ROCK CLASSIC: Eagles’ girls maintain speed in tourney championship

With a new coach and only two returning starters from last year, Lake Mead’s girls basketball team could excuse itself from getting a quick start.

 

Instead, the Eagles have sprinted out of the blocks.

 

Lake Mead scored the first 15 points Monday in a 42-28 win over Beatty in the championship game of the Rock Holiday Classic at Henderson International. It’s the second tournament title this season for the Eagles (12-1), who haven’t lost since the season opener.

 

“It’s real big,” Lake Mead coach Derek Anderson said. “It’s a confidence builder for league. This is our second win against Beatty.

 

“That’s good for us because I think it’s going to come down to us, (Pahranagat Valley) and probably Beatty for the 1, 2, 3 spots.”

 

Emily Dean led Lake Mead with 14 points, nine assists and six rebounds. The sophomore guard was named tournament MVP.

 

“Emily Dean, she’s just a good athlete,” Anderson said. “I think her speed is just a killer for teams.”

 

Beatty (9-4) was held scoreless for the first 11 minutes before Kaci Schroeder's layup midway through the second quarter.

 

But the Hornets rattled off a 22-9 run to pull within 24-22 late in the third quarter. Lake Mead responded with an 18-2 run to put the game out of reach.

 

“Mentally, we shut down a little bit in the second quarter,” Anderson said. “Our girls got a little lazy, and I give it to Beatty.

 

“Beatty just kept fighting; that’s a credit to them. We just have some adjustments mentally to make to that.”

 

Schroeder led the Hornets with 14 points and 14 rebounds.

 

Lake Mead’s Jordan Clarke (eight points) and Jocelyn Cox (two) were named to the all-tournament team.

 

Schroeder and Kaitlin Ulrich (four points) took all-tourney honors for Beatty.

 

The all-tournament team was rounded out by Henderson International’s Brittany Huff and Lee Harrison; Liberty junior varsity’s Nina Tawala; Calvary Christian’s Christina Cobb; Trinity’s Andrea Martinez; and Calvary Chapel’s Samantha Mann.

 

Henderson International 32, Liberty JV 21 — Huff had 21 points, six rebounds and six steals to carry the Wolverines past the Patriots for third place.

 

Huff scored 14 of her 21 points in the first half, and her 3-pointer from the corner capped an 11-0 second-quarter run for the Wolverines.

 

Henderson International outscored Liberty 13-2 in the second quarter, when the Patriots were held scoreless until the final minute.

 

Harrison contributed seven points and 10 rebounds for Henderson International.

 

Sam Cabiltes led Liberty with nine points.

 

Calvary Christian (Calif.) 41, Trinity 16 — Cobb led all scorers with 19 points to help Calvary Christian down Trinity in the fifth-place game.

 

Rachel Delaney scored five points to lead the Thunder, who were outscored 8-1 in the first quarter.

 

Calvary Chapel 46, Indian Springs 42 (OT) — Mann scored the only four points of overtime to lead the Lions to the win in the seventh-place game.

 

Mann led all scorers with 19 points. Anna Duerden and Kelsey Hannah added 11 each for Calvary Chapel.

 

Heather Thormalien scored 16 points and Kristina Espinoza had 12 for Indian Springs.

 

Coming off losses in championship games at its own Lake Mead Holiday Classic and Virgin Valley’s Bulldog Invitational Tournament, Lake Mead was hoping to break through in the Rock Holiday Classic.

 

The Eagles finished the tournament strong Monday, running and gunning to a 94-64 rout of Windermere Prep (Fla.) in the championship game at Henderson International.

 

“It’s nice to finish at this tournament after the last two weekends not finishing it,” Eagles coach Jeff Newton said.

 

Lake Mead senior guard Landon Littlefield, who was named tournament MVP, poured in a tourney single-game high 39 points.

 

The Eagles (10-2) trailed 7-0 early before taking control with a 22-2 first-quarter run.

 

De’Quan Thompson added 16 points and L.J. Yamzon had 13 for Lake Mead, which led 33-19 after the first quarter.

 

“They’re playing hard and unselfish,” Newton said of his team. “Each week we’re starting to do things better and better. Right now, there’s nothing that we’re not doing well.”

 

Lake Mead’s Thompson and Alex Uceda (seven points) also took all-tournament honors.

 

The all-tourney team was rounded out by Windermere Prep’s Michael Stones and T.J. Bullock; Beatty’s Anthony Regalado and Anthony Turner; Henderson International’s Jay Sutorius; Trinity’s Budweiser Hawkins and Tyler Watts; and Indian Springs’ Adam Reinke.

 

Beatty 52, Henderson International 40 — Regalado led all scorers with 19 points as the Hornets beat the Wolverines in the third-place game.

 

Ramiro Hernandez added 11 points and Turner had 10 for Beatty. The Hornets led 14-5 after the first quarter, which ended on Regalado’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the corner.

 

Sutorius led Henderson International with 17 points, and Cal Rivera added 11.

 

Trinity 61, Lake Mead JV 27 — Hawkins scored 21 points to lead three double-figure scorers in a rout of the Eagles’ junior varsity squad in the fifth-place game.

 

Watts added 19 points and Gage Neuwohner had 15 for the Thunder, who led 37-13 at halftime.

 

Anthony Malici paced the Eagles with 13 points.

Word of Life Academy 38, Indian Springs 34 — The Thunderbirds lost in the seventh-place game despite Reinke’s team-high 25 points.