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By Brian Smith

Glenwood School’s (2-0) third quarter run blew open a close game against Valley (0-3) to lead 47-28 going into the final stanza and never looked back.

Playing at home, Glenwood’s first quarter started hot with point guard Jadarian Holloway hitting two shots and finding his teammates for open looks. The Gators led 17-6 with three minutes remaining in the first quarter, but the Rams started to crawl back into the contest.

Valley guard Zan Woody scored 4 points during the first quarter, but then he was red hot to begin the second period. Woody connected on four shots – including a 3-pointer from the left wing – to draw Valley within a one-point deficit at 21-20 with 4:42 remaining in the first half. He finished the first half with 16 points. The key for Woody to gain those looks was team defense.

A 3-2 zone used by Valley caused Glenwood some issues and kept Holloway at bay, at least for a little while. When Valley created a turnover or rebounded the basketball, it was off to the races. At halftime, Glenwood led 30-25.

The third quarter was a complete reversal of fortunes. Glenwood went out of their way to get a hand in Woody’s face. That’s when Valley’s offensive cohesiveness waned. Woody couldn’t get open looks, Valley’s offense missed several point-blank attempts and the Glenwood offense feasted off turnovers and getting out on the fastbreak. The catalyst yet again, Holloway weaved his way through the Valley defense.

Holloway’s stop-and-start moves helped score 8 points and were a large part of the quarter’s 17 to 3 onslaught. Holloway finished with 20 points for the game. When Holloway was not scoring, he often set up his teammates for shots at the rim. Those easy buckets seemed to zap Valley’s energy and they looked stunned.

The fourth quarter saw Glenwood’s offense operate with high efficiency once again. Its ball movement and good shot selection made sure that there was no fourth quarter rally. The nail in the coffin was Holloway drilling a 3-pointer from the left corner to make it 56-33 with 4:30 to play in the game. Also of note, Glenwood did not forget about guarding Woody despite the big lead. Woody earned his one make of the half.

Woody finally knocked down his first and only shot of the second half from a pull-up elbow jumper to finish with 18 points. That shot was made by beating two defenders and came at the 3:02 mark of the fourth quarter.

Valley showed signs of being a good basketball team Thursday night. The Rams need more consistency – especially with their shooting – but there’s a lot of talent with this team. Next up for Valley is a home game against Bullock County on Dec. 3.