West Valley sits atop Golden Throne

When their names were called, a couple of athletes answered in leading their respective East Valley and West Valley basketball teams to victory in the deafening environs of their annual spirit competition Friday night.

Kelsey Hentges scored a career-high 27 points, leading the EV Knights girls to a 58-41 victory in the first game of the Golden Throne soiree.

WV Eagles reserve Casey Sherrill provided the first-half spark in their 63-44 win over pesky host EV boys in the nightcap.

In what might be the final Golden Throne game, since WV moves into the 2A Great Northern League next year, WV’s “Eagle Powers International Bird of Mystery: theme won the Throne over EV’s “Willy Wonka and the Toilet Factory.”

The win by EV’s girls ended a four-game losing streak. During that time, Hentges had been mired in a six-game scoring drought before breaking out with 18 points on Tuesday against Gonzaga Prep.

But she one-upped herself against the Eagles. With her team leading 20-12, Hentges scored 10 points in the final 2:22 of the second quarter to give the team a 30-14 lead.

She took up where she left off after the long intermission. In the third quarter, Hentges scored a dozen points, including the final five of the quarter. The Knights (6-9, 2-6) lead by then was at 25 points.

Included during the 22-point, 10-minute outburst were four 3-pointers and some nice moves inside.

“She ignited us big-time,” said coach Freddie Rehkow. “I attributed it to a good team meeting. She was not playing the way she was capable and we told her to just play the way she can and have fun.”

EV got help from another player who helped the team break away from WV (1-7, 2-13) after the two were tied at 9 late in the first quarter.

In less than a minute, Kylee Williamson scored six points for a five-point lead. Hentges did most of the rest thereafter.

“I had a little downfall and we weren’t doing so well,” said Hentges. “I just had a couple of talks with my coaches and they told me to keep a positive attitude.”

WV committed 30 turnovers and EV had a dozen that factored in the outcome.

“We’ve been working on a lot less dribbling and more passing and it’s cut down on our turnovers,” said Rehkow. “I think we’re starting to piece things together.”

The Eagles got 18 points from junior Krystal McCarthy. She also had four 3-pointers.

Boys: WV (12-3, 6-2) never trailed the Knights (3-12 (0-8), but at one point in the first half that lead was only 12-11.

All of the Eagles’ scoring had come inside, the marksmanship of its long-range shooters missing the intended target.

Enter Sherrill, a junior averaging less than three points per game.

In the second quarter, he made both of his 3-point attempts and added a pair of free throws for a 32-23 halftime advantage.

WV was cruising toward a 20-point lead on a Sherrill basket when the Knights ran off 10 straight points to trail 48-39. The WV marksman thwarted the comeback with his third 3-pointer with 37 seconds to play in the third quarter.

Sherrill finished with a career-high 13 points.

“He’s a very talented kid,” said WV coach Jamie Nilles. “The whole thing is his confidence. It was great to see him in an atmosphere like this that he has the guts to step up and hit big shots.”

If Sherrill were an unlikely hero – “I don’t know about hero, I was just feeling it,” he said – Mr. Dependable was there when needed as well.

Tyler Hobbs had sat out much of the first half because of foul trouble, but he was feeling it, too, after halftime. Hobbs scored 11 of WV’s first 12 points of the quarter for a 44-27 lead less than 3 minutes in.

Inside or out, it didn’t matter. Hobbs posted for baskets, stepped out for 3-pointers and scored 19 of his game-high 25 points in the second half.