Friday, Dec. 20, 2002 | 10:21 a.m.
Enjoy the moment, Green Valley coach Jim Allen told his team before its Thursday night opener in the Holiday Prep Classic against powerful Mt. Zion Christian Academy (N.C.).
That phrase proved to be sage advice from Allen, because the rims are likely still shaking in the Gators' gym after the spectacular show of dunks put on by the Warriors.
Mt. Zion displayed its superior athleticism through an energetic and suffocating defense that created numerous transition opportunities. In layman's terms, the Warriors had a lot of steals and a lot of slams en route to a 64-47 victory over Green Valley in pre-bracket play of the 96-team, three-day tournament.
Using a 2-3 zone that seemed to extend almost to halfcourt, the Warriors constantly jumped into passing lanes to force 21 turnovers and record 17 steals. Many of those were turned into rim-shaking dunks, much to the delight of the sizable crowd.
Four Warriors scored in double figures, led by 18 points from Dana Burns. Power forward Richard Dorsey came off the bench to total 15 points and 13 rebounds in a high-flying effort for Mt. Zion.
For Allen's Gators, the game against a much bigger and quicker opponent was much more about competing than winning. Green Valley managed to slow the Warriors down in the second half, cutting a 20-point deficit to 13 before fading again down the stretch.
"That's one of the most athletic opponents in the country, I would guess," Allen said. "It was a good experience for our kids."
Center Mitch Platt's strong night highlighted Green Valley's evening. The Oregon-bound big man scored 20 points, including two 3-pointers, and grabbed 11 rebounds. Platt appeared rushed at times, but certainly held his own against the strong Warriors frontcourt.
Ron Dunlap added 10 rebounds for the Gators, who shot just 34 percent overall.
The anticipated post matchup between Platt and Mt. Zion's Martin Iti never developed, as Iti turned in an underwhelming performance. One of the nation's top 15 prospects, Iti went scoreless in just 11 minutes, collecting six rebounds before fouling out.
The Warriors now advance to the loaded Bill Bobier Challenge II bracket, which also features Oak Hill Academy (Va.) and Cheyenne. Green Valley takes on Harvard-Westlake (Calif.) today.
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