Top-seeded Cheyenne rolls

Adam Candee

Thursday, Feb. 27, 2003 | 10:05 a.m.

Thursday's 4A Nevada State Basketball Tournament capsules:

Boys

"The guys are very, very hungry," Cheyenne coach Larry Johnson said. "I haven't seen this focus before."

Cheyenne led by 10 points after the first quarter, and by 18 points at halftime. The Desert Shields displayed a patient, disciplined offense against Hug's zone defense, and they eventually found easy scoring opportunities inside against the undersized Hawks.

Chris Fuller added 12 points for the Desert Shields, who have won their four playoff games by an average margin of 30 points.

Mario Benitez scored 12 points to pace Hug, and Wendell Ware added nine points.

Steffen connected on five 3-pointers as Palo Verde built a 33-24 halftime lead. The Panthers raced out of halftime on a 15-4 spurt to put the game out of reach.

"Every time they have their back to the wall, they seem to respond," Durango coach Al LaRocque said. "Hopefully, that will continue."

The Blazers (SS-3) face Palo Verde in today's semifinals. The Panthers defeated Durango, 64-60, in the December season opener for both teams.

LaMasters totaled 18 points and eight rebounds, and Anderson had a 13-point, 13-rebound double-double. Anderson came in to replace injured starter Tywain McTyer, who did not return after tweaking his knee in the first quarter. McTyer is questionable for today's game.

Butler scored 19 of his game-high 28 points in the second half, including a tough offensive rebound and layup to put Rancho ahead 52-41 with just under five minutes to play. Butler also grabbed 14 rebounds.

"DeMario Butler stepped up big," Rancho coach Mel Shivers said. "He had a few put-backs and tip-ins and we look for him to have a big game (tonight) against Cheyenne."

Carson (N-2) went on a late 10-1 spurt to cut the deficit to two points with 29.9 seconds remaining. The Senators had the final opportunity with the ball, but Andy Bohm's mid-range jumper missed its mark with five seconds to play and Carson tipped the rebound out of bounds.

Girls

The Bulldogs rebounded from last weekend's Sunset Region title game defeat to Bishop Gorman, their first loss to a Nevada team in their past 57 contests.

Ashley Blake spearheaded the Centennial attack with 17 points, and Jordyn Bowen contributed 11 points. Every Centennial player scored at least one basket as the Bulldogs built a 30-point lead after three quarters.

Gorman used its superior inside presence of Charity Renfro, MaryBeth Barnard, and Lauren Hoisington to wear down the Greenwave. The Gaels slowly pulled away from Fallon, leading 32-24 after three quarters and converting a number of transition opportunities to salt the victory.

Moneka Knight scored eight points and Barnard added seven points for the Gaels. This is Gorman's third consecutive trip to the state semifinal round, where the Gaels have been eliminated in the past two seasons.

Kim Etol led the Wildcats with 13 points, but it was Melisa Cejas' eight points that were the difference for Las Vegas. The senior center scored six points in the game's final two minutes, including four free throws in the final 35 seconds, to put Las Vegas ahead. Her late steal of a Tigers' inbound pass sealed the win.

Western faces defending state champion Centennial in the semifinals, the third meeting between the teams this season. Centennial won both previous meetings. Western outscored the Huskies, 20-9, in the final period to seize control of the game. Renita Mitchell scored a game-high 33 points for Western, which also got 10 points from LaMesha Walker.

"I knew they couldn't run with us," Western coach Mel Washington said. "But we had to play our game."

The Warriors may have lost star forward Ra Chauna Randle, as she left the game in the final minute with a knee injury. Her status for today's game is uncertain.