Galena escapes against North Valleys

RENO - Throughout their undefeated season (12-0) in High Desert League play and for the better part of the non-league year, the Galena Grizzlies were the hunters.

But in Tuesday's first round of the NIAA Northern 4A boys basketball playoffs at The Cave in Galena High School, the Grizzlies turned into the hunted.

Fortunately for Galena, it held off an inspired effort by the North Valleys Panthers and took a 68-59 win.

With the victory the Grizzlies (the No. 1 High Desert League seed) advanced to Thursday's semifinal game and will play the Sierra League's No. 2 seed Reno Huskies, who took a 73-48 victory over Elko at Reno High School on Tuesday.

Galena, which improved to 22-6 on the season, abandoned its halfcourt defense and played North Valleys' running game and had all it could handle.

"I thought the game was way too fast," said Grizzlies coach Tom Mauer, in his 14th year. "We have a group of kids that have never played in a playoff game. Truly, (power forward Luke) Babbitt is only a sophomore and played four games in the playoffs last year."

If Galena's players were a bit green in playoff experience, the No. 4 Sierra League seed North Valleys was 100-percent inexperienced, as it was the program's first-ever appearance in postseason play.

Behind the 3-point marksmanship of junior guard Archie Kovich and Devonair Hogan, who each hit four shots from beyond the arc, the Panthers (who finished the season 14-13) led three times in the game and were in it until the last three minutes of the game.

Kovich led the Panthers with 24 points, while Hogan added 16 and junior guard Travis Wilmoth chipped in 11. North Valleys was also playing without standout senior guard Bryan Coursey, who was declared academically ineligible a week and a half prior to the game. Coursey had averaged 18 points a game for the Panthers.

"We didn't necessarily want Galena running," said fifth-year Panthers coach Kyle Cerfoglio, when a reporter suggested he had Galena playing North Valleys' game. "They've got some very good players. They're not a team you want dunking on you and doing 360-degree reverse dunks on you. We wanted to run, but defensively we wanted to pick our spots because they are so good. They run a little more this year than they have. They're more free-flowing."

Babbitt led all scorers with 25 for Galena, which also got contributions from Tristan Hill (15), Brice Crook (10) and Justin Norvick (eight).

A Hogan trey gave North Valleys its largest lead of the game at 10-6 with 3 minutes, 47 seconds remaining in the first quarter, but Babbitt, who scored Galena's first 11 points, went on a one-man 6-0 run to put the Grizzlies back in charge, 13-10.

Kovich gave the Panthers its last two leads on a jumper to make it 14-13 and a 3-pointer to put his team up 17-15, but Galena tied it 17-17 on a Norvick bucket to end the opening quarter.

"Norvack did a good job of keeping us in the game," Mauer said. "I think you have to praise Babbitt and Norvick. Those two kids did certain things at certain times. Norvick did an outstanding job offensively and defensively."

North Valleys never looked beaten or ready to give up and a large contingent of its fans were just about as loud as the home Galena fans. Although Galena would jump ahead, the Panthers would invariably come right back to make it tight.

A 4-0 run to make it 21-17 for Galena was answered by a Kovich three. Ahead 32-22 the Grizzlies gave up a Hogan layup and a Wilmoth trey and North Valleys was down only 32-27.

Kovich bookended a Babbitt layup with a 3-pointer and a drive to the hoop and it was 36-32, before a Hill trey made it 39-32 with only one second left in the first half.

Like two prizefighters slugging it out, Galena and North Valleys traded big shot after big shot, with a Kovich three closing the lead to 41-37 and another Kovich three narrowing Galena's lead to 43-40, with 4:04 to go in the third.

After a Crook free throw made it 50-44, Hogan hit the shot of the night, sinking a 35-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to bring North Valleys within 50-47.

"We didn't have Devon for the first half of the season," Cerfoglio said. "Having him back was a big key. The whole team stepped up. Trevor Wilmoth has been that guy for us all year. He's a quiet guy who hits big shots."

Asked about the absence of Coursey, which might have made the game even closer or perhaps even resulted in a different winner, Cerfoglio shook his head quietly.

"It would've been nice to have Bryan. He's a great kid," Cerfoglio said. "He's an extremely hard worker. It's a shame he wasn't able to play. I feel bad for him. He's a great kid."

Hill opened the fourth quarter with a three and widened Galena's lead to 53-47, but once again Wilmoth and Kovich answered and the lead was again trimmed to 53-51, with 4:53 play.

After Eric Maupin scored two of his six points to put the Grizzlies back in charge, 55-51, Kovich hit both of his free throws to bring North Valleys to within 55-53 with 4:13 to go.

But Hill's trey sparked a 13-6 run for Galena to bring the insurrection to a close.

"I'm so proud of our guys," Cerfoglio said. "It's the first year we've made the playoffs and it's been an up-and-down year. We took our lumps. Defensively we played the best basketball of the season at the end of league (play). Our guys battled Babbitt. He's going to wake up tomorrow knowing he was in a battle."

If Galena is to repeat as regional champions and have a shot at going to state, it must first get past Reno (now 23-5) and Mauer didn't sound too enthused about the prospect.

"They are a team that we've haven't proven we can win against," Mauer said. "We played them twice this year and couldn't get within 20 points of them over the summer and fall. They are battle-tested and do a real good job of knowing how to play.

"They have guys 6-7, 6-6 and 6-5. It will be their seven seniors who have great experience versus our two kids (Babbitt and Norvick) who don't have a lot of experience."

The Galena-Reno game will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday at Carson High School.