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Metea rallies for win

A game of streaks, Metea Valley's boys basketball team had the last to beat rival Waubonsie Valley.

Two points down early in the fourth quarter, host Metea forged a transition-based 13-2 run to support its 58-49 Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division victory Friday in Aurora.

"Unfortunately they made a little run at us third quarter," said Metea coach Bob Vozza. "But I talked to (the team), 41-41 going into the fourth - I go, 'We defend, we're going to win.' That's what we did in the fourth quarter."

Metea (9-12, 4-5) did a little of this and a little of that. Center Mark Konkle, 8 of 8 from the foul line, made two straight. Ron Edwards Jr. stole the ball and laid it in.

Bryson Oliver grabbed a defensive rebound and dribbled down for the layup. Next time down Matt Helwig made a 3-pointer from the left wing for a 50-43 Mustangs lead with 4:33 left in the game.

Waubonsie coach Chaz Taft called time, nicely done since the Warriors (7-11, 2-6) returned with a Brian Phillips lay-in.

Then Edwards went off again, consecutive drives for a 54-45 Metea lead with 2:12 remaining.

"That turned the game a little bit," Taft said.

"That was going to happen," Edwards said of playing from behind. "The game goes up and down. We just have to stay focused and not turn over the ball. We did that, so we got the win."

Ups and downs for sure. Spanning the first and second quarters Waubonsie crafted a 14-2 run to go up 18-9. Chris Karkazis hit a couple 3s and finished the streak with a drive to the hoop.

Metea junior guard Harrison Kranz, spelling Nick Dodson defensively on Karkazis, followed a Helwig 3 with one of his own, big blows in the Mustangs' answering 17-4 streak to enter halftime up 28-22.

"Just an outstanding job by Harrison," Vozza said, as Kranz helped limit Karkazis to 4 points the last two and a half quarters after the Warriors point guard had 12 early.

The third quarter was Waubonsie's. Six players combined to outscore Metea 19-13, Mark Rullo working inside for half of his 12 points.

"In the third quarter we kind of got out and ran more and really worked our transition offense a lot better," the junior guard said.

It helped that Waubonsie Valley committed only 3 second-half turnovers. Metea made hay by making 18 of 20 free throws to Waubonsie's 3 of 7.

Konkle and Oliver each scored 12 points for the Mustangs with Edwards and Helwig at 9 each and Dei'Ron De La Rosa with 8. Waubonsie's Phillips and Chris McGough each scored 6 points.

"We're learning from it," Taft said. "We've just got to get tougher."

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