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Greenwave explodes in 2nd quarter in win over Vikings

Steve Ranson | Lahontan Valley News
South Tahoe's Nathan Carney battles for the rebound Tuesday against Fallon's Shaw Lee (behind) in the fourth quarter.
Thomas Ranson / Lahontan Valley News

FALLON, Nev. — Forty.

The Greenwave boys basketball team literally shot the lights out in the Elmo Dericco Gym on Tuesday when Fallon broke open a one-point lead against South Tahoe and scored 40 points in the second quarter en route to a 71-30 Northern 3A win.

The 40 points unofficially sets a Greenwave record for number of points scored in one quarter.



The first 3 minutes of the second quarter saw Fallon (17-1 overall and 9-1 in league) gradually pull away from the Vikings (5-9 overall, 5-6 league), leading 26-16 after Kevin Lehmann scored on a 5-foot running jump shot.

Fallon’s leading scorer Thomas Steele then ignited the Greenwave offense by nailing a long 3-pointer from top of the key … and the offense heated up like a blow torch.



Greenwave forward Trey Rooks had a short jump shot followed by another trey, this time midway through the quarter from John Cooley. South Tahoe managed a pair of free throws from Andrew Lehman before Cooley’s first of three long-range basket.

Fallon attacked down the middle, along the baseline and from deep outside. Six-foot-6 Hayden Strasdin worked the baseline for a basket, and Rooks gave Fallon a 20-point lead, 38-18, on a turnaround bank shot. After the Vikings’ Andrew Lehman split the Fallon defense for a basket, the Wave outscored the Vikings 17-3 over the next 3 minutes.

Cooley nailed a 3-pointer from the right side and moved around to the left side of the key where he sunk his third trey. Elijah Jackson also found his range with a trey and added a basket when he wiggled around the defense and was fouled resulting in a 3-point play.

Steele finished the quarter with a 3-point play after he was fouled on a putback shot and then made the free throw.

Fallon’s offense struggled, though, in the first quarter as the Greenwave players seemed to be out of sync with each other. The Wave took a quick 6-0 lead on Rooks powered in for a turnaround jump shot, and David McFalls swiped the ball and fed it to Jackson who electrified the crowd with a dunk.

Both teams went cold for the next 55 seconds as Fallon and South Tahoe combined for five turnovers until Jackson scooted through the defense for a layup.

The Vikings responded with six unanswered points. Cameron Johnson connected on a pair of baskets, and Cameron Lehmann sunk two free tows to tie the score. Fallon and South Tahoe traded baskets with Rooks snaking inside for a shot that rolled off his fingertips, and Carl Valiente scored on a putback basket.

With 2:08 left in the quarter, Steele put Fallon on top 10-8, but Andrew Lehman stayed in the corner and fired the first of two treys for an 11-10 lead. Fallon regained the lead on Steele’s shot short, and Jace Harmon followed with a 3-pointer from top of the key.

With a running clock implemented in the second half, Fallon outscored the Vikings 7-5 in the third quarter and 9-2 in the final.

Fallon coach Chelle Dalager rotated her bench in the second half and rested most of her starters, but she also had her team work on different offensive and defensive sets with different players, which at times, looked like a quarterback throwing a long pass to a streaking teammate. Steele threw a long pass to Hayden Strasdin, who leaped up to grab the ball and dunked it.

Brock Richardson, who had a trey in the second quarter, added a basket, and Steele was fouled after rebounding the ball and putting it back for 2 points. Valiente hit a 3-pointer for South Tahoe, and Johnson and Andrew Lehmann each had a free throw.

Harmon had a pair of baskets and Shaw Lee added 5 points in the fourth quarter, and the Vikings’ Frank Aquilina scored his team’s only points on a putback.

Steele led all scorers with 17 points, and Jackson added 10 as everyone scored for Fallon. Harmon and Cooley each had 9, Rooks 8, Richardson and Lee each with 5, Hayden 4 and Avery Strasdin and McFalls, each with 2. As a team, Fallon made 22 2-point baskets and eight 3-pointers and was 3 of 5 in free throws.

Andrew Lehmann led the Vikings with 11 points, and three players each had 5: Valiente, Kevin Lehmann and Cameron Johnson. Aquilina and Cameron Lehmann each had 2.


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