SPRING CREEK — The Spring Creek basketball team found a way in its season opener, prevailing in a back-and-forth slugfest against defending Division 1A state champion Green Valley Christian.
After a flurry of threes and a torrid pace, the Spartans stepped in the right direction for a 63-56 victory Wednesday over the Guardians.
The first quarter painted a picture of a race to a high-scoring affair.
The Guardians hit the board first on a bucket from senior Joshua Valencia, matched with a deuce by sophomore Darren Bylund for the Spartans.
Valencia railed his second field goal of the game from distance, but Bylund returned fire with a triple.
Green Valley Christian grabbed a lead on a deuce for sophomore Thomas Pulcini, and the second three from Valencia forced a Spring Creek timeout with the score at 10-5 with 5:58 on the clock.
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From the reset, senior Maddox Moye pulled the Spartans to within three on a nice steal and push to the rim.
Senior Brennan Killoran answered the score on the other end, but Moye knifed the margin to two with a three from the left wing.
Killoran sank a pair of free throws for a four-point cushion, but Moye drove and kicked to Bylund for his second trey of the quarter.
The second three of the period for Moye gave the Spartans their first lead of the game at 16-14.
For the Guardians, junior Deomani Loveland gridlocked the tally with a tough pull-up jumper from near the three-point line.
Moye pushed Spring Creek back to the front with a free throw, but GV Christian regained the lead on a bucket on the right block by Pulcini.
The Spartans took a 20-18 lead on a corner three by senior Klayten Piippo, set up by a pass from junior Caleb Culp.
The advantage grew to four on a jumper off the dribble by junior Carson Fisher, and the period ended with a takeaway turned into points by Piippo at the buzzer.
After the first, Spring Creek led 24-18.
Valencia picked up the second where left off in the first, canning his third three.
A pair of free throws from Culp gave the Spartans a five-point lead, but the Guardians scored six straight — taking a 27-26 lead — Killoran adding two free throws in two trips, junior Terrance Turner putting in a deuce and Valencia scoring on the right block with a strong move through traffic.
A layup by junior Jaron Johnson regained the high side for Spring Creek, but Valencia made a rank moved around a defender and spun away from another for a finish on the right block for a 29-28 GV Christian lead with two minutes remaining.
At the 1:36 mark, Johnson hit one of two free throws and tied the game at 29-all.
Valencia stuck his fourth triple, but Bylund nailed his third trey in return with a minute remaining in the half.
Valencia was patient and drove the lane for a deuce, but Bylund was left all alone in front of the Guardians’ bench — giving the Spartans a one-point halftime lead with his fourth bomb from the corner.
At the break, Spring Creek held a 35-34 advantage.
Bylund buried two free throws after GV Christian was issued a technical foul for an incorrect number in the scorebook, and Johnson scored on the break from the left side on a good look from Moye.
On the left side, the Guardians scored the first points of the half on a layup by senior Mason Sosa.
GV Christian tied the game at 39-apiece on consecutive field goals by Valencia, his fifth three and a deuce.
The Spartans went back to the high side on a sweet baseline drive by Bylund and a free throw for junior Jon Crawford-Wadley, but GV Christian grabbed a 46-42 lead on a three from the left side by freshman Nicholas Madsen and a deuce from Pulcini — forcing a timeout with 2:27 remaining in the third.
The margin was cut in half on a layup by junior Tucker Johnson from a great pass by sophomore Tayden Francis.
But, Valencia dribbled out most the clock after making a steal and absolutely hammered a three from the left corner.
Going to the fourth, the Spartans trailed by five with the score at 49-44.
Francis forced a turnover and kicked ahead to Moye for a layup as he reached double figures, then he tied the game with his third trey with a hand in his face at the 5:45 mark — the Guardians taking a timeout.
Jaron Johnson gave the Spartans the lead with a jump hook in the lane, and the margin went to five with a hesitation, pump-fake and step back three from Bylund.
The Guardians turned the ball over with 3:43 on the clock, trailing 54-49.
With an offensive board, Jaron Johnson dropped a finish through contact and added three free throw for an eight-point cushion — Killoran doing the same on the other side.
The Guardians cut the deficit to three, then Turner banked home a runner down the middle and made the score 57-56 with two minutes remaining.
After both teams squandered opportunities to score, the Spartans went up as Bylund found an open lane for an easy finish on the right side.
With 51 ticks on the clock, Moye made a free throw four and made the game a two-score affair and added another with 16.9 seconds remaining.
Bylund put down a pair of freebies, and the Spartans opened the season with a 63-56 victory over Green Valley Christian.
Valencia led all scorers with 28 points — scoring 20 in the first half and sticking six 3s — but he was held scoreless in a seven-point fourth for the Guardians.
Bylund scored a team-high 25 points and buried five 3s for the Spring Creek, joined in double digits with 16 points from Moye — who scored nine in the first quarter, seven in the fourth and hit three 3s — and 10 points by Jaron Johnson.
For the Guardians, Killoran reached double figures with 11 points.
The Spartans gained five points a three from Piippo, and the offense was rounded out with two points for Fisher, Tucker Johnson, Culp and a free throw by Crawford-Wadley.
GV Christian’s scoring was capped with six points by Pulcini, four points from Turner, a three by Madsen and two points for Loveland and Sosa.
Up Next
The Spartans (1-0) will open the Brent Stokes Farm Insurance Classic with a game against Division 5A North program Reno at 6 p.m. Thursday, at Centennial Gymnasium.
