WEST GROVE >> The Great Valley boys basketball team continued its winning ways Saturday afternoon, garnering its 13th win of the season with a wire-to-wire 69-59 non-league victory over host Avon Grove.
Cam Wallace led Great Valley with 26 points, Connor Gal added 20 points and Max DiMedio contributed 16 points.
Great Valley (13-2) got out of the gate early, forcing the Red Devils (5-10) to chase them the entire game. Tyler Arnold did his best for Avon Grove, as he poured in a game-high 32 points.
“We always talk about starting games fast, because early in the year we did not do that a few times,” Wallace said. “But the coaches always stress that in practice, and we got out fast today. We made some mistakes in the second half, like not making our free throws and a couple of turnovers, but we corrected those things in the fourth period, enough to get the win.”
Great Valley held a 33-20 halftime advantage after taking a 17-6 lead late in the first period. The Patriots shot 12-for-23 from the field in the opening half with only two turnovers. Wallace poured in 15 points in the first half, and Gal tallied eight.
In the third period, the Patriots went on a 12-0 run. A outside jumpier from Gal, a steal and layup from Gal and two Wallace baskets during the Great Valley run gave the Patriots what looked like a commanding 54-36 lead after three periods.
But the Red Devils fought back in the fourth period. With Great Valley up 54-38 30 seconds into the fourth period, Arnold scored on a driving layup to make it a 54-40 game. Arnold was impressive in the medium jump shot game and scored in dribble penetration as he triggered the Avon Grove rally.
Avon Grove’s Aidan Violette drained a long three-ball, then Great Valley then turned the ball over and the Red Devils Jack Britton got fouled and downed two free throws to cut the Patriots lead to 54-43 with 4:56 to play.
But Great Valley fended off the Avon Grove rally. as Will Otterbein drained a three-ball and Gal scored on a driving layup.
“I know my role on this team is to play tough defense,” Otterbein said. “And playing full court defense is tough, but it keeps up the intensity in the game. And if I can down 2 or 3 three-balls it really helps the team.”
After another inside basket from Arnold, the Great Valley lead was 60-50 with 2:23 to play. But the Patriots forced two late Red Devil turnovers and got free throws from Gal and Matt Peduto to hang on for the nonleague victory.
“It was a good thing we started the game with a lot of energy,” Great Valley coach CJ Savage said. “Avon Grove is very tough with tough kids and they played extremely hard.”
Great Valley 69, Avon Grove 59
Great Valley 19 14 21 15 – 69
Avon Grove 8 12 16 23 – 59
GREAT VALLEY (69) Di Medio 6 2-3 15, Gal 8 3-3 21, Wallace 9 8-11 26, Otterbein 1 0-0 3, Peduto 0 2-2 2, McDanile 1 0-0 2, Hegde 0 0-3 0. Totals 25 14-21 69.
AVON GROVE (59) Arnold 14 3-4 32, Cox 1 0-0 2, Britton 3 2-2 8, Kozman 0 0-0 0, Violette 2 0-0 5, Newman 3 1-1 7, Ziegler 1 0-0 2, Anthony 1 0-0 3. Totals 24 6-7 59.
3-point goals: DiMedio 2, Gal 2, Otterbein, Violette, Anthony, Arnold.
