Starting quickly out of blocks, Galva jumped to a 20-7 lead after one quarter and then controlled the game the rest of the way to pick up a 69-54 win over Ridgewood in Woodhull on Tuesday night.

“Before the game, we coaches emphasized to our kids the importance of a good start on the road in conference play and our kids put that advice to good use,” Galva Coach Clay Haurberg said. “Getting a 13-point cushion after one quarter allowed us to settle in to a rhythm on offense and enabled us to really focus on playing solid defense, which we did for three quarters.”

The Cats (5-13 and 2-2), led 32-15 at halftime, and displayed good ball movement most of the night to down the Spartans.

The win came three days after the Wildcats ran into a buzz-saw in Kewanee, where they fell to the Boilermakers 78-55.

“We were overwhelmed by their athleticism,” Haurberg conceded of his team, which plays several underclassmen.

The hosts burst to a 24-11 lead after just one quarter and stretched that to 43-19 at halftime. From there, the Boilers sailed.

For the rest of the recaps of Galva's games against Ridgewood and Kewanee, see the Jan. 28 Galva News.