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March 18, 2024

Blog: Clark fights off late Coronado rally, advances to face Gorman in state finals

High School Basketball Tournament

Jesse Granger / Las Vegas Sun

The state high school basketball tournament is underway in Las Vegas on Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017.

Updated Thursday, Feb. 23, 2017 | 9:36 p.m.

The Clark High basketball team saw its 16-point second-half lead dwindle to four points with less than two minutes to play in the state semifinals against Coronado, but hung on for a 56-48 victory to earn a spot in Friday’s state championship game against Bishop Gorman.

It will be Clark’s fifth straight state championship game appearance, but the first in the large-school classification. They won three straight class 3A title through 2016.

Check back later for more.

Clark leads Coronado by eight points at halftime of state semifinals

James Bridges hit a pair of first quarter 3-pointers for the Clark High basketball team in the 4A state semifinals, helping the Chargers build a 30-22 halftime lead.

Clark led by as many as 11 points in the second quarter after Coronado post player Will Weems was saddled with two fouls. But Weems returned and scored six points in the final four minutes of the second quarter to bring the Coronado deficit to six points.

The winner advances to Friday’s state championship game against Bishop Gorman.

Clark, Coronado battle in second state semifinal

The second high school basketball state semifinal has started, pitting Sunrise Region champion Coronado against three-time defending 3A state champion Clark.

Clark has continued its good play this season after being promoted to the 4A, including earlier this year when it became the first Nevada team to beat five-time defending 4A state champion Bishop Gorman since 2011.

A win today would setup another game with Gorman, who earlier defeated Reno High in the first semifinal.

Coronado, last season’s state runner-up, may have other ideas. We’ll keep everyone posted.

Gorman beats Reno, will play for 6th straight state title

The starters should be well rested.

The Bishop Gorman High basketball team dipped to its bench midway through the second quarter today, giving multiple reserves key minutes in an 89-60 victory against Reno in the class 4A semifinals at Cox Pavilion. In total 18 players saw action, and 12 scored.

Gorman led 26-8 after the first quarter and easily punched its ticket to Friday’s state championship game where it will be playing for a sixth straight state title.

The rest is especially important for junior wing Jamal Bey, who is nursing a shoulder injury that limited him in last week’s Sunset Regional tournament.

Noah Taitz, just a freshman, led Gorman with 19 points. Bey was the only other scorer in double figure points with 13. Gorman forced 19 turnovers

Gorman making quick work of Reno in state semifinals

The Bishop Gorman High basketball team started slow at the state tournament this afternoon against Reno High, and lead only 8-6 after three minutes of play.

Visibly displeased, Gaels’ coach Grant Rice called a timeout and switched the defense to a full-court press. That was all she wrote for the Reno Huskies, as they turned the ball over 11 times and the Gaels reeled off an 18-2 run.

Bishop Gorman led 26-8 after one quarter and carried a 47-20 lead into halftime thanks to a great first half by freshman Noah Taitz.

Taitz leads the Gaels with 16 points, while Jamal Bey and Ryan Kiley both scored seven a piece.

Gorman basketball will face stiff challenge at state

The Bishop Gorman High basketball team has won the last five state tournaments. And before each one began, the Gaels were a heavy favorite.

This year, it’s a different story.

Clark and Coronado are serious contenders, creating anticipation for the end of the season not felt in Nevada in many years.

This four-team class 4A tournament begins this afternoon at the Cox Pavilion with Gorman taking on Reno High in the semifinals. Gorman isn’t expected to receive much a challenge from the Northern Region champions to earn a spot in Friday’s championship game.

They’d face the winner of tonight’s second semifinal between Clark and Coronado. After five straight years of lopsided victories by Gorman in the state finals, it could be a vastly different outcome.

In the regular season, Clark was the first Nevada team since 2011 to beat Gorman. And in the first game of the season, Coronado missed a shot at the buzzer against the Gaels in losing by one point.

First, Gorman has to beat Reno — a round of the tournament the Gaels won’t take for granted after it lost in 2011 to Bishop Manogue in one of the state’s biggest upset in recent memories.

We’re minutes away for tip-off. We’ll have updates for both semifinal games. Join our conversation on Twitter using #702hshoops.

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

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