EV Boys Advance To Cyclone Tourney Championship

After working out the rust from the holiday break, Elkhorn Valley's boys got rolling to advance to the Cyclone Holiday Tournament championship game.

The Falcons held Ewing in check all night in their semifinal battle, taking home a 50-28 victory. They jumped out to an 8-4 lead over the Tigers at the end of the first and never looked back in the win.

A number of Falcons got in on the scoring. Brayden Effle led the way with 10 points. Braedyn Ollendick added nine, Brandon Evans and Kalen Dittrich added eight each and Bryson Anderson accounted for seven. Ollendick also pulled in a team-high nine rebounds while Dittrich and Julio Sierra had seven each.

Defensively, Elkhorn Valley got impressive performances from Sierra and Ollendick. Sierra rejected an impressive six shots while Ollendick came away with seven steals.

The win advances them to the tournament championship at 7:30 p.m.

Earlier in the day, the girls weren't quite as fortunate as they battled the Lady Tigers. The held a slim 14-12 lead after the first quarter, but trailed at half 30-25. The second half saw Ewing pull away to put Elkhorn Valley away 60-47.

The game was a battle, one the Elkhorn Valley held their own in. Hannah Ollendick led the attack with 16 points while Sierra Rystrom and Amber Miller added 14 and 11, respectively. Rystrom pulled in a team-high seven rebounds while Miller dished out five assists. 

The Lady Falcons also played some stingy defense, coming away with 27 steals. Miller led the way, using her quick hands to take away eight steals. Ollendick added another seven. 

Elkhorn Valley's girls will play in the tournament consolation game at 3 p.m. on Friday.