HOLIDAY CLASSIC: Australian team controls the paint, tops Lake Mead

Tokateu Lolotonga dominated the paint to lift Australia (#2) to a 32-24 victory over Lake Mead on the first day of the Holiday Classic Basketball Tournament at Lake Mead.

The 6-foot-3 Australian scored eight points and helped the team control the glass.

“He’s a big boy,” Australia coach Matt Foster said. “He’s a bit raw at this stage, but he has a nice body. We’ll just work with him and hope by the end of the way, he’ll be a whole lot better. He’s (only) 15 years old.”

Australia took a 14-11 lead into halftime, and opened the second half on a 5-0 run.

“Once we just settled down a little bit and worked some of the nerves out — and got over the myth that all the Americans were going to be 7-foot and be dunking on us — I think we were OK,” Foster said.

After Australia’s run, Lake Mead fought back with a 6-0 run of its own to make the score 19-17. After closing that gap, the Eagles could not contain Australia’s post play.

“I think crashing our boards was pretty key,” Foster said. “And getting it into the big guys.”

Dorian Majstorovic added six points for Australia).

Shooting plagued the Eagles, particularly in the second half. They finished 3-for-16 from the field, and shot 4-for-12 from the free-throw line in the second half.

Dylan Graham led Lake Mead with nine points, and Brendan LeBaron added seven points.

Lake Mead 35, Word of Life 32 — LeBaron had 11 points, and Drew Ramos added seven points to lead Lake Mead by Word of Life.

Lake Mead trailed 24-18 at the half, but fought back to outscored the Eagles 17-8 in the second half.

Elijah Hoye scored 17 points for Word of Life, which also got seven points from Isaiah Manabat.

West Wendover 61, Word of Life 28 — West Wendover had four players finish in double figures, and the Wolverines dominated the Eagles.

Kaydn Sharp (17 points), Adrian Flores (11 points), Kylar Sharp (10 points) and Manny Flores (10 points) led West Wendover, which took a 41-12 lead into halftime.

Chiedoziem Okafor and Hoye each had eight points for Word of Life.

The Meadows 32, Australia (#1) 23 — Branden Rufty scored eight points to lead The Meadows past Australia.

Matthew Biafore and Eric Hirsberg had six points apiece for the Mustangs.

West Wendover 38, Boulder City 27 — Flores supplied 12 points to push West Wendover past Boulder City.

Tyler Newby scored 15 points to lead the Eagles, who also got six points from Jacorey Dixon.

The Meadows 52, Fernley 35 — Hirsberg had 14 second-half points, and 21 overall to lead the Mustangs over the Vaqueros.

Biafore scored eight points for The Meadows, which got six points apiece from Rufty and Jake Epstein.

Kevin Montgomery led Fernley with 13 points.

Boulder City 39, Australia (#1) 34 —Newby led all scorers with 14 points as the Eagles outlasted Australia.

Marcus Walker added seven points for Boulder City.

Keenan Gorski recorded 11 points for Australia.

Bishop Gorman JV 46, Calvary Chapel 38 — The Gaels’ junior varsity topped the Lions.

Killian Diers and Matthew Harney each had 10 points for Calvary Chapel.

Bishop Gorman JV 59, Pahranagat Valley 22 — The Gaels’ junior varsity sprinted to a 27-5 halftime lead and downed the Panthers.

Christian Higbee and Shawn Wadsworth each had five points for Pahranagat Valley.

Calvary Chapel 34, Pahranagat Valley 19 — Quintin Hank had 17 points to lead the Lions by the Panthers.

Harney added 10 points for Calvary Chapel.

Wade Leavitt scored five points for Pahranagat Valley.

GIRLS

Lake Mead 18, Indian Springs 7 — Shannon Regan had eight points for the Eagles, who cruised to victory against the Thunderbirds.

Regan scored six points in the first half to give Lake Mead a 13-1 lead into halftime.

Cheyanne Noyes and Hannah Thormahlen each had three points for Indian Springs.

Calvary Chapel 52, Calvary Christian (Calif.) 18 — Lianne Reyes poured in 17 points as the Lions topped Calvary Christian.

Phallen Nelson scored 13, and Davilyn Yates added 10 points for Calvary Chapel, which led 27-7 at the half.

Calvary Chapel 32, Bishop Gorman JV 11 — Nelson had 14 points as the Lions downed Gorman’s junior varsity.

Reyes added nine points, and Marissa Tiemann scored eight for Calvary Chapel.

Boulder City 44, Bishop Gorman JV 3 — Jana Williams scored 11 points, and the Eagles jumped to a 23-0 halftime lead and downed Gorman’s junior varsity.

Whitney Barlow added 10 points for Boulder City.

Boulder City 43, Calvary Christian (Calif.) 8 — Barlow led a balanced attack with 10 points, and the Eagles built a 35-0 halftime lead in a rout of Calvary Christian.

Pahrump Valley 22, Lake Mead 13 — Andi Bishop scored six points to help the Trojans down the Eagles.

Regan had nine points for Lake Mead.

Pahrump Valley 36, Indian Springs 8 — Bishop led a balanced attack with nine points as the Trojans routed the Thunderbirds.

Jillian Smith added eight points, and Shayla Dance scored seven for Pahrump.