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Norsemen thunder knocks out Marauders
- Updated: June 5, 2021
2021 EAST COUNTY PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
VALHALLA 55, MIRA MESA 50
EastCountySports.com staff report
EL CAJON – The Valhalla Norsemen advanced to the San Diego Section CIF Division III semifinals by holding off the Mira Mesa Marauders, 55-50, on Friday evening as the thunder appeared to be back at the Thunderdome.
Valhalla senior stars Josue Amaya and Joe Avalos combined for 40 points for the Norsemen.
The Norsemen, who improved to 18-4, will meet the fourth-seeded Hoover Cardinals (14-8) in a division blockbuster tilt on Tuesday at 7.
Valhalla is looking for a second trip to the Division III finals in the last three seasons.
Avalos had four three-pointers for Valhalla on the way to a 19-point effort. He had a three-ball just 2:30 in the game to give Valhalla a 5-4 lead.
Just over a minute later, Bashar Noor recorded a steal and got it ahead to Avalos, the Grossmont Hills League’s Player of the Year, for another long-ball to give Valhalla a 10-7 lead with 4:10 left in the opening period.
Amaya, who had 21 points, made a three-pointer with just over four minutes to play in the second quarter to give Valhalla a 29-22 lead but Mira Mesa battled back.
After the score was tied 31-all, Avalos hit a trey in the third quarter to five Valhalla a 38-36 lead.
Avalos knocked down a triple with 2:20 to play in the game to give Valhalla a 53-44 lead.
Indiana Schaefer, another senior, added eight points for Valhalla.
Calbert Esho had two points, 10 rebounds, and three blocked shots for the Norsemen.
Nooh, a senior, had three points and eight rebounds.
The winner of the Valhalla-Hoover game will face the winner of the other semifinal between sixth-seeded San Dieguito Academy and seventh-seeded Sage Creek.
Hoover won their quarterfinal against a respected Calexico club, 81-52.
The Cardinals split a season series with Mira Mesa, with each team winning on the other’s home floor, although Hoover lost at home by 16 to the Marauders while winning by just one point on the road.
Valhalla won in this spot during that terrific 2018-19 campaign, defeating Del Norte, 54-44, at The Thunderdome. The Norsemen fell to San Diego High, 75-56, in the finals.
ORANGE GLEN 66, MOUNT MIGUEL 45 – Ninth-rated Orange Glen eliminated the Matadors in the San Diego CIF Division II quarterfinals in Escondido on Friday.
The Patriots burst out to a 17-5 lead after the first quarter.
Orange Glen extended the lead to 39-24 by halftime.
Mount Miguel finished 13-8.
The Matadors weren’t a ballyhooed bunch for head coach Ryan Meier but were led by first-team All-Grossmont Valley League players Kaleb Wilson and John Brooks and recovered quickly from a 4-25 season.
Elijah Black was named second-team All-Grossmont Valley in his junior season for Mount Miguel.
