SPARKS — Four Southern Nevada teams head to Spanish Springs High School this weekend for the Class 4A state basketball tournaments, each seeking to erase the sting of last season’s semifinal exits.
The Clark boys and Losee girls both won Southern Region titles Saturday, setting up semifinal matchups Friday. Clark (20-5), the South’s No. 1 seed, faces Reno High (22-5) at 8 p.m. Legacy (23-8), the South’s No. 2 seed, plays Bishop Manogue (25-2) at 4:40 p.m. in the boys bracket.
In the girls tournament, Losee (25-5), the South’s No. 1 seed, takes on Spanish Springs (23-5) at 3 p.m. Mater East (20-6), the South’s No. 2 seed, meets Reno (24-3) at 6:20 p.m.
Clark defeated Legacy 77-62 for the region title, avenging a 69-64 state semifinal loss to Sierra Vista last year. “We addressed it last year after we lost,” Clark coach Brent Rothman said. “We all knew that feeling, and we talked about not wanting to have that feeling again.”
Losee beat Mater East 59-41 in the region final, a year after falling 52-46 in the state semifinals to eventual champion Legacy. “Last year, after that game, it really fueled the fire,” Losee coach Ginni Giles said. “It motivated everybody to get in the gym and work really hard.”
Clark leans on Christion
Akron signee Devan Christion, a 6-foot-8 forward, leads Clark with 22 points and 15 rebounds in the region title game. Rothman praised his growth as a shooter and leader. The Chargers also rely on guards Amir Wright, CJ Edwards, Sir Montgomery and Drake Afe to disrupt Reno’s patient offense.
Legacy, making its first state semifinal appearance, saw its 16-game winning streak end against Clark.
Losee’s depth at guard
Senior Jayla Lewis (12 points, 5.2 assists) and freshman Jordynn Riggins (14.3 points) anchor Losee’s backcourt. Inside, 6-foot-4 sophomore Heaven Thomas averages 12.8 points and 8.8 rebounds. Giles emphasized controlling the pace: “We’re just going to continue to have a fast-paced team and work on our ball handling.”
Mater East, in its first year in 4A after winning the 3A state title last season, is led by sophomore Amija Macon (17 points). Giles called the Crusaders “a scrappy team.”
The girls championship is noon Saturday, followed by the boys final at 2 p.m.
