Sprague High School's boys basketball team needed something positive.
The Olympians let their 21-point second-quarter lead against South Salem dwindle to two points at 52-50 with 3:10 left and had missed five straight free throws.
Devvon Gage's hustle saved the game for the Olympians as he got a putback on an offensive rebound and followed it immediately with a steal and a lay-in on a fast break to spark Sprague to a 64-52 win in the Central Valley Conference opener at Sprague.
"He's an athletic kid that's been around," Sprague coach B.J. Dobrkovsky said of Gage.
"I thought he was very solid all game on both ends, offensively and defensively.
"When you get put in places to make plays, you count on your veteran guys to make those plays."
Sprague (8-6 overall) snaps a three-game losing streak and drops South Salem, which was led by J.J. Ramos' 18 points, to 8-6 overall.
"To start off on a high note is good for us and momentum for the rest of the season," said Gage, who scored eight points. "Hopefully it all goes like it did tonight."
Sprague junior point guard A.J. Lapray got the opening tip and after a pass from Ben Foote, Tanner Morgan scored the game's opening basket three seconds into the game.
The Olympians raced out to an 11-0 lead and held South Salem to 0 from 9 from the field over the first three minutes.
"You get a quick basket like that and you get all the momentum in your favor," Dobrkovsky said.
Sprague extended its lead to 38-17 with 2:12 to go in the first half on a 3-pointer by Foote, who scored 17 points.
South Salem chipped away at the lead — including outscoring Sprague 17-6 in the third quarter — and cut it to 50-52 on a long 3-pointer by J.J. Ramos with 3:10 remaining.
"I think we got out of our defensive principles and they started hitting the 3's, and that's what they're known for: Hitting deep 3's," said Lapray, who scored a game-high 20 points.