Twin Valley did not let its recent struggles carry over into the opening round of the District 3 Class 5A playoffs.
After back-to-back double-digit losses, the No. 8 seeded Raiders appeared rejuvenated on Tuesday night, playing with speed and holding off a late comeback effort from ninth-seeded Spring Grove to earn a 43-38 victory at Twin Valley.
With the win, the Raiders (15-8) advance to the district quarterfinals and clinch a spot in the state playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Twin Valley’s season will continue thanks to its aggressive style of play and stingy defense, both of which were on full display on Tuesday night. The Raiders began the game with serious pace on both ends of the floor, which forced the Rockets (9-12) to make several costly mistakes.
Twin Valley played tight defense and limited Spring Grove’s scoring opportunities from close range. The Raiders led 12-6 after one quarter.
Twin Valley carried its high-energy play into the second quarter, starting with a 7-3 run to take a 19-9 lead. The Raiders outrebounded Spring Grove by a wide margin and relied on second-chance points to build their lead.
Twin Valley led 25-14 at the half. Seniors Anna Kaplan and Natali Foster each scored 10 points for the Raiders in the first half.
Twin Valley maintained its comfortable lead throughout the third quarter and led 34-24 after three. The Raiders moved the ball fluidly and took advantage of several open scoring opportunities.
Despite Twin Valley’s big lead, the Rockets made a final surge late in the fourth quarter. Spring Grove started the fourth with an 11-4 run to cut the Raiders’ lead to just five points.
Twin Valley responded by slowing its offensive pace to consume the clock. Despite the long possessions, the Rockets did not go away quietly, cutting the Raiders’ lead to just four points with 32 seconds to play.
Spring Grove never got any closer, as senior Rachel Knight hit a pair of crucial free throws and Foster made another to stave off the Rockets’ late comeback and seal the win for Twin Valley.
Source: Berkshire mont