Karen Boehler
CCSR writer/editor
Valley's Logan Rader goes up in traffic and gets two of his game-high 19 points.
(CCSR photo by Arnold J. Roe)
Despite Tuesday’s boys game at the Redrock Center being a district match between in-town rivals, it didn’t turn out the way anyone really expected.
What most people thought would be a fast-paced, high-energy match that ended up only a few points apart turned into a blowout, as Valley Christian pummeled Gateway 58-35.
The reason, said GCS coach Troy Grant, was simple.
“We didn’t come out tonight and execute and we didn’t play with the intensity we needed to and they outplayed us and out-hustled us in just about every aspect of the game.”
While Valley coach Randall Lyons was more charitable — “That happens sometimes in the games.
Generally speaking they’re going to be close. And it was. They battled hard and that’s what you expect in a game like that” — from the stands it really did look like the Warriors could do nothing right.
Neither team could get much to go in the basket in the first quarter, so the Lions led 10-5 after one.
Lions Logan Rader and Lane Vander Hulst, who led the scoring with 19 and 16 points, respectively, opened the second stanza with back-to-back field goals, and although the Warriors did get a few balls to fall, they missed many more than they shot and turned the ball over continually with dreadful passing.
Gateway's Mason Miller gets two of his team high 12 points.
(CCSR photo by Arnold J. Roe)
“We shot way too many 3s in the first half and only made one,” Grant said. “We basically were not executing our offense and shot ourselves in the foot.”
Gateway scored the first three points of the second half, to close within six, drew within five with about four minutes remaining, but then the bottom fell out for the host squad.
Valley went on a 14-0 run to end the stanza then outscored the Warrior 15-11 in the fourth.
Asked what changed, Lyons didn’t know.
“If I knew an answer to that we’d do that all the time,” he said. “I don’t know. We played a pretty good second half.”
Grant sounded just as surprised as the fans at what was happening — or rather, not happening — on the floor.
“It was (surprising) to me,” he said. “Even in talking to them in time outs, it was just hard to see where they were at, because they just didn’t come with the intensity tonight. We played Tatum Friday night and there was only five or seven points difference at halftime, and then we came out the second half and played just like we played tonight and lost by a lot. I know they’ve got it. But when we don’t play as a team and we don’t execute, we just don’t play very well.”
Mason Miller was the only Warrior to reach double figures Tuesday with 12, while Logan Krasowsky and Ben Thomas, who often lead the offense, were held to a lone trey and field goal.
Valley travel to Tatum Friday to face the district-leading Coyotes, then closes the season next week against Mescalero, Lake Arthur and Valley.
Lyons is hoping the big victory will give his team some momentum.
“We’ve had some disruptive practices because of sickness, injury, and like that, so we’re not as consistent, and hopefully this will be the start of building up again,” he said.
Gateway will get a chance to work the kinks out in a non-district match Thursday vs. NMMI before facing Lake Arthur Friday.
“I know the kids are disappointed and everything, but it’s like I told them, we’re 2-2 coming down the stretch for district and there’s no surprises in front of us now and so it’s up to them to come out and want it. It’s a matter of heart,” Grant said.
For more sports news, go to Chaves County Sports Report