Pahrump Trojans Rally Late, Narrow Loss to Sloan Canyon

On December 10 the Pahrump Trojans nearly erased a 21 point deficit before Pinecrest Academy Sloan Canyon held on for a 69 to 61 victory in Henderson. The game offered a clear portrait of where the Trojans are as a first year program, and it highlighted one opponent who has been difficult to contain this season. Sloan Canyon sophomore captain M.J. Tucker entered the matchup as Nevada's leading scorer through three games, averaging 38 points per contest and shooting 56 percent from the field. He produced another high scoring output that Nevada teams are already circling on scouting reports.

Pahrump's Lucas Gavenda, ranked ninth among the state's leading scorers, delivered a double double and paced the late surge with 27 points. Trae Plein and T.C. Hone also provided key minutes in the rally. Hone's late corner three pulled the Trojans within four points with 1 minute and 40 seconds remaining, and the crowd responded with a vocal "Trojans" chant that felt like a short lived home advantage in the stands.

The teams traded momentum across four quarters. A slow first quarter left the Trojans trailing 18 to 12, and a second quarter scoring drought extended the margin to 31 to 24 at halftime. Sloan Canyon expanded its lead in the third quarter with effective three point shooting, building a 54 to 33 advantage. The fourth quarter belonged to Pahrump as they chipped away at the cushion, turning a 21 point hole into a four point game before Sloan Canyon converted late free throws and defensive stops to close out the victory.

Coach Toby Henry framed the outcome as a learning moment for a young program. "We knew it’d be a different style of play. Their No. 3 (Tucker) had 38 points in the first game, 30 in the second, and 30 again tonight. The plan was to contain him and make someone else beat us," he said. "For most of the game we did that. He got hot for about two minutes, and that stretch hurt us." Henry noted optimism despite the 0 and 2 start, saying the team is playing well for this point in the season.

For Pahrump the game underlined both the program's competitive potential and the work ahead, as community supporters evaluate player development, rotation depth, and defensive schemes against higher level opponents in the weeks to come.