CHERRY TWP — Moniteau boys basketball coach Jerry Day would prefer his team start the season off faster.

The Warriors are good at digging holes. Big holes.

They've shown they're pretty good at climbing out of those craters, too.

Moniteau is making another late-season push.

The Warriors went on a 15-0 run to erase a four-point deficit in the first half against A-C Valley Wednesday night and spent the rest of the game nursing their lead on the way to a 62-54 home win that keeps Moniteau's playoff hopes alive.

“We peaked at the right time last year in the second half,” Day said. “We're getting guys back from injury and hopefully we can do the same thing we did last year.”

Moniteau (5-12) started the season 2-11, but has won three of its last four.

A healthy group, led by Ross Tenney, has spearheaded that charge.

Tenney scored a game-high 20 points in the win against A-C Valley.

Trailing 19-15 late in the first quarter, the Warriors drained six straight shots during their 15-0 run that gave them a 30-19 lead.

Russell Carr put a stop to the run for the Falcons with a jumper with 2:30 remaining in the half, but that bucket turned out to be far too late.

“They came out defensively and wanted it a little more,” said A-C Valley coach Andy Rapp. “We have good guards, but they're young guards. Moniteau just wanted to sting us. They wanted to come out and make us work and we have to prepare better for that physicality.”

Dalton Callander got A-C Valley (6-11) off to a good start in a battle between desperate teams.

He scored seven quick points in the first quarter to give the Falcons a 17-12 lead at one point.

But Moniteau's scintillating shooting — the Warriors made 12 of their first 14 shots — was the difference.

Moniteau shot 57 percent from the floor in the game.

It was an encouraging effort for the Warriors and Day, who are on a razor's edge when it comes to their postseason hopes.

“For us to get in the playoffs, we had to win that game,” Day said. “They all knew it and they all put it on the line.”

Jared Lominski and Ethan McDeavitt each added 12 points and Tyler McFadden pitched in 10 for Moniteau.

McDeavitt hit a big 3-pointer at the buzzer at the end of the third quarter, giving the Warriors a 51-38 lead.

“He's going to be a special player,” Day said. “He's a sophomore. He's getting better and better each game he plays.”

Eddie Stevanus kept A-C Valley in the game in the second half, scoring 12 of his team-leading 15 points in the final 16 minutes.

He had eight in the third quarter alone as the Falcons hung around, cutting the lead down to six at one point.

“He got into the gaps and he used his body and his footwork to get up shots that were good shots,” Rapp said. “He did exactly what we told him to do. Eddie is a perimeter guy; he can shoot it. But he also can get to the rim. He's pretty special.”

A-C Valley, though, could never get closer than six.

The Falcons had the ball down by seven late in the fourth quarter, but couldn't convert on that possession.

Moniteau salted the game away after that.

“We just didn't shoot very well tonight,” Rapp said. “We didn't rebound. We just didn't do enough.”

A-C VALLEY 54

Levi Orton 2-5 0-0 5, Eddie Stevanus 5-13 4-4 15, Jeff Ginn 4-8 0-0 8, Dalton Callander 4-10 1-2 10, Brendan Price 2-6 0-1 4, Tanner Merwin 0-1 0-0 0, Russell Carr 6-14 0-0 12. Totals: 23-57 5-7 54.

MONITEAU 62

Tyler McFadden 4-7 2-2 10, Ross Tenney 9-13 0-1 20, Ethan McDeavitt 4-8 2-5 12, Jared Lominski 5-10 2-2 12, Gage Neal 1-3 1-3 4, Cory McKinley 2-3 0-0 4. Totals: 25-44 7-13 62.

A-C Valley 19 6 13 16 — 54

Moniteau 17 15 19 11 — 62

3-point goals: A-C Valley 3 (Orton, Stevanus, Callander); Moniteau 5 (Tenney 2, McDeavitt 2, Neal)

Friday: Moniteau at Keystone; Redbank Valley at A-C Valley