HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVT Alex Anderson, 24, drives the baseline for the Pahrump Valley High School boys' basketball team, in its 53-45 victory against visiting Mesquite Virgin Valley, Friday at PVHS. Advertisement

Shaun Johnson scored nine of his career-high 19 points in the fourth quarter, sparking homestanding Pahrump Valley to a 53-45 victory against Mesquite Virgin Valley Friday.

The Trojans, still in the hunt for a playoff berth, moved to 3-3 in the Southern Nevada Class 3-A League, 16-12 in all games, with the victory against the Bulldogs, who had beaten PVHS 60-43 at Mesquite in January.

Pahrump Valley played at Boulder City Tuesday and will be at home for its regular-season finale against Overton Moapa Valley Friday (6 p.m.).

In the girls' game, Pahrump Valley almost allowed a 10-point lead get away, but the Trojans held on to beat Virgin Valley 35-33, handing the Bulldogs their first league loss in seven starts.

PVHS is 5-1 in the league; if coach Bob Hopkins' team wins out, it will be the No. 1 seed, with Virgin Valley No. 2 for the Southern playoffs.

While the girls seeds for the regionals are practically decided, all of the boys games this week will have an impact on the rankings for the teams in the playoffs, scheduled Feb. 14 and 16 at Del Sol High School in Las Vegas.

Boulder City (2-4 league, 8-17) was coming off a 50-47 upset victory against defending league, regional and state champion Las Vegas Faith Lutheran (6-1, 18-7), less than a week after the Eagles had fallen 46-38 to Pahrump Valley.

The Trojans defeated Moapa Valley 59-58 in overtime at Overton in January. The Pirates were 3-3, 11-13 when they played at Faith Lutheran Tuesday night.

In the other league finale Friday, it will be Boulder City at Virgin Valley.

Faith Lutheran cinched the No. 1 seed before the Crusaders lost to Boulder City. Which means the outcome of the games Friday will decide which team goes where on the playoffs bracket.

The only way to insure a playoff berth for the Trojans ... or Bulldogs ... or Eagles ... or Pirates ... is to win Friday.

The Trojans led 20-11, 26-20 and 37-32 at the quarters against the Bulldogs (2-5, 12-13). In the fourth, Johnson kept the pressure on Virgin Valley, firing in four field goals and adding a free throw.

Anthony Morris, a 6-foot-6 forward, had seven of his 16 points in the final period to keep Virgin Valley in contention.

The Lonnie Shereck-coached Trojans were 6-for-11 from the line in the quarter, with sophomore guard Alex Anderson going 4-for-4 as he netted 13 points.

Anderson had bombed in a pair of 3-pointers in the first period when the Trojans jumped out to a 20-11 lead.

Point guard Darius Dolly had nine points and six assists for the Trojans, who controlled the pace of the game from the beginning.

Terran Leavitt had 11 points for the Bulldogs, who were without guards Doug Hafen and Michael Bartlett for this game. Their second-half defensive play had been decisive in the Bulldogs' win against PVHS at Mesquite.

In the girls' game, Pahrump Valley led 34-24 with 1:07 left.

The Bulldogs, getting five points from backup guard Shelby Brotherson and three free throws from Rachel Morris, went on a 9-1 run to close to 35-33 with 0:02 seconds left. Pahrump Valley missed a free throw, but the Bulldogs didn't have any time to generate a potential game-winning play.

Kristi Daffer, a 6-foot junior center, paced Pahrump Valley with 17 points, 11 rebounds, sevens steals and an assist.

Courtney Spawn, Virgin Valley's playmaker and leading scorer, was held to nine points before fouling out with 2:57 left in the game.

NOTES -- Friday was Banner Night, with Pahrump Valley recognizing its championship teams of the past year by raising banners in the main gym ... Raised were banners for boys teams in wrestling (regular-season and regional champions), baseball (state runnerup) and track (regional champion) ... Girls banners went on the walls for fast-pitch softball (regular-season and regional champion), volleyball (regional champion), basketball (regular-season and regional champion), golf (state champion for the third straight year and all-state academic team for the second straight season), track (state champion) and cheerleading (state champion).

Boxscores

Virgin Valley Girls (33)

Diasi 2-0-4, Spawn 4-0-9, Morris 0-3-3, Fowles 1-1-3, Henderson 4-0-8, Bowler 0-1-1, Brotherson 2-0-5. Totals: 13-5-33.

Pahrump Valley (35)

Daffer 6-5-17, Meads 1-4-6, Orr 1-0-3, Kunzi 1-0-2, Lindgren 0-2-2, Taylor 0-1-1, Gamble 1-2-4, Humbert 0-0-0, Scheller 0-0-0, Salmon 0-0-0. Totals: 10-14-35.

VVHS 7 4 7 15 -- 33

PVHS 6 8 10 11 -- 35

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Virgin Valley Boys (45)

Leavitt 4-2-11, Brotherson 2-0-5, Guthrie 0-0-0, Morris 6-4-16, Gleaves 3-3-9, Bulloch 1-2-4. Totals: 16-11-45.

Pahrump Valley (53)

Amburgey 1-0-2, Weekly 1-1-3, Dolly 3-3-9, Fisher 0-2-2, Johnson 9-1-19, Gott 0-0-0, True 0-1-1, Ward 2-0-4, Ceballos 0-0-0, Anderson 3-4-13. Totals: 19-11-53.

VVHS 11 9 12 13 -- 45

PVHS 20 6 11 16 -- 53