VIKING BOYS TAKE CLOSE WIN OVER SPARTANS
By Marc Atwood
marcatwood@aol.com
 
(1/23/08 Chico, CA) The Pleasant Valley boys' varsity basketball team held on to take a 50-47 win over Red Bluff in an Eastern Athletic League game played Wednesday at Varley Gym.
 
Sean Reynolds made the Vikings' first basket 21 seconds into the game. A three-pointer by Collin Ramirez 19 seconds later accounted for the Spartan's first points. A shot by Mycal Swaim with 3:50 remaining in the first quarter brought PV within a point at 7-6. Red Bluff took a 10-6 lead on a hoop by Ben Redfield with 1:33 left in the period.
 
Shawn Moore's basket with 6:51 remaining in the second quarter allowed the Vikings to tie score at 10-10. A hoop from Colter Hedden 19 seconds later gave the Spartans their first score of the period. Pleasant Valley took an 18-16 lead on Anthony Carter's bucket with 3:13 to go in the first half. Kevin Bosworth made a shot with 1:38 left in the half to keep Red Bluff within two points at 20-18.
 
Bosworth opened the Spartans' second half scoring with a basket 11 seconds into the third quarter. Carter answered back with a shot of his own 45 seconds later as the Vikings went up 28-22. Reynolds' bucket with 3:12 remaining in the third allowed PV to take a 34-25 lead. A three-pointer by Tony Gagliano with 2:48 left in the period brought Red Bluff within six points.
 
Swaim hit a basket 31 seconds into the fourth quarter as the Vikings took a 41-30 lead. A free throw by Cole McKenzie with 6:09 remaining in the game gave the Spartans their first point of the fourth. Red Bluff pulled within three points at 45-42 when Bosworth made a bucket with 2:16 left in the contest. Carter's shot with 1:18 left put Pleasant Valley ahead 47-42. The Vikings reached 50 points on Reynolds' free throw with 29 seconds left.
 
Carter was Pleasant Valley's leading scorer with 15 points. Hollen O'Kelley added 10 points and six rebounds, while Reynolds scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds. Red Bluff got a 17-point and seven rebound effort from Bosworth and Gagliano scored 13 points.