strong interior basket from Gavenda. Josh Slusher cleaned up a miss with a put-back, cutting the deficit to one as the Trojans’ defense began forcing mistakes. Pahrump Valley caused multiple turnovers, including a 10-second violation and a travel, turning defense into offense. Sheppard knocked down another three, finished a fast-break layup off a long pass from Caden Briscoe, and then drilled yet another three to keep the Trojans within striking distance.
The final moments of the third quarter were pivotal. After Gavenda converted at the line and Plein scored through contact to complete a three-point play, the Trojans surged ahead 46–45, closing the quarter on a run that energized the crowd and completely flipped the momentum.
Pahrump Valley carried that energy into the fourth. Briscoe opened the quarter with a basket, followed by a steal and layup from Plein to push the lead to 50–45. Sheppard continued to attack, scoring inside and later converting a three-point play that made it 59–51 with just under four minutes remaining. Plein drove strong to the basket for another score, and Gavenda added timely finishes in the paint as Moapa attempted to rally with late three-pointers.
Down the stretch, the Trojans stayed poised at the free-throw line. Plein repeatedly drew fouls and stepped to the stripe in the bonus, while Sheppard added crucial points to maintain the lead. Despite Moapa cutting the margin to four late, Pahrump Valley closed out the game with disciplined defense and timely rebounds to secure the 68–62 victory.
After the game, Head Coach Toby Henry credited his team’s preparation and collective effort.
“The team played awesome on Friday,” Henry said. “We played very good team basketball. We had a few starters go out of the game because of foul trouble and our guys coming off of the bench stepped up. We were down 15 points at one point and our guys never quit.”
Henry also pointed to the impact of the Trojans’ holiday tournament schedule.
“The tournaments we played in over break had a huge impact on this game,” he said. “Moapa ran three different defenses on us and our guys were ready. We’d seen all of them in the tournament, so they knew what to do every time. That experience also got us ready to play tough competition like Moapa—they were really physical and had size.”
The Trojans will look to carry the momentum forward as they prepare for another challenging non-conference matchup before heading into the heart of conference play.
