By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

SALEM, Ore.— 12 games into the season, the North Salem Boys Basketball team are finding a little bit of a groove.

Over the past five games, where they won their first game of the season against St. Helens, the Vikings (1-11, 0-5 Greater Valley Conference) are finding themselves in games by halftime despite being undermanned.

“We’ve improved a little bit,” said North Salem Head Coach Jordan Graneto.  “The last five games, I think we’ve been up at half or within five points at half against every single team.  That’s pretty good for us.

“We won one of those games, we were close against West Albany and close against McMinnville, we’re just trying to keep the games close and hopefully pull it out.”

What happens in the second half however, has still been turnovers as the Greater Valley Conference resumed.

But that, and boxing out for the rebound, have been the key points of emphasis for the Viks at this point of the season.

“Turnovers are huge problem,” said Graneto.  “We’re still averaging 20 turnovers a game.  Every day we work on being able to pass the ball with some pressure on us.  Handle the ball with pressure on us.

“So that’s been an emphasis on us the whole season but right now especially because we’re still averaging 20 turnovers a game.  That and boxing out since we’re still so small.”

To finish games during the reminder of the season, said Graneto, they need to limit their turnovers in the second half.

Graneto pointed out in their January 8 game versus West Albany, his team committed eight turnovers during the opening 16 minutes of the game before committing 12 in the second half in a 56-48 loss as North entered this week.

“We had eight turnovers in the first half against West Albany and ended the game with 20; 12 turnovers in the second half and we needed five or six,” described Graneto.  “Which is huge late in the game when you turn it over and don’t get a shot, and when you don’t get a shot, that’s not a recipe for success.”

For the Vikings, they look to continue to build off of their recent momentum Friday night, January 15, at Forest Grove.  Tip off is at 7:!5pm.