By Jared Green
Daily Planet Staff
RENO - It was a case of different day, same problems for the South Tahoe High boys' basketball team against Galena on Tuesday as the Vikings fell, 63-31. Unfortunately, it also was a case of different day, different problems.
Facing the defending Northern Nevada 4A champs, the Vikings continued the careless ball-handling and poor defense that doomed them against Oakland in Saturday's season-opener. But whatever offensive success they had in their first game abandoned them completely against the Grizzlies, as the lack of an inside threat left them with no choice but to continue to take outside shots that simply weren't falling.
Derek Lorenzen scored 20 points to lead the Grizzlies. The 6-4 Lorenezen, a junior, has moved to point guard since guard is where he's going to play in college, Galena coach Tom Maurer said.
"He did an outstanding job," said Maurer of Lorenzen, who hit three three-pointers. "I thought he did a real good job of handling the ball. He shot the ball well."
South Tahoe shot just 25 percent (12 for 48) from the field and got to the free-throw line only five times. Meanwhile, Galena was 15-of-18 from the line.
Guard Casey Curcie led the team with 13 points and forward Dan Tobin had eight, but only three other Vikings scored in the game.
The visitors' offensive woes were best represented by the final minute of the third quarter. After a Galena basket made the score 48-23 with 57 seconds left, South Tahoe head coach Derek Allister called a timeout to set up a play. But the Vikings were left simply tossing the ball ineffectively around the perimeter as their attempts to penetrate were rebuffed and they never got off a shot.
That frustrating sequence came in the middle of a 17-0 Galena run that ended at 61-23, the Grizzlies' largest lead of the game, as the Vikings missed their first 10 shots of the fourth quarter.
"We've just got to figure out a way to score," Allister said. "It seemed like every look we had was pressured and we weren't getting any second looks."
The Grizzlies got out quickly and led 19-7 after the first quarter. They extended that lead to 26-7 before South Tahoe scored six straight points, but Galena answered with a six-point run of their own and the Vikings never got back in the game.
Galena dominated the paint, as their three post players combined to score 24 points and out-rebounded the Vikings 29-17, including a 17-5 edge in the first half. South Tahoe never even attempted to establish an inside presence, as their cutters were consistently bumped and blocked by the collapsing Galena zone.
Post player Bobby Contreras bulled his way to 10 points before fouling out. "He's a solid kid," Maurer said. Galena shot the ball well (22-for-46).
"We only need to be good in January," Allister said. "Tonight was part of the learning process for us. I just hope we actually learn from it."
Also for Galena, Ryan Bristol scored seven points, Aaron Anderson had six points, Justin Houk had seven rebounds and Iain Hill added six rebounds. Galena again has a tough nonconference schedule.
The Grizzlies began with a scrimmage against top California teams De La Salle and Clovis West. After opening with South Tahoe, Galena will return home to host Lonepeak, a team that advance to the Utah Final Four last season, at 7 p.m. Friday. Galena will then travel to meet Bay Area power St. Francis at 5 p.m. Saturday.
