AUGUSTA – The Valley High boys’ basketball team had a plan to stop Greenville in a Western D quarterfinal game Saturday.

“We really wanted to take (Richard) DerBoghosian and (Alex) Jardine out of the game,” Valley Coach Wade Morrill said. “They’ve been hurting us all season.”

The Cavaliers did just that, holding the Greenville guards to a combined 13 points after the two combined to average more than 35 points in two regular-season wins over Valley.

What the Cavaliers couldn’t do was stop center Tony DiAngelo and forward Howie Stone. DiAngelo poured in 34 points and Stone added 21 off the bench to lift No. 2 Greenville past No. 7 Valley 68-67 in an entertaining game at the Augusta Civic Center.

Josh West scored 26 points and Carrington Miller added 15 to lead Valley.

“Valley is a dangerous team,” Greenville Coach Paul Breton said. “In Western D, it’s all about who can put three games together. It’s anybody’s guess who it will be.”

The Lakers (13-6) too their first step to a regional title, but it didn’t come easy. The Cavaliers (8-10) hung around all game and had a chance for a potential game-tying 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter.

Trailing 68-65 with 11 seconds left, West drove to the basket and scored on a driving layup. There was contact on the play, but no foul was called. The Cavaliers then stole the inbounds pass, but time ran out before they could get a shot off.

“We were trying to get the ball in the corner for a 3-pointer,” West said. “It wasn’t there. It was good defense. We couldn’t the shot so I drove to the basket and tried to draw a foul.”

Added Miller, who fouled out early in the fourth quarter: “It was tough. The foul trouble hurt us.”