For the sixth consecutive December, Pahrump Valley will play in Centennial High School's Lady Bulldogs' basketball tournament -- this season renamed the Las Vegas Holiday Classic -- Thursday through Saturday.

And for the first time in three years and for the third time overall, PVHS will be the only Nevada Class 3-A team in the event. Spring Creek played in two tournaments and Class A Pahranagat Valley Alamo, when the incomparable Kalee Whipple was the Panthers' standout player, competed in one.

In their previous five Centennial tournaments, the Trojans have won 12 and lost 13; those setbacks represented almost half the losses Pahrump Valley sustained in those seasons; the Trojans were 128-30 from 2002 through 2007.

A 92-51 loss to Centennial in the 2003 Classic title game was the only setback PV's girls sustained in a 32-1 campaign that ended with a state championship victory in 2004 (40-38 against Winnemucca Lowry).

Pahrump Valley is in the Comet Division, along with St. Thomas More of Lafayette, La. (14-5 in games played through Dec. 20; see related story this page); Henderson Green Valley (9-2); Reno Galena (7-2 under the direction of former Tonopah and University of Nevada-Reno standout Karen Friel), and Las Vegas Chaparral (1-7).

Pahrump Valley will play St. Thomas More at 10 a.m. Thursday in Centennial's main gym. At 7 p.m., the Trojans will take on Galena in the auxiliary gym.

Friday's division games are at 1 p.m. (against Green Valley) and 10 p.m. (vs. Chaparral).

Green Valley has three of the more explosive players of any team in the tournament. Victoria Naylor, a 5-foot-6 senior guard, is averaging 17.4 points and 8.0 assists per game; at 17.3 points and six assists per game is Jazmine Jarvis, a 5-8 sophomore guard. Sarah Pickus, a 5-11 sophomore post, is scoring 11.2 ppg and is averaging 5.2 rebounds per game.

Danielle Christenson, a 5-7 sophomore wing, is averaging 10.8 ppg for the Gators, who lost 70-45 to defending state 4-A champion Bishop Gorman and 59-55 to undefeated Durango.

Chaparral is led by 5-10 Victoria McDonald, one of five seniors on the roster.

Galena defeated Centennial 57-47 in its season opener; a couple of nights later, the Grizzlies fell 55-41 to Bishop Gorman. Their other loss was to Reno, 55-50.

Defense is the name of the game for Galena, which is allowing less than 36 points per game; they are scoring less than 50 points per start.

Friel has six seniors, including 5-11 senior post Shelby Winters and 6-1 forward Langley Iverson, on the roster.

Extra games will be played Saturday in both gyms, with action starting at 8 a.m.

Coach Karen Weitz's Centennial team is 6-2 and is in the Dasher Division with Eagler River (Alaska), Las Vegas Valley, Douglas Mindwen and Palos Verdes, Calif., Peninsula.

In the Rudolph Division is Las Vegas Palo Verde, 13-2 in games played through Dec. 21. Gilbert, Ariz., Highland is 1-2, with Los Angeles Fairfax at 7-4, Elko 5-4 and Henderson Coronado 3-4.

Las Vegas Durango, led by four-year starter Lindy LaRocque, is 8-0 and leads the Blitzen Division. Las Vegas Silverado is 7-6, while Nevada 4-A Carson is 0-8.

Completing the division are California teams -- Paramount, 6-5, and Santa Fe Springs, 6-5. Santa Fe is 1-1 against Pahrump Valley in this tournament.