FROM STAFF REPORTS

PELHAM – Hopefully this year will be different. That’s the thought going through the minds of Indian Springs boys’ basketball coach Greg Van Horn and his players.

Springs opened its season Thursday with a 48-36 victory over Oak Grove, and it all started with a few three-point baskets by Ben Guion, who finished with 12 points.

“We started out playing really hard,” Van Horn said. “Ben Guion hit a couple of threes to start the night and that really got us going.”

Keehn Strange stepped up to lead the team with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Tim Mackey added 10 points and Patrick Delacruz had eight rebounds.

Brandon Brown led Springs’ pressure defense that Van Horn said was a key difference in the game, forcing numerous Oak Grove turnovers.

“It’s much better than starting 0-8,” said Van Horn after finishing 3-18 last year. “It was good to see the kids work hard and get a little success. Hopefully that will propel us to some more wins.”

In other action:

Hillcrest 67, Thompson 60

Two three-pointers by Dameion Bland gave Thompson a one-point advantage over Hillcrest in the final period Thursday, but the Warriors could not hold the lead as the two teams went back-and-forth before the Patriots put the game away, 67-60.

Offensively for the Warriors, Bland scored a team-high 18 points, Siddeeq Cooper had 14 points and Brandon Chambers and Charles Marzette each finished with eight points.

For Hillcrest, Ricardo Hall had a game-high 26 points, Wayne Dedrick had 22 points and Torrean Walker had 10 points