Jan. 25, 2009

Gilmore Bops Penryn; takes tourney crown

Tough defense down the stretch helped Gilmore’s Bombers avenge an earlier season defeat Saturday afternoon and in the process propelled the Grass Valley 8th grade boys basketball team to the championship of last weekend’s Placer Shootout Tournament played in Loomis.

Playing Penryn in the tourney title game on Saturday, the Bombers grabbed a five-point halftime advantage and were able to keep the lead the rest of the way in finally emerging with a 45-41 victory.

“We played excellent defense,” said Gilmore coach Jeff Dellis whose Bombers avenged a setback to the Panthers from the Sierra Foothill League in the Weimar Hills Tournament earlier this month.

“It was close the whole way but we were able to weather a storm late in the game and hold on,’ said Dellis. “The kids did a good job.”

Cody Gardner’s 17 points, 16 from all-tourney choice Ian Davis and seven by Trevor Bryant paced the Bombers’ win.

Penryn was led by Trevor Pistochini with 10 points, Kyle Setterlund and Skylar Rand with  eight points each and Trevor Sloss with seven.

Gilmore gained the finals by defeating Nevada County Athletic League foe Magnolia, 43-36, in the semifinals. The Bombers had opened play with a 36-27 win over Franklin.

In the Franklin win, Gardner scored 10 points and Bryant and Davis each added eight. Both Josh Krieger and Branden Montoya scored eight apiece for Franklin.

Magnolia took third in the tournament with a 42-33 win over Loomis.

Meanwhile, Franklin, behind 17 points from Krieger and 10 from all-tourney pick Justin Voss defeated Placer, 42-30 in the consolation game.

Billy Musgrave and Mitch Pingree both tallied nine points each for Placer in the win.

In a consolation round win earlier on Saturday, Franklin bopped Foresthill, 58-32, with Voss erupting for 23 points and Montoya adding 10.