Coach Lewis Garza's Sun Valley Auto Club/Growing Concern men's basketball team made it to the Outlaw League men's basketball championship by winning Tuesday night's semi-final game in Hailey.
Seeded fourth, Growing Concern (12-5) defeated top-seeded Sturges Productions (12-2) by a 78-73 score in the semi-final game of the 10-team Sun Valley Company/Power Engineers Men's Basketball League city tournament at The Community Campus gym, Hailey.
There were 17 3-pointers made during the game.
Fernando Murga (four 3-pointers) scored 14 of his game-high 22 points in the first half for Growing Concern. Steve Vouch poured in 13 of his 17 points after halftime including a driving hoop that gave Garza's group its biggest lead, 70-60, with six minutes left.
Growing Concern went on a 20-5 run at the end of the first half to establish a 42-36 halftime lead and never trailed again. Led by Buddy Peterson (10 points, 12 rebounds), Sturges battled back but saw time run out on a winter featuring a fine 12-0 regular-season finish.
Growing Concern, avenging a 62-58 loss to Sturges earlier in the tournament, advanced to play two-time defending champion Jivaro Headhunters (12-3) in Thursday night's championship game. Growing Concern swept Jivaro during the season, 60-56 and 64-59, but needed to win twice Thursday to wrest the title away from Jivaro.
Jivaro won last year's men's title 73-68 over Soundwave and was seeking a three-peat Thursday night—which would match Jivaro's Outlaw League three-peat from 2001-03. Growing Concern finished third in last year's city tournament.
Tuesday night's totals for Growing Concern: Murga 22 points, 2 rebounds and 2 blocked shots; Vouch 17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists; Reshard Livingston 12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocked shots; Eric Stumpner 12 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists; Danny Sibrian 7 points, 2 rebounds; Kenny Umana 6 points, 3 boards; and Chase Lee 2 points.
Sturges Productions had five players in double figures for the 50-minute running clock contest. Statistics were:
Mike Bellamy 19 points, 6 rebounds; Cam Lloyd 14 points (four 3-pointers) and 4 boards; David Sibrian 13 points (three 3-pointers), 3 rebounds and 6 assists; Reno Christino 10 points, 7 rebounds and 2 steals; Buddy Peterson 10 points, 12 boards and 2 assists; Keaton Sturges 4 points and 2 rebounds; and Kyle Livingston 3 points and 6 boards.
