Shelley holds off Century to pick up its first win of the season and avenge an earlier loss

IDAHO FALLS – How much can that first win of the season jump-start a team?

The Shelley boys basketball team is about to find out.

“We’ve been through the gauntlet,” Shelley coach Keegan Keller said after the Russets held off Century 52-48 in Saturday’s seventh-place game of the TitleOne Tip-off Classic. “We played three 6A schools and we played Century before, and Sandpoint is a good team.”

The 0-5 start is now history. The win also comes with a bit of redemption after Century beat Shelley 60-47 last week.

Shelley led 36-35 entering the fourth quarter on Saturday as Century’s offense went cold. The Russets took advantage, putting together a 9-2 run early in the fourth.

Alex Beck’s layup off a steal put Shelley up 45-37 and forced a timeout by the Diamondbacks (3-5).

Shelley hit just enough free throws down the stretch to hold off a charge by Century, which pulled within 50-46 on an inside basketball by Xenphon Flesishmann late in the fourth. A pair of free throws by Flesishmann with 30 seconds remaining pulled the Diamondbacks within one possession at 51-48, but they would get no closer.

“It’s big for us,” Shelley’s Bridger Brunson said of picking up the first win of the season. “Once we get one win we can go on a roll. Century’s a good team to play because we lost to them last time and we wanted revenge.”

Brunson noted Century was the more physical team in the first meeting.

That wasn’t the case Saturday.

“Everyone had fun,” Brunson said.

Brunson and Conley Bennett each finished with 11 points and Landen Smith led the team with 13 points, including hitting 4 of 6 3-pointers.

Century’s Justus Mangum finished with 20 points and Flesishmann added 16.