• By Nicole Velebil
• Originally published January 13, 2010 at 1:44 p.m., updated January 13, 2010 at 1:47 p.m.

EL MATON – Palacios and Tidehaven clashed in a tight, faced-paced, cross-county battle Friday night. The first three quarters each ended with the Sharks holding on to a one-point lead over the Tigers. Palacios eventually took control in the fourth quarter, holding Tidehaven to 8 points, and claimed a 50-41 victory.

The Sharks came out of the gate fast when Dustin Tedder connected on a 3-pointer in the first 39 seconds of the game, making it 3-0. Robert Cruz pulled the Tigers to within one after sinking two from the charity stripe with 6:44 remaining in the first quarter.

Neither team recorded another point for the next three minutes as both defenses proved to be stifling. Then with 3:40 left in the period Cruz made a layup putting Tidehaven on top 4-3.

Palacios responded with a four-point run that started with a jump shot from Nathan Loff off an assist from Adam Garcia at the 3-minute mark. The Sharks reclaimed the lead 7-4.

Later in the quarter, Palacios maintained a three-point edge by the score of 9-6. The Tigers would bridge the gap with 25 seconds left in the quarter after Aaron Fisher put in a layup. The first quarter ended with the score 9-8, and Palacios holding on to a one-point advantage.

Tidehaven had a quick start to the second period, putting together a four-point run that was capped off by a rebound and layup by Colt Clontz. The Tigers charged ahead 12-9, for the fourth lead change of the night.

The Sharks offense strung together a nine-point run, the longest of the night, with 5:51 to go in the half. The run ended with back-to-back 3-point buckets by Jeremy Hunt and Loff which made it 18-12 Palacios with 3:19 to go in the second period.

The six-point margin would not hold up for long. Cole Brecheisen laid in two shots sparking a five-point run for the Tigers bringing it to a one-point game, 18-17, with 1:14 remaining in the first half.

Tedder nailed a jumper stretching the lead back to three points for the Sharks with 30 seconds to go before halftime. However, the Tigers Dylan Nemec would take advantage of the time left and drained a shot from the outside just before the end of the period making it 20-19 Palacios at the half.

Both teams found it difficult to put any breathing room between them as they traded baskets for the first five minutes of the third quarter.

Fisher connected from the outside for Tidehaven which knotted the game at 25 with 4:03 in the third. Palacios took back the lead after a layup by Loff a few seconds later making it 27-25.

The Tigers put together another run with 3:05 to go in the period, this time of four points, capped off by a Fisher jump shot. Tidehaven took over the lead 29-27, and caused the sixth lead change of the game.

Tu Nguyen found the basket on a floater for the Sharks making it 29-29. About a minute later, Palacios put together another four-point run ending with a jumper from Nguyen making it 33-30 with 1:05 on the clock in the third.

Ian Wade took advantage of a one-and-one opportunity from the free-throw line, making both with 16 seconds remaining in the quarter. This cut the lead to one, 33-32, and that would be the score going into the final period of the game.

Coach Trent Weixelman only needed to remind his players of one thing, “We can’t lose to Tidehaven, that’s our rival,” he said, to fire them up for the last period of the game.

The Sharks opened the fourth with a layup from Nguyen off the assist from Luis Gutierrez, and pushed the lead back to three. Wade pulled Tidehaven back to within one making two from the line making it 35-34 with 6:57 left in the game.

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