Green Valley blasts Basic

By Brent Hinckley

Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009 | 1 a.m.

Offensive balance is the key to success for Green Valley High's boys' basketball team and it was on display Wednesday night as the Gators knocked off visiting Basic, 68-48.

"This was a stepping stone. We want to make a run in the conference and they were first on the list and we stepped up to get them," Gators senior forward Julian Franklin said.

Franklin's 11 points led Green Valley players, while three others also scored in the double digits. His brother, senior guard David Franklin, and senior guard Royce Alexander and junior forward Glenn Bewley each added 10 points in the win.

"It's what we ask for. We don't want any superstars. If we had one guy scoring 30 points and the rest just a few points, it would be easy to focus on the one and shut him down," coach Ole Svendsen said. "This way they can't focus on just any one person."

Green Valley (7-5, 1-1 Southeast Division) never trailed against the Wolfpack as the Gators picked up their first league win, while Basic dropped to 0-2 in league play and 6-4 overall.

"This is a springboard going in to (Southeast Career and Technical Academy) on Friday. A win like this gets your confidence up," David Franklin said. "We had intensity and played great team defense."

That defense helped the Gators force several Basic turnovers to start the third quarter and go on a 13-0 run to pull away from Basic.

Green Valley opened the game with a 5-0 run, with a 4-0 run in the second and a 10-0 run in the fourth.

"Coach wants us to go out and make the first punch. We want to come out quick and put them on their toes and that puts us in an advantage," Julian Franklin said.

Svendsen said the team's rotation allows it to have the starting five start each quarter, which makes it easier to start off strong.

"They have a scheduled time when they take breaks, and when the starters come back on at the start of each quarter they're rested and ready to make a push," he said.

The Gators led 17-10 after the first quarter and extended that lead to 21-10, but Basic managed to chip away at the lead until it was 29-21 with only seconds left to play in the first half. The Wolves tried to hold for the last shot, but Green Valley rebounded the ball with three seconds and Julian Franklin was able to add a buzzer-beating layup to extend the lead to 31-21.

"We didn't shoot well, but we were able to get a lot of layups, and we just played hard," David Franklin said.

Basic's 40 points was a season low and while Wolves senior forward James Holmes had a game-high 14 points, he didn't get much support. Junior forward Laquan Fletcher came off the bench in the second half and scored seven points, including a 3-point shot that ended Green Valley's 13-0 run. However, the Wolves scored just nine points in the third quarter.

Green Valley closed out the game with 22 points in the fourth while holding Basic to 10. Green Valley next hosts Tech on Friday, while Basic is back on the road playing at Del Sol.

Brent Hinckley can be reached at 990-7822 or [email protected].