Fallon sophomore Braden Sorensen passes across the court in the first half of the Greenwave’s double-overtime loss to North Valleys.
Two days after an epic double-overtime loss, its first of the season, the Greenwave boys basketball team got back to winning with a 59-51 win over Sage Ridge at the Elmo Dericco Gymnasium on Friday.
Junior Baylor Sandberg recorded a double-double (10 points and 10 rebounds) to lead Fallon while senior Shawn Alexander scored a team-high 18 points and pulled down eight rebounds, and junior Brady Alves added 10, including a pair of 3-pointers.
“We shot the ball better. We had inside and outside scoring,” Fallon coach Chelle Dalager said. “After the loss to North Valleys, I told the post players to step up. I felt like we didn’t have enough inside. They answered and did really well against Sage Ridge.”
Although the Scorpions play at the 1A level, Dalager said they’re one of the best teams Fallon has played this year because of their ball movement, ability to shoot the ball and defensive hustle. Sage Ridge beat North Valleys, which Fallon lost to in double-overtime last Wednesday, by 24 last month and fell to 5A Galena by two earlier this month.
“Fundamentally, they’re the best team we’ve played. They switch defenses so often,” Dalager added. “They never let you get in any type of rhythm. I think the kids handled it really well.”
In Fallon’s 90-81 double-overtime loss to North Valleys, the Panthers raced to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter before the Greenwave clawed back.
Long-distance shooting from Alves, Alexander and sophomore Braden Sorensen kept Fallon in the game. Alves finished with a team-high 30 points, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range, before fouling out late in the game. Alexander and Sorensen each sunk four 3s to finish with 18 points. The post play contributed eight points.
Sophomore Trevor Hyde led the team in rebounding with 10 boards and Sandberg had seven.
“We spotted a 14-point start and I think some of that’s my fault because I told them to be patient,” Dalager said. “Patience to me is you don’t have the turnovers. We had seven turnovers in the first quarter. They were really slowed down. It’s just them understanding what I’m looking for.”
After a crossover game at Wooster on Friday, Fallon will play in a tournament next week in the Bay Area. In previous seasons, Fallon has played in the Rail City Classic, but Dalager said her team needs to face new competition as it jumps back into league play next month.
“It used to be teams from out of town that came in and played, and they were really tough and good caliber teams,” she added. “We decided we wanted to take kids out of town and get more experience. Our schedule at the beginning of the season was light and we needed to step up and get tougher.”