Third-ranked Glacier Peak was OK if senior post Parker Mills had a big game for No. 7 West Valley on Monday night at the SunDome Shootout.

His damage, for the most part, is by twos. It was the deadeye shooting of the Rams’ wings that Grizzlies wanted to tamp down.

Glacier Peak limited West Valley to five 3-pointers – just one after halftime – and won the third meeting between the two teams in the last dozen games for each. The Rams won last year’s regional matchup to open the state tournament, while the Grizzlies took the game for third and fifth place in the Tacoma Dome.

All three games were decided by single digits.

“That was by design,” Glacier Peak coach Brian Hunter said of the death-by-a-dozen-twos defensive approach.

And early, Mills obliged. Six days after being held to just seven points in a home loss to sixth-ranked Chiawana, the stout center had 11 points in the first quarter.

That production would slow, and the offensive tackle recruit would finish with 25 points.

“We did a lot of scouting on West Valley and their 3-point shooting is what wins them games,” Hunter said. “It takes a lot of twos by Parker to beat you rather than a few 3s by the other guys.”

West Valley made 11 3s against the Riverhawks the Tuesday before.

“This is the first team that made a concerted effort to take our shooters away,” West Valley coach Tyson Whitfield.

The Grizzlies also had their own all-league football player who doubles as a low-post threat come winter, and Zach Albright matched Mills’ first quarter output and totaled 23 points, 10 rebounds and closed the game out with four straight free throws.

“He was the X-factor,” said Whitfield, noting that his team expected guard Reed Nagel (15 points) and wing Eddie Kan (16) to the theirs.

GP also shot north of 50%.

“At some point in time we’ve got to value that end of the floor more than the offensive end,” Whitfield said. “We don’t have to become a shutdown team, but we need to know when we need to get stops and be able to get stops.”

Sophomore standout Austin Birley scored a game-high 26 points for the Rams, slashing to the hoop for most of his points – including a pair of dunks – while also knocking down a pair of treys.

West Valley will meet Lake Stevens at 6 p.m. Tuesday to cap the Shootout, while the Grizzlies play Davis at 3.

Glacier Peak’s win added to an early season resume that also includes wins against Tacoma Dome hopefuls Puyallup and Mt. Spokane.

“We’re proud that we’ve created a program that guys know how to win tough games,” Hunter said. “This is December so it doesn’t mean anything but it’s a great lesson for guys on how to close out games and use it later when it really matters.”