Prep basketball

With only three weeks left in the regular season, the Pahrump Valley Times Nevada High School basketball ratings have gotten to the point where state tournament title contenders are emerging.

For instance, in Class 3-A girls, Spring Creek, which won 2006 and 2007 state championships, has jumped into the lead, thanks to five consecutive wins in the Northern League. That 5-0 run enabled the Spartans to move ahead of teams ranked above them last week, Yerington and Dayton.

Spring Creek is 8-6 in all games and holds the No. 1 spot ahead of Mesquite Virgin Valley, now 18-2 after a 42-38 conquest of Southern 3-A rival Pahrump Valley, which remained No. 3 at 17-7.

Yerington was No. 1 last week, but the Lions fell to fourth because of two league setbacks. Dayton is No. 5, with Las Vegas Faith Lutheran at No. 6.

Only the Southern 3-A champion in both the boys and girls regionals will advance to Reno to play in the state semifinals Feb. 22 in the Lawlor Events Center. Three teams from the North will complete the semifinal brackets.

The Class 4-A boys and girls teams from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman; Class 3-A boys Faith Lutheran and 1-A boys Lake Mead Christian Academy retained their leads. Lake Mead has the best record of any team in Nevada at 23-1.

Last week's Class 2-A boys leader, Needles, Calif., lost two of three and dropped to sixth. Taking over the lead at 15-2 is Pershing County Lovelock and at No. 2 is Lincoln County, 13-5.

In girls 2-A, perennial state title threat Battle Mountain jumped from fourth to first at 15-6. Needles is now second at 17-4.

In girls 1-A, Pahranagat Valley Alamo, because of a big win against last week's No. 1, Las Vegas Mountain View Christian, leaped into the top spot. Mountain View dropped to third, with Owyhee, the 2007 state tournament champion, emerging at No. 2.

In classes 4-A, 2-A and 1-A, two Southern teams will advance to the state semifinals. The 4-A tournament will be played Feb. 21-22 in the Lawlor gym; the 2-A semifinals are at North Valleys High School Feb. 22, with Sparks Spanish Springs hosting the 1-A semis the same day. The finals are Feb. 23 at Lawlor.

The ratings

It is week 3 for the Pahrump Valley Times Nevada High School basketball ratings. They are based on games played through Jan. 16. The ratings will appear each Friday through Feb. 8, with the final lists to be published Feb. 13, during the week of the regional tournaments.

CLASS 4-A BOYS

1. LV Bishop Gorman 17-2

2. LV Mojave 17-1

3. LV Canyon Springs 15-5

4. Reno 10-5

5. LV Cheyenne 10-4

6. Foothill 14-6

7. LV Eldorado 15-6

8. Galena 9-9

9. LV Valley 16-6

10. Douglas Minden 12-6

CLASS 4-A GIRLS

1. Bishop Gorman 15-4

2. Centennial 17-3

3. Sparks Reed 11-6

4. Durango 19-3

5. Reno 15-2

6. Green Valley 16-3

7. Sierra Vista 18-5

8. Galena 11-7

9. Silverado 15-8

10. Douglas 14-6

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CLASS 3-A BOYS

1. LV Faith Lutheran 13-6

2. Yerington 14-5

3. Incline 12-4

4. Dayton 10-4

5. Virgin Valley 10-9

6. Pahrump Valley 12-11

CLASS 3-A GIRLS

1. Spring Creek 8-6

2. Virgin Valley 18-2

3. Pahrump Valley 17-7

4. Yerington 17-3

5. Dayton 9-1

6. Faith Lutheran 11-7

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CLASS 2-A BOYS

1. Lovelock 15-2

2. Lincoln County 13-5

3. Battle Mountain 9-7

4. West Wendover 10-5

5. Independence 7-1

6. Needles, Calif. 11-4

CLASS 2-A GIRLS

1. Battle Mountain 15-6

2. Needles, Calif. 17-4

3. Lovelock 14-3

4. West Wendover 12-8

5. Lincoln County 9-14

6. Whittell 7-7

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CLASS A BOYS

1. Lake Mead C.A. 23-1

2. Owyhee 13-5

3. Alamo 11-5

4. Coleville, Calif. 9-4

5. LV Trinity 11-6

6. Virginia City 12-4

7. Smith Valley 9-9

8. Wells 10-6

CLASS A GIRLS

1. Alamo 12-5

2. Owyhee 12-3

3. MV Christian 10-5

4. Wells 14-4

5. Coleville 8-4

6. Eureka 7-1

7. Virginia City 7-3

8. Pyramid Lake 7-7