ELMA — A pivotal second quarter for Montesano allowed it to keep rival Elma at an arm’s length and just far enough away to secure an East County Civil War win in boys basketball on Wednesday night.
A modest 18-12 second quarter, coupled with some clutch all-around play at both ends of the floor, pushed the Bulldogs’ slim lead into a comfortable margin they maintained in the second half for a 59-52 Evergreen 1A League win over the Eagles.
L.J. Valley led all scorers with 20 points for Montesano (2-0, 8-5), with Trevor Ridgway adding 18 points. Avery Brown knocked home 19 points for Elma (0-3, 2-10), while his brother A.J. Brown added 13 points and eight rebounds.
“It is a gut feeling, but I think in the second quarter, we blocked out better than we did in the other three quarters,” Montesano head coach Doug Galloway said. “It seemed in the second half and in the first quarter, they got a lot of second chances and won most of the 50-50 balls. I thought that was the difference.”
“I think the difference was when Valley began hitting those deep 3s to start the game,” Elma head coach Marvin Prince said. “I think when Valley hit those, we told the guys that he’s a shooter and you can’t just let him stand there and shoot. I was pleased with the effort, but it comes down to execution on offense and defense.”
Leading 18-17 after a scintillating offensive first quarter by both teams, Montesano found a bit of momentum when freshman Sam Winter drained back-to-back 3-point baskets to push the lead to 24-17.
The Bulldogs’ defense responded, holding the Eagles to single shots per possession and a few free throws until 2:45 left in the first half. Keyed by the defensive effort, Monte’s offense fed off the momentum and rolled up a 12-1 run for a 30-18 lead. This was Montesano’s biggest lead of the game.
“For us, our offense is keyed off our defense,” Galloway added. “When our defense played well, our offense played well, too. They feed off of that. If we get stops and feel good about what we’re doing, we’re energized and it shows on offense.”
Elma closed the first half with a bit of a spark, led by the Brown brothers, to get to halftime down 36-29.
The entire second half was a defensive grinder, with both teams closing down the opposition’s best shooters and hustling for loose balls. The entire third quarter was a tough affair and neither team had an advantage over the other.
Elma’s defense forced nine Monte turnovers in the fourth quarter, giving it a chance to close the deficit. However, the Eagles only got to within five, 55-50, with 1:36 remaining in the contest off a three-point play by Avery Brown, who was cited along with A.J. Brown by Prince for their overall efforts.
“In the second half, we were able to get Monte into a scramble mode, which is what we wanted, but our lack of rotation (on defense) hurt,” Prince added. “We were able to close it late, but we couldn’t convert. It comes down to execution. We have to be more consistent.”
On Friday, Montesano hosts Forks, while Elma hosts Tenino.
Montesano 18 18 9 14 — 59 Elma 17 12 9 14 — 52
Montesano (59) — Peterson, Ridgway 18, Burbidge 2, Winter 6, Chapman 2, Valley 20, Farmer 1, 6, Dierkop 6, Nicklas 4. FG — 21-44. FT — 13-23.
Elma (52) — AJ Brown 13, Tep 7, Peterson, Thompson 8, Vollan 4, Spalding 1, Av. Brown 19, Horton. FG — 20-48. FT — 9-19.
JV — Montesano 51, Elma 41. Sam Schneider 28 points for Elma; Donovan Albert 13 points for Monte.
C Squad — Elma 64, Montesano 51.
