VEGAS INVITATIONAL: Senior-laden squad leads Needles to tournament final

With nine seniors on his squad, Needles girls basketball coach Manuel Calderon doesn’t have to look far for veteran leadership.

That was his fortune Tuesday, when the defending Class 2A state champion Mustangs relied on a pair of seniors to roll to a 73-37 rout of reigning 1A champion Pahranagat Valley to stay undefeated in the Vegas Invitational at Mountain View.

Needles (9-0) will face Bonanza (6-1) in the tournament championship game Wednesday at 6 p.m.

Senior guard Alex Chandler led Needles with 21 points and eight assists, while senior forward Miranda Brackett added 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Mustangs.

“These seniors have been playing together for a good, long time, probably since they were 4 or 5 years old,” Calderon said. “They know pretty much how each other thinks, and they just do not like losing.

“They’re a very determined bunch of girls. When they put their minds to something and want to get something accomplished, most of the time it works out in our favor.”

Guard Gena Chavira, one of three juniors on the team, contributed 15 points, six rebounds and six steals. Senior Kristin Arthur added 10 points.

Pahranagat Valley (5-5) pulled to within 22-20 midway through the second quarter, but Needles regained control with a 26-6 run that spanned both halves.

“We came out in the second half and stepped up the pressure on defense,” said Calderon, whose team outscored the Panthers 39-14 in the second half. “We’ve just been preaching the last two days, especially after our first game of the tournament, (that) we’ve got to have tremendous output for all four quarters.”

Dakota Day led Pahranagat Valley with 11 points.

Bonanza 64, Mountain View 38 — Daytril Beals had 20 points, six assists and six steals to lead the Bengals into the title game with a win over the Saints.

Alice Pitts chipped in 15 points and seven assists for Bonanza.

“They were great for us,” Bonanza coach Thomas Rainey said of the two senior guards. “Without them, I don’t know what the score would have been.

“They handle pressure; they read off each other. They’re passing off (and) shooting when they’re supposed to. They’re playing great.”

Alex Duncan had six points and 12 rebounds for the Bengals, who led 17-5 after the first quarter.

Rainey was glad to see his team reach the championship game after losing three starters from last season.

“It’s very big,” he said. “We only have three girls who have varsity experience. To come in and play as well as we have, it’s a great boost for us. It’ll help us after the break.”

Briana Marruffo had 13 points and four steals for Mountain View, and Patrice Marshall added 13 points.

Western 45, Pahranagat Valley 42 — Simone Duke’s three-point play with 1:09 remaining highlighted a 10-0 fourth-quarter run that carried the Warriors to the victory.

Michelle Simon scored 19 points for Western, which outscored Pahranagat Valley, 20-13, in the fourth quarter.

Day scored 11 of her team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter for the Panthers. Halie Lewis added 12 points.

Bonanza 61, Agassi Prep 40 — Pitts scored 16 points and Duncan added 14 to lead the Bengals to a rout of the Stars.

Noelle Chavis paced Agassi Prep with 13 points. LaBrishun Hardwick added 10.

Orestimba (Calif.) 41, Moapa Valley 34 — The Pirates were unable to climb out of a 25-10 hole at halftime.

Caley Dunlap led Moapa Valley with 13 points, five rebounds and four steals. Shilo Parashonts added 10 points.

Orestimba (Calif.) 41, Western 36 (OT) — Orestimba rallied from a 25-15 halftime deficit, then outscored Western 6-1 in the extra period for the win.

Simon led Western with 17 points.

Sunrise Mountain 45, Fairmont Prep (Calif.) 29 — Aubrey Blanchette scored 14 points to lead the Miners past the Huskies.

Sunrise Mountain led 28-15 at halftime.