BRUSH PRAIRIE – The student sections traded teases and chants. There was even a halftime acrobatics duel between some of the more agile fans.
When Battle Ground and Prairie meet on the basketball court, it’s a special occasion in Clark County.
“I told them all week, ‘If I have to jazz you up for this game, we have a problem,’” said Battle Ground coach Manny Melo, himself a B.G. alum. “I was in this rivalry as a player and now as a coach. It’s always a great atmosphere. It’s always a close game, no matter what the rosters look like.”
That’s why, for all the tough games packed into Battle Ground’s non-league schedule, Friday’s 59-54 win over Prairie will be a highlight.
The Tigers now head into the limelight of the Les Schwab Invitational with a 6-2 record. More importantly, they go to one of the nation’s premier holiday tournaments brimming with confidence after vanquishing their rivals on Prairie’s home court.
“It’s fun,” Tigers junior Nate Millspaugh said. “You hear the crowd yelling and you feel it in your chest.”
With much of Prairie’s defensive focus on Battle Ground’s 6-foot-9 Gonzaga commit Kaden Perry, it was guards such Millspaugh who got the Tigers rolling early.
Millspaugh had nine of his 16 points in the first half, including two early 3-pointers. Battle Ground outscored Prairie 15-4 in the first quarter.
“That’s what we’re going to need,” Melo said. “We can’t just keep giving the ball to Kaden and expect him to do everything.”
But, true to the rivalry’s nature, Prairie would respond.
Defensive sparkplug Zeke Dixson saw his first action of the season after recovering from a broken arm suffered during football. His intensity helped the Falcons pull within 24-23 at halftime.
Perry was held to seven points in the first half.
“I had a rough first half,” Perry said. “I wasn’t doing my stuff and missing some easy shots. Coach said I had to pick it up and show what I can do. That was the mentality in the second half.”
And step up he did. While Prairie double-teamed Perry, the junior post created shots and got to the foul line.
Perry scored 15 of Battle Ground’s last 24 points, including 11 from the foul line, to finish with 22 points.
Trailing 54-52, Prairie had the ball with under a minute left. But Perry blocked a driving shot by Prairie’s Aidan Fraly, forcing a shot clock violation.
Three free throws by Brendan Beall and a big offensive rebound by Perry iced the game for Battle Ground.
“It’s definitely a good win,” Millspaugh said. “We’ve been prepping for them all week. We’ve had a tough schedule. Six and two, not bad.”
BATTLE GROUND 59, PRAIRIE 54
B.Ground 15 9 15 20—59
Prairie 4 19 15 16—54
BATTLE GROUND (6-2) – Max Ramirez 3, Cole Billingsley 8, Nate Millspaugh 16, Brendan Beall 8, Kaden Perry 22, David Reed 0, Brian Weeks 0. Totals 16 (5) 22-29 59.
PRAIRIE (3-4) – Aidan Fraly 17, AJ Dixson 8, Gabe Lilly 2, Reece Walling 5, Mark Frazier 6, Brady Gagnon 3, Zeke Dixson 9, Jimmy Barton 4. Totals 19 (3) 13-21 54.
