MOUNTAIN VIEW TOURNEY: Smerek leads Lynx to Vegas Invitational title

A split chin requiring nine stitches wasn’t enough to slow Marissa Smerek.

Nor was the Moapa Valley girls basketball team.

The junior post player had 30 points, 13 rebounds and two steals to lead Lincoln County to a 61-46 win over Moapa Valley in the title game of the fifth annual Vegas Invitational on Saturday night at Mountain View.

Playing with a bandaged chin and a mouth guard, Smerek was named tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring a tourney-high 30 points.

“Sometimes you have to just walk it off and play,” she said of the injury.

Spoken like the niece of a former NFL defensive lineman.

Smerek’s uncle, Don Smerek, played for the Dallas Cowboys from 1981 to 1987.

“She’s the best player I’ve ever had, boy or girl,” Lincoln County coach Henry Frehner said. “She’s a basketball junkie, and I just love her to death.”

Maicah LeBaron added 10 points for Lincoln County (9-0), which got six points and 10 rebounds from Tera Tibbitts and five assists from Kori Gloeckner.

The Lynx, Frehner said, are on a mission to avenge their 63-39 loss to Needles (Calif.) in last year’s Class 2A state title game.

“We’ve been waiting to get back all year and play this sport so we can redeem ourselves,” he said.

Lincoln County was 8-for-11 at the foul line. Moapa Valley was 11-for-30.

Shilo Parashonts scored 13 points for Moapa Valley (6-5), which got seven points and eight rebounds from Brianne Olige.

The Pirates couldn’t recover after being outscored 17-8 in the third quarter.

The all-tourney team was rounded out by Parashonts, Needles’ Alex Chandler, Faith Lutheran’s Kelsey McCourt, Virgin Valley’s Rachel Morris and Fairmont Prep’s Jordan Esparza.

In other games:
Needles (Calif.) 58, Faith Lutheran 35 — The Mustangs used a 24-4 edge in the third quarter to turn a close game into a blowout.

Chandler scored 18 points and Gena Chavira 12 for Needles.

McCourt had 11 points, the only Crusaders player to score in double figures.

Virgin Valley 48, Fairmont Prep (Calif.) 46 — Morris said she could remember shooting only one 3-pointer in her high school career before Saturday.

She probably won’t soon forget her latest attempt.

Morris, Virgin Valley’s standout sophomore center, hit a 3 from the top of the key to tie the game at 46 in the final 20 seconds.

She then grabbed a crucial rebound off a missed free throw and assisted on the game-winning field goal — Lisa Henderson’s jumper for a 48-46 lead.

For an encore, Morris swatted away Fairmont Prep’s attempt at a potential game-tying shot.

Morris scored 18 points for the Bulldogs, who got nine from Annie Biasi and eight from Madison Bowler.

“Our bench did really good stepping up,” Morris said.

Beatty 38, River Valley 33 — Naomi Cruz hit a go-ahead 3-pointer in overtime that lifted the Hornets to a comeback win.

Nichole Stucker scored 11 points for Beatty, which rallied from a 21-8 halftime deficit to force overtime.

The Hornets outscored the Dust Devils 12-3 in the fourth quarter and 7-2 in overtime.

Mountain View 46, Agassi Prep 25 — Ellie Markwardt had 24 points, seven rebounds and eight assists to lead the Saints to a rout of the injury-riddled Stars.

Zari Riley added 12 points and nine rebounds for Mountain View, which held Agassi Prep to single-digit scoring in every quarter.

Tamiyka Clark scored 10 for the Stars, who lost two players to injury Saturday and three in their past two games.

Trinity 19, Lake Mead 18 — Danielle Noll’s clutch free throw lifted the Thunder past the Eagles.

Noll led Trinity with six points.

Annabelle Liston scored six for Lake Mead, which missed two attempts at a potential game-winning 3-pointer.

Neither team could muster more than four points in the second, third or fourth quarters.

Virgin Valley 29, Mountain View 26 — The Bulldogs withstood a Saints comeback, holding on for the win after being outscored 10-5 in the fourth quarter.

Stacy Avalos scored 10 points for Virgin Valley, which got seven each from Henderson and Ellie Biasi.

The Bulldogs were 3-for-13 at the foul line.

Markwardt scored a game-high 13 points and Patrice Marshall 10 for Mountain View, which held Morris scoreless.

Beatty 39, Trinity 25 — Kaci Schroeder and Stucker scored 10 points apiece to lift the Hornets past the Thunder.

Heidi Patros had 10 for Trinity, which was outscored 9-2 in the second quarter.

River Valley (Ariz.) 45, Lake Mead 27 — Jordan Clarke scored a game-high 16 points, but the Eagles were outscored 22-8 in the fourth quarter.