Prep basketball whip-around: Grace Lutheran boys, girls sweep North Gem, Rockland wins Carey Holiday Tournament

EASTERN IDAHO — Grace Lutheran High School hosted the North Gem Cowboys in a boys-girls basketball doubleheader Saturday, with both games ending in Royals victories.

On the girls’ side, Grace Lutheran (2-2, 1-2) battled its way to a 38-32 win after a slow offensive start for North Gem (2-1, 1-1).

The Royals led 12-5 after one quarter of play, but saw that lead trimmed to four, at 20-16, heading into the half. The home team came out of the halftime break suffering from the same sluggish fit that hurt North Gem in the first period, as the Cowboys pulled to within one possession, heading into the fourth down 25-23.

Grace Lutheran’s offense reengaged in the fourth, pulling away with a 13-point period for the win.

Grayson leads Royals again

The Grace Lutheran boys (3-0, 2-0) were again led by senior big man Garrett Grayson, who finished with 23 points in the Royals’ 63-21 victory.

North Gem (1-1, 0-1) did not find its way onto the scoreboard until there was less than three minutes left in the opening quarter, ending the period facing a 14-point deficit.

And it only got worse form there for the Cowboys, as Grayson and fellow senior Ely Sauer, who ended the game with 12 points and five assists, carried Grace Lutheran advantages in every individual quarter.

Rockland gets offense from everywhere to beat Garden Valley

Four Bulldogs — Woodrow Lowder (14), Zach Permann (13), Isaac Held (12) and Ethan Permann (10) — scored in double-digits, leading Rockland (3-0, 0-0) to a decisive 64-43 victory over Garden Valley (1-1) in the finals of the Carey Holiday Tournament at Carey High School.

Rockland won all four quarters, despite a 22-point night from Garden Valley’s Madix Miller, but didn’t pull away until the third.

Prior to the Saturday showdown, Rockland head coach Shae Neal told EastIdahoSports.com via text message that the game would be a good “test” for his team, with the Wolverines being a perennial state championship contender.

Rockland passed that early season test with flying colors.