Top 5 1A Divisin 1 match-up Valley at Grace
When the updated Coaches poll for Idaho’s 1A D1 schools came out on January 8, both Grace and Valley were in the top 5. On Saturday night January 12, 2019 the #4 ranked Valley Vikings traveled to #3 Grace to…
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Continue ReadingWhen the updated Coaches poll for Idaho’s 1A D1 schools came out on January 8, both Grace and Valley were in the top 5. On Saturday night January 12, 2019 the #4 ranked Valley Vikings traveled to #3 Grace to take on the Grizzlies in a non-conference match-up.
Valley got the opening tip and started off the scoring with a 3 point shot by Jason Hardy (2019) followed by Zane Mussmann (2019) adding a layup in transition to give Valley an early 5-0 lead. Soon after that Grace answered with a 3 point shot of their own from Ivor Gibbs (2020). At the end of the first quarter Valley lead Grace 15-13.
During the second quarter both teams pressured each other with full court pressure. Valley played full court man to man while Grace used a 1-2-2 trap. With 4:14 left in the second quarter it was tied at 19 when Grace’s Gage Stoddard (2021) hit his first 3 pointer to put Grace ahead 22-19. His second one of the quarter came a couple possessions later. As the second quarter ended Valley’s Alex Korom (2019) hit a 3 at the buzzer to give Valley a 31-25 lead at halftime.
The third quarter was a battle of the big men. Valley’s Zane Mussmann (2019) and Grace’s Theo Wood (2020) and Jacob Reeves (2019) battled throughout the whole quarter. Each possession was a fight for the rebounds and each worked hard inside to score. With about 1:00 min remaining in the third quarter Valley lead Grace by 5 points when Jacob Smith (2020) hit his second 3 point shot of the night. With 16 seconds remaining Gage Stoddard (2021) stole the ball from Valley and scored the layup to end the third quarter tied 44-44.
The fourth quarter continued to be a grind. Both teams battled back and forth causing turnovers and getting defensive rebounds limiting each others opportunities to score. With 3:32 left to go Grace’s Stockton Lloyd (2020) got fouled and went to the foul line and made both foul shots giving Grace the lead 50-49. With 23.3 seconds remaining in the game Valley’s Zane Mussmann (2019) scored after a Grace turnover to pull Valley to within 3 making the score Grace 54 and Valley 51. On the ensuing possession Grace got fouled and missed the front end of a 1 and 1. Valley got the rebound and with 9.6 seconds left missed a 3 point shot. Valley got the rebound but lost the ball out of bounds with 4.2 seconds left on the clock. Grace got the ball on the sideline and while trying to inbound the ball lost it out of bounds with 3.3 seconds left giving Valley one last chance to tie the game. As time expired Valley attempted a 3 point shot which they missed but was able to get the put back in as time expired making the final score Grace 54 and Valley 53.
5 Takeaways from the game:
Grace isn’t deep but doesn’t let that slow them down
With only 7 players listed on their varsity Grace doesn’t worry about not having a deep bench. Grace pressed Valley most of the night with a 1-2-2 full court trap and played pressure man to man defense. Only changing to a 2-3 zone to defend out of bounds plays. They never showed signs of fatigue and were very aggressive on defense.
Valley had the play of the game.
With 1:30 left in the second quarter 6’6″ Zane Mussmann (2019) stole the ball from Grace and hit Jason Hardy (2019) with the outlet pass. As Hardy took off down the court Mussmann did a great job filling the lane creating a 2 on 1 fast break. As Hardy attacked the basket he threw an alley-oop to Mussmann for a 2 hand dunk.
There is a possibility of a rematch
A rematch of these two teams could only happen at the State Tournament. If they both win their conference titles they will be on opposite sides of the bracket. So depending on how they do they could meet at some point in the tournament.
Both Teams have some talented players
Valley’s Jason Hardy (2019) is a very tough guard. He handles the ball well and is quick. He has a good outside shot and is able to drive to the basket and isn’t afraid of contact. He finished the night with 10 points. He sees the court well and is able to get the ball to the open man. Zane Mussmann (2019) is a very athletic 6’6″ post player. He has good hands, can handle the ball, and has good foot work. He scored using both hands and from both sides of the key. He lead all scorers with 19 points. He is a good rebounder and as he showed on his breakaway dunk he can jump.
Grace has two post players who are very good at getting offensive rebounds and scoring off of them. Jacob Reeves (2019) at 6’4″ and Theo Wood (2020) at 6’5″ are a big prescience inside. When they are in the game at the same time they make for a difficult match-up for opposing teams. Grace’s guards are also a big key to their success. Reeves ended up with 10 points and Wood led Grace with 14 points. Stockton Lloyd (2020) is a good ball handler who is able to handle pressure from other teams and get to the basket when he wants to. He is a good free throw shooter and can hit the outside shot. He ended the night with 5 points. Gage Stoddard (2021) has very good court vision. He is able to get the ball to the open player whether it is in transition or a half court set. He is also able to hit from the outside or mid range. He is a good defender who can cause problems for apposing guards. He finished the night with 10 points.
The atmosphere in Grace was great
I am not sure if you could have fit any more people into the gym on Saturday night. People were standing in the door ways and no one dared to leave for fear of losing their seat. Valley was well represented for having to travel two and a half hours. The whole section behind their bench was full. From the start the student section was loud and energetic. It was just what you would expect from a game featuring a match-up between two top 5 non conference teams. It was a fun game to watch.