PREP CHAMPIONSHIPS: Forwards pay off for Rancho

Rancho boys basketball coach Melvin Shivers insists his team’s forwards can be difficult to defend.

On Saturday in the opening game of the Las Vegas Prep Championships, the Rams proved their coach right.

Amir Royal, Tyler Gaston and Kevin Plascencia combined for 60 points as Rancho scored 54 points in the paint on the way to a 75-62 win over Spring Creek at Las Vegas High.

“Teams have had a hard time matching up with our frontcourt,” Shivers said. “I don’t think anybody can match up with us inside. Our weak point has been our guards. We’ll go as far as our big men take us.”

Royal and Gaston are 6 feet 5 inches, and Plascencia is 6-3, but each seemed to play much larger Saturday. The trio also combined for 25 rebounds.

And the Rams (6-4) took advantage of Spring Creek’s man-to-man defense to continue to work the ball inside. Rancho’s first 12 baskets all came from inside the paint.

Still, the Rams led only 32-29 at the half before opening up the game in the final two quarters, due largely to Royal.

The senior scored 19 of his 29 points in the second half and sprinkled a little diversity into Rancho’s offense with three 3-pointers.
“Amir’s a very skillful offensive player,” Shivers said. “We look to him for our offensive punch.”

Gaston had 16 points and 12 rebounds, seven of those offensive. Plascencia, who battled foul trouble, scored 15.

“Tyler is a beast down on the block,” Shivers said. “He’s an all-state football player, and we like him to bring that mentality to the court.”

Rancho committed only 15 turnovers in the game, about half of what the team had in each of its two losses in last week’s Amare Stoudemire Each 1 Teach 1 tournament at Durango. Rancho went 2-2 in that tourney and has won four of its past six.

David Morrell led Spring Creek with 33 points.

Liberty 74, Pleasure Ridge (Ky.) 72 — Tim Rambo drained six 3-pointers and finished with 29 points as the Patriots outlasted Pleasure Ridge in overtime.

Thomas Lauguico added 13 points for Liberty, which saw a 41-27 halftime lead slip away.

Ashante Ross scored 12 and Aaron Navitsky 11 for Liberty.

Las Vegas 93, Bell Gardens (Calif.) 61 — Hasaan Henderson had 21 points, and Las Vegas outscored Bell Gardens 56-25 in the middle two quarters and rolled to the win.

Tanner Chauncey scored 20 points and Tyree Anderson 14 for the Wildcats.

Legacy 75, Las Vegas JV 31 — Samuel Johnson had 21 points, and the Longhorns opened the game on an 18-0 run on their way to an easy victory.

Brian McDaniel scored 17 points and Sian Laine 12 for Legacy, which led 26-5 after one quarter and 46-13 at the half.

Woodbridge (Calif.) 69, Durango 51 — Woodbridge used a 29-10 third-quarter run to overcome a two-point halftime deficit and down the Trailblazers.

Devonte Williams scored 16 points, and Greg Gentry had 14 for Durango.

Palos Verdes (Calif.) 57, Green Valley 55 — Palos Verdes scored the go-ahead basket with two seconds left to nip the Gators.

 

Austin Tebbs paced Green Valley with 22 points, and teammate Durrell McDonald scored 15.

Cheyenne 67, Western 56 — Brian Organ scored 11 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter to help the Desert Shields roar back from a 44-33 deficit and down the Warriors.

J’Quon Wroten and Chris McCall each added nine fourth-quarter points for Cheyenne, which outscored Western 34-12 in the final period.

McCall finished with 14 points, and Xavian Johnson scored 10.

Kentrell Washington paced Western with 20 points.

Roosevelt (Calif.) 58, Chaparral 44 — Roosevelt used a 20-8 fourth-quarter burst to put away the Cowboys.

Zach Kirschbaum led Chaparral with 11 points.

Coronado 69, Valley JV 41 — At Valley, Gavin Holcomb scored a game-high 23 points, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range, to lead the Cougars over Valley’s JV.

Arbor View 58, Valley 52 — At Valley, Darington Banks scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half to lead the Aggies to a come-from-behind win over the Vikings.

Arbor View trailed 27-18 at the half before mounting the comeback led by Banks, and Chase Ealy who had 10 points in the second half.

Khristian Kirkwood led Valley with 15 points.

Serra (Calif.) 81, Clark 58 — At Valley, Keith Shamburger had 18 points to lead the Cavaliers over the Chargers.

Serra’s full court press was to much for Clark, which scored just 20 points in the first half.

Clark’s Steven Dancy led all scorers with 24 points.