The Galena High boys basketball team didn't fall apart after letting a five-point lead slip away in the last 12 seconds of regulation.
Galena was also able to go on to win the game after its best player, Derek Lorenzen, fouled out in overtime. The end result was a milestone win for Galena coach Tom Maurer.
Maurer won his 200th game as the Grizzlies overcame adversity for a 43-42 win of Hart, the No. 5 ranked team in Los Angeles, in the Maui Christmas Classic in Hawaii.
The Grizzlies led 40-35 when Hart scored with 12 seconds left. After Galena committed a turnover, Hart hit a three-pointer to force overtime. "Our kids never put their heads down," Galena assistant coach Matt Kromberg said.
Chad Seidenstricker hit two foul shots and Luke Leonard hit a foul shot to account for Galena's scoring in overtime.
Galena jumped out to a 14-5 lead after one quarter before Hart came back. "We can't peak so soon," Kromberg said. "We just played really sluggish."
Lorenzen scored 16 points before fouling out in overtime and 6-7 freshman Luke Babbitt added 16 points. Kromberg also said Galena, led by Babbitt, was strong on the boards.
"He went to the boards extremely well," Kromberg said. "We went to the boards really well."
Galena will play today against tournament favorite and defending tournament champion Mission Viejo, Calif., in the prime time game. Mission Viejo is coming off a football season in which it went unbeaten to win the Southern Section Division II title and was ranked No. 3 in the nation.
DAYTON 64, SPARKS 60
Dayton boys basketball coach Rob Streeter had the perfect word after his team held off Sparks for a 64-60 win on Friday at home in the Dust Devils Nortern 3A opener.
"Relieved," Streeter said.
Thanks to an outstanding night at the foul line in which Dayton (7-1) shot 82 percent (29-of-35), the Dust Devils were able to hold off Sparks. Twenty-five fouls were called on Sparks while 21 were called on Dayton in the game.
Dayton trailed 17-12 after one quarter before coming back to tie the score 29-29 at halftime. The Dust Devils led 44-43 after three quarters and built a 10-point fourth quarter lead.
But Sparks made three three-pointers to rally before Dayton held on at the foul line. The Dust Devils made 6-of-6 foul shots in the last minute.
Josh Aaker hit 9-of-12 foul shots on his way to scoring 15 points, Danny Hopper was 6-of-7 from the line in scoring 14 points, Travis Wood had 12 points and Trent Wood added 11 points for Dayton.
CARSON GIRLS
The Carson High girls basketball team looked to be on its way to breaking through to a win in the tough Oak Ridge Trojan Classic near Placerville, Calif.
But the Senators couldn't hold on and lost to Valley of Sacramento 52-42 on Friday. Carson led 38-31 going into the fourth quarter before Valley outscored Carson 21-4 in the final period.
Jasmine Scott took over for Valley in the fourth quarter, scoring 12 of her 19 points. Carson still led with 3:30 left in the game, but that was then Scott really took over for Valley.
"They had a great player," Carson coach Alana Williams said. "We contained her through three quarters."
Valley also shot seven free throws in the fourth quarter while Carson only shot two. Nicole Scott scored 18 points and Andrea Hoff added 11 points for the Senators. "I really did think we played pretty well," Williams said.
Carson opened the tournament with a 39-24 loss to McClatchy of Sacramento on Thursday. Scott led the Senators with 11 points.
The tournament concludes today and Williams said her team has benefitted from the event.
"There are some very good teams from the Sacramento area," Williams said. "It's been a growing experience for us."
MCQUEEN 71, DOUGLAS 57
McQueen took a remarkable 44 free throw shots compared to Douglas' 20 in a 71-57 win Friday afternoon at Reed High School.
Keith Olson led the Tigers with 18 points, despite leaving the game in the fourth with an injured ankle. He is expected to miss at least one game.
Skylar McNabb scored 15 points and hit three 3-pointers and Mike Gransbery scored 13 points and also hit three 3-pointers.
Douglas had four players foul out of the game, compared to one for McQueen (Douglas was also called for 28 fouls, compared to McQueen's 17), but the Lancers were called for two technical fouls, including an ejection of Brian Latorre after he shoved Collin Kamholz at the buzzer.
"I'd jut like to see some consistency," Douglas coach Keith Lewis said of the foul situation. "It's frustrating when the imbalance in calls is that big.
"We had bigger problems tonight. We weren't defending, we weren't rebounding and we weren't getting it done on our end of the floor. That's the recipe for defeat right there.
"We can't continue to give up 70 points and expect to compete. We need to play with more emotion, just try to be there for each other more."
DAYTON GIRLS 33, SPARKS 13
Amanda Sbragia scored 14 points, Melony Cox had six points, Maria Weeks, Rebecca Clark and Lauren Clark all scored four points and Amanda Brandenburg added one point in the win for the Dayton girls basketball team.