Twelve Bridges rallies past Placer in thriller

Twelve Bridges pulled off a dramatic 57-56 victory over Placer on the road Friday night, using a last-minute shot and timely defense to draw even atop the Foothill Valley League. The Hillmen entered the night with a one-game lead over the Raging Rhinos and won their first matchup, but the Rhinos rallied in the second half. Trailing by six at halftime, the Rhinos surged to an eight-point lead entering the fourth quarter, but it still came down to a nail-biting finish. Trailing by two in the final minute, Twelve Bridges coach Robert Ash said he tried to run a play for leading scorers Micah Boman and Safi Abdela, but Placer guarded both, leaving Carl Tolle open from deep. Tolle hit two 3-pointers in the first half and when his team needed him most, he buried the outside shot to give the Rhinos the lead. "We tried to run something for Micah, and then Safi was the second option," Ash said. "They stifled it, and we got down where we kind of just had to shoot it. Carl was having a good night. He's sometimes streaky, and tonight he was on and he hit the shot." Boman and Abdela each scored 20 points. Boman fueled the Rhinos to the finish with 17 points in the second half. Boman scored 14 of Twelve Bridges' 23 points in the third quarter. Placer was led by Kannon Rector with 24 points, while sharpshooters Emmett Rose and Joe Manley were held to nine each. The Hillmen had open looks to regain the lead, but the shots didn't fall on what coach Nate Swesey said was a poor shooting night. "We had a few just go in and out," said Swesey. The victory carried added weight as the postseason looms. Entering the final week of the regular season, Placer (23-3 overall, 8-2 FVL) is the top-ranked team in Division III while Twelve Bridges (22-4, 8-2) is ranked third. "It kind of feels like a playoff-type win," Ash said. "We're playing for a league title, and you need three or four guys to score, everybody to screen, everybody to defend. That's what good teams do." Twelve Bridges faced setbacks earlier in league play but gained momentum with a signature win over Roseville. Ash said that was no coincidence, as he believes the Rhinos' experience from a section semifinal run and state tournament appearance last year has been the difference in the last few weeks. "February is where, if you have good seniors, they start to figure it out. Their backs are up against the wall and it could be it. They realize they don't get to play this game forever," Ash said. "Tonight, our kids made plays when we needed to make plays." Twelve Bridges' victory sets up a dramatic final stretch of the season and potential playoff matchups between the rivals. The Rhinos wrap up the season at Roseville on Wednesday and Del Campo on Friday. Placer hosts Yuba City on Wednesday and visits River Valley on Friday.