Basketball Recap: Las Vegas Takes a Loss

Las Vegas lost against Desert Pines back in February of 2024 and unfortunately they wound up with the same result on Friday. The Las Vegas Wildcats were dealt a 76-49 defeat at the hands of the Desert Pines Jaguars. The Wildcats were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 41-20.

Despite the loss, Las Vegas saw an underclassman step up: freshman Sariyah Johnson dropped a double-double on 15 points and 21 rebounds. Johnson has been hot, having posted 15 or more boards the last five times she's played. Jordan DuBois was another key player, putting up 13 points along with five assists and three steals.

Even though they lost, Las Vegas smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in three consecutive matches.

Taveah Oliver continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines for Desert Pines, scoring 27 points in addition to six rebounds and six steals. That makes it three consecutive games in which Oliver has scored at least a third of Desert Pines' points. Another player making a difference was Mya Harper, who posted 20 points.

Las Vegas has traveled a rocky road recently having lost nine of their last ten contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-18 record this season. As for Desert Pines, their victory ended a four-game drought at home and bumped them up to 8-10.

A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Las Vegas Wildcats face off against the Palo Verde Panthers at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Desert Pines, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Desert Oasis at 6:30 p.m. on Monday.