With the game on the line, Mountain View’s freshmen didn’t seem nervous.
Jack Mertens and fellow freshman Darien Chase each made two free throws in the final 40 seconds as Mountain View held off visiting Skyview 71-68.
Last season, Mountain View finished 2-18 and failed to win a league game. With Friday’s win, the Thunder improved to 6-2 overall and 2-0 in the 4A Greater St. Helens League.
Chase and Mertens have played a role in that turnaround.
Friday, Mertens scored a team-high 17 points off the bench. He made both ends of a one-and-one with 39 seconds left to put Mountain View up 69-65.
“I don’t think he gets nervous,” Thunder coach Aaron Shepherd said of Mertens. “During the timeout, he’s smiling. Those guys, to play varsity as freshmen in a 4A league is a huge jump.”
Chase had seven points, eight rebounds and made two free throws with nine seconds to play after Mason Scheidel’s 3-point play pulled Skvyiew within 69-68.
Skyview’s last-second 3-pointer went in and out.
Alex Bailey added 13 points for Mountain View. Troy Pacheco had six assists off the bench and sophomore Trevor Green also came off the bench to score nine points.
Scheidel scored 14 points and Jason Chaney added 13 for Skyview (1-4, 0-1), which nearly overcame a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
MOUNTAIN VIEW 71, SKYVIEW 68
SKYVIEW — Alex Schumacher 4, Jason Chaney 13, Travis Yajko 5, Mason Scheidel 14, David Tommasini 3, Jovon Sewell 5, KB Fesehazion 0, Taylor Harbertson 9, Levi Nickelson 0, Zack Dutcher 0, Skyler Martin 9, Aiden Keser 4. Totals 21 (4) 14-17 68.
MOUNTAIN VIEW — Jourdon Bolds 6, Jack Mertens 17, Tyler Vu 5, Trevor Green 9, Cameron Henderson 3, Colin Biggs 5, Sam Johnson 0, Alex Bailey 13, Darien Chase 7, Troy Pacheco 6. Totals 19 (8) 9-14 71.
Skyview 20 12 14 22–68
Mt. View 18 13 24 16–71
JV — SKyview won. C — Skyview won.
