Las Vegas Sun

March 19, 2024

high school basketball:

Clark basketball back in a familar spot, the state title game

2016 Las Vegas Sun HS Basketball Media Day

Christopher DeVargas

Clark High School Boys Basketball, from left, Jalen Hill, Ian Alexander, James Bridges, Antwon Jackson, Trey Woodbury and Sedrick Hammonds participate in the Las Vegas Sun Media Day at The South Point, Wed Nov. 16, 2016.

Clark High guard James Bridges played in his fifth state basketball tournament game Thursday night.

He’s never lost.

The junior drained a pair of first quarter 3-pointers against Coronado in the class 4A semifinals at Cox Pavilion to give Clark the lead for good, and the Chargers withstood a late push by Coronado for a 56-48 victory and spot in Friday’s state championship game against Bishop Gorman.

The experience, everything from knowing what to expect on a bigger stage to managing the game in the final seconds, proved beneficial for Bridges.

“Ever since Colby Jackson (the team leader in past seasons) was here, I have always had that mentality that Clark wins close games at the end,” said Bridges, who finished with nine points. “We always have to pull though. Year and after, senior after senior, they taught me to win.”

Clark led 42-26 late in the third quarter before Coronado, who overcame a 13-point halftime deficit six days earlier, mounted its comeback. They forced Clark into about 10 turnovers in the second half and trimmed the deficit to three points with 1:03 remaining on a Trey Hurlburt 3-pointer.

Coronado, though, wouldn’t score again.

This will be Clark’s fifth straight state championship game appearance — the other four, however, came when they played in the lower-tier class 3A.

Clark has been able to continue the dominance this season in its return to the 4A, handing Gorman its first loss to a Nevada opponent since 2011 in the regular season.

That gives the Clark players confidence they can play with Gorman, the five-time defending state champion, in the title game. Clark is the three-time defending 3A champion.

“Everyone thought since we were in a lower division we couldn’t compete. We have shown everyone in the valley we can play with anyone,” Bridges said.

Of the eight players Clark used against Coronado, just one — post Deshawn Wilson — is a senior. Junior Trey Woodbury had a team-high 15 points and sophomore post Ian Alexander was gritty on the interior in defending Coronado big men Will Weems and Kennedy Koehler.

Alexander finished with seven blocks, according to stats provided by Clark, and had two blocks on Koehler under the basket in the final minute. Weems finished with a game-high 16 points.

Despite the youth, most of the players used were part of last year’s state title team. And that’s what makes the Chargers dangerous Friday against Gorman and in future seasons.

“This was our goal all year long — to put ourselves in the position to play in the final game of the year,” Clark coach Colin Darfour said.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 702-990-2662 or [email protected]. Follow Ray on Twitter at twitter.com/raybrewer21

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