February 21, 2008
PVHS Girls Take Second at Regionals

By Dave Maxwell, Staff Writer

Jadey Jones re-injured her knee early in the Friday game with Round Mountain, but Senior Lauren Leavitt stepped up and scored a game-high 22 points in leading PVHS to a 46-35 semi-final win. Blanca Ramirez had 13 points and 18 rebounds for the Knights.

“I felt that Lauren really went in there and did a great job defending the post and attacking on offense and wasn’t afraid to shoot the ball when she was open,” said Alamo Coach Amy Huntsman. “I was concerned about Ramirez because she can drive and shoot and rebound and I wasn’t sure size wise how we’d be able to handle her, but I thought Jessie (Canning) did a great job on being able to play defense on someone that tall.”

In the Saturday championship, Mountain View’s Ellie Markwardt scored 16 points to lead the Saints to a low-scoring 39-30 win over Alamo for the Regional title. Both teams advance to state this Friday and Saturday in Reno.

Markwardt banged in three 3-points in the first quarter for an 18-7 lead. Both teams played poorly thereafter and Alamo trimmed the lead to 31-30 with three minutes remaining on a 9-2 run highlighted by two 3-point shots from Adie Canning and one by her cousin Jessie Canning.

But the Saints made 8 of 10 free throws in the last three minutes to take the victory while Alamo went scoreless.

Mountain View Coach Tom Van Kempen and Huntsman both said the key to the game was defense from the get-go. “That’s why the final score was low. Defense is all that matters in the playoffs,” Van Kempen said. “It’s the intensity in the playoffs, the nerves, things like that,” he said. Amy Huntsman said pretty much the same thing.

At State, it’s a repeat of the same four teams that were there in 2007. PVHS (23-6) faces Owyhee (22-6) at 6:20 pm Friday at Spanish Springs High School and Mountain View (20-7) plays Eureka (17-4) Friday at 3:00. The girls’ 1A state championship game is at the Lawlor Events Center Saturday at 6:40 pm.