High School Basketball

Palo Verde advances past Legacy despite 18-point halftime deficit: Feb. 12, 2013; By Case Keefer; As Eris Winder approached the free-throw line with 18 seconds left in his team’s game against Durango Tuesday, the Palo Verde senior leaned his head back and yawned for a quick moment. Winder scored 23 of his 24 points in the second half against Legacy, enabling Palo Verde to overcome an 18-point halftime deficit to win 63-59 in the first round of the Sunset Regional playoffs.

Centennial keeps its cool in win over Durango: Feb. 12, 2013; By Paul Delos Santos; At halftime, the game was playing out the way many thought it would. Centennial went on a substantial run in the second quarter to build a double-digit lead over a talented, but outgunned Durango team. That mentality changed after the Trail Blazers reeled off a big run of their own to start the second half.

Canyon Springs' hot streak continues with first-round playoff win at Eldorado: Feb. 12, 2013; By Ray Brewer; It’s not common for a high school basketball team to lose one of its best players for the season and become a better squad. But that is what appears to have happened at Canyon Springs. The Pioneers have hit their stride after losing junior point guard Shaquille Carr, beating host Eldorado Tuesday, 74-66, in the first round of the Sunrise Regional tournament for their fifth win in six games to become a legitimate contender in the Sunrise.

Arbor View prolongs best season in school history with first-round victory: Feb. 12, 2013; By Case Keefer; If Arbor View plans to compile a list of all the milestones it’s reached this season, the Aggies might need to budget for more than one page. In a season full of firsts, the Aggies added three more in Tuesday night’s first round Sunset Regional playoffs. Arbor View both hosted and won a playoff game for the first time, beating Cimarron-Memorial 67-64.

Las Vegas cruises to first round win against Liberty, 63-49: Feb. 12, 2013; By Ray Brewer; The Las Vegas High basketball team limited visiting Liberty to just four first-quarter points Friday, opening a double-digit lead and never looking back in a 63-49 victory in the first round of the Sunrise Regional tournament.

Near triple-double from Trey Kennedy pushes Gorman into second round: Feb. 12, 2013; By Case Keefer; Despite missing one of its star players, Bishop Gorman cruised through the first round of the Sunset Regional playoffs Tuesday night. Junior point guard Noah Robotham, nursing a deep bruise on his kneecap, watched from the bench as Gorman started slow but ultimately beat Shadow Ridge 75-55.

Second-half scoring outburst leads Valley past Basic and into Sunrise semifinals: Feb. 12, 2013; By Ray Brewer; When the Valley High basketball team fell behind by three points Tuesday at halftime against Basic in the first round of the Sunrise Regional tournament, the Vikings’ players could have easily been discouraged. After all, they went from being undefeated in the Northeast League two weeks ago to closing the regular season on a two-game losing streak — a skid not expected from a team expected to contend for the region crown.

HS basketball roundup: 8 playoff games on slate to open postseason: Feb. 12, 2013; By Ray Brewer; You could easily argue that each of the eight teams in high school basketball’s Sunrise Regional tournament have a chance of winning the championship. The tournament gets started tonight with no clear-cut favorite.

It took two overtimes before Bishop Gorman could overcome Centennial in likely state championship game preview: Feb. 7, 2013; By Ray Brewer; When the referee tossed the jump ball Thursday night to start the second overtime between Bishop Gorman and visiting Centennial, the state’s unquestioned top high school basketball teams, you could have easily argued the game would never end. On this night, they were that evenly matched. One team would pull ahead, then the other would tie the game. Over and over again.

Findlay Prep survives scare from Desert Pines in what would have been an upset for the ages: Feb. 2, 2013; By Ray Brewer; This is why they play the games. The Desert Pines High basketball team entered its Saturday game against Findlay Prep ranked No. 398 in the nation by Maxpreps.com. Findlay Prep, of course, is a national power with just seven defeats the last five years. Ranked No. 1 in every poll. But unknown Desert Pines, the Northeast Las Vegas school and Division I-A power, nearly pulled off an upset for the ages at the Hardaway Hoopfest at Coronado. They led Findlay six points with two minutes to play in the third quarter and had two shots to win at the buzzer ...

This local basketball power wins share of eighth-straight league title: Feb. 1, 2013; By Ray Brewer; Quick, name the best dynasty in Nevada high school sports? Programs at schools such as Bishop Gorman, Palo Verde or Centennial surely first come to mind for most Las Vegas-area prep sports followers. Well, think again. The Foothill High basketball team definitely needs to be in the conversation.

Gorman survives barrage at Centennial with fourth-quarter surge: Jan. 23, 2013; By Case Keefer; For the first three quarters of the most anticipated regular season high school basketball game of the year, Bishop Gorman fans watched in the Centennial High gym anxiously waiting.

Findlay Prep will have its hands full Monday against Montverde in battle of No. 1-ranked teams: Jan. 20, 2013; By Ray Brewer; This is one of the most anticipated high school basketball games of the year nationally. Findlay Prep, the Henderson-based powerhouse and the nation’s No. 1 ranked team by USA Today, will play Montverde Academy of Florida at 1 p.m. Monday in the Basketball Hall of Fame’s HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass, on ESPNU. Montverde is ranked No. 1 by ESPN Rise, making it a rare game featuring top-ranked opponents. And, let’s not forget, the teams have a history of playing memorable games.

Down 12 points entering fourth quarter, Valley rallies to double-digit win at Las Vegas: Jan. 12, 2013; By Ray Brewer; This final score is sure deceiving. The Valley Vikings basketball team beat host Las Vegas High 79-68 Friday, but it was anything but a comfortable double-digit victory in a battle of two undefeated Northeast League teams. Las Vegas led by 12 points entering the fourth quarter and appeared well on its way to earning sole possession of first place. But Valley picked up the pace in the final eight minutes, using a full-court pressure to create several turnovers and easy baskets, and scoring 36 fourth-quarter points to grab the crucial win.

Sharp-shooting Starr guides Foothill to 11th straight victory: Jan. 9, 2013; By Case Keefer; Foothill junior Austin Starr may have established himself as the best three-point shooter in town this season. It’s almost impossible to find any flaw with his game beyond the arc. Starr doesn’t miss very often either. He went 7-for-11 on three-point attempts Wednesday night at Basic, leading Foothill to a 71-67 victory.