Elite Eight Bound: Valor knocks off Eaglecrest

<p><strong><em>Recap:</em></strong></p> <p>Valor Christian reaches the elite eight after a tough game against Eagelcrest.  Valor took the lead after the first quarter at 15-7 and came out making a statement with their defense. [player_tooltip player_id="915306" first="Cole" last="Bott"] had several blocks in the first quarter making his presences felt on the defensive side of the ball all night long, impacting the game in several different ways.  [player_tooltip player_id="759180" first="Roger" last="Rosengarten"] impacted the first, being a threat in the paint that the Raptors did not have an answer for.  He scored six points in the first, which led the team. The Raptors would settle down and find their offense a little more in the second quarter, they out scored Valor 13-6.  Valor would take a one point lead into halftime 21-20, [player_tooltip player_id="526684" first="Zion" last="Ruckard"] would lead all scorers at half with seven points.  The second half was similar to the first, with both teams battling on each position.  [player_tooltip player_id="916953" first="Ty" last="Robinson"] would come out of halftime with a sense of urgency for the Raptors, he scored their first eight points including stretching the defense with two threes.  Talin Unruh had back to back threes in the quarter to give Valor a 35-30 lead, Robinson would answer with a monster dunk but got a questionable technical foul call for hanging on the rim.  Valor would take a 37-33 lead going into the fourth.  Aj Kula would have nine of his twelve points in the final quarter to finish the game for Valor in a very balanced effort, winning 60-52.  [player_tooltip player_id="770409" first="Amondo" last="Miller"] finished the game with eleven points as did Unruh, Rosengarten had ten, and Kula twelve.  For the Raptors Robinson and Ruckard finished with fourteen and [player_tooltip player_id="759247" first="Skylar" last="Wilson"] was held scoreless in the game.  Valor has all the pieces to make a run at the championship and will be a hard out. </p> <p><strong><em>Defense &amp; Patience: Valor </em></strong></p> <p>The Biggest thing that stuck out during the game was the team defense Valor was playing on Eagelcrest, they have multiple players who can guard different positions and size like no other team does.  In this game, [player_tooltip player_id="915306" first="Cole" last="Bott"] had himself a game on the defensive side of the ball, blocking several shots and creating problems with his length, he ended the game with five blocks.  Valor played mostly man but did switch to a little zone at times.  Rocky Beers was also very solid, his game doesn’t always stick out in the scorebook but he does a lot on the floor for Valor.  He plays tough defense and is a good rebounder.  Valor came out and set a tone in the first with getting stops and steals on the defensive side and then taking smart possessions on the other end.  They run the floor well but if a good shot isn’t there, they are discipline enough to slow down and run half court offense.  With their size, they often have the advantage down low and do a nice job of feeding it inside and playing off of it.  Willing to pass up a good shot for a great shot often makes them a tough guard for any team.  They move the ball well and have playmakers and shooters all around.  </p> <p><strong><em>Elite 8 Matchup:</em></strong></p> <p>(6) Valor with face-off against (19) George Washington in the elite eight this Saturday down at the Denver Coliseum.  The two teams played each other in late February in which Valor got the 69-58 win.  Rocky Beers led the way for Valor in the first matchup, scoring 14 points and 11 rebounds and [player_tooltip player_id="915306" first="Cole" last="Bott"] had 12 points.  [player_tooltip player_id="916954" first="Kendale" last="Johnson"] had 17 points, [player_tooltip player_id="770413" first="Jarmell" last="Johnson"] had 13, and [player_tooltip player_id="916990" first="Fred" last="Edmonds"] pitched in 11 to lead the way for the Patriots.  Valor held the Patriots to only six points in the second quarter which would end up being the difference.  The Patriots are entering the game knocking off the three seed in Ralston Valley on the road in the Sweet Sixteen. </p>