Grant Posts Win in 1st Early Test : Prep basketball: Lancers hold on to defeat North Hollywood, 48-42, in Pac-8 Conference opener.

Losing key players to graduation always is tough, but trying to fill those holes after just two games makes it even tougher.

Still, coaches Howard Levine of Grant High and Steve Miller of North Hollywood, who led their teams to league titles last season, are trying to accomplish just that.

The Lancers now have the jump on rival North Hollywood after beating the Huskies, 48-42, Wednesday in a Pac-8 Conference opener at North Hollywood.

Grant (2-1), the defending East Valley League champion, held a 10-point lead at halftime, but North Hollywood’s Robert Hill scored seven points in the third quarter to spark a comeback. North Hollywood (1-2), which lost City Section 3-A Division Player of the Year Dana Jones to graduation, trailed, 38-32, early in the fourth quarter but tied the score on Eric Jackson’s left-handed dunk.

Hill, who finished with a game-high 18 points, hit a 12-foot jump shot in the key to give the defending Mid-Valley League champion Huskies a 40-38 edge, their final lead.

Grant’s David Knight made two consecutive layups on assists from Jason Astor, and Eric Brown, who finished with 14 points, hit two free throws to give the Lancers a 44-40 lead with 2 minutes 6 seconds left.

Marcus Sanders’ basket narrowed Grant’s lead to two, but the Lancers’ stall kept the ball out of the Huskies’ hands for 67 seconds.

“In the last two minutes, we did what we had to do,” said Levine, who lost his top three scorers to graduation. “We were poised and patient and got the layups.”

Astor’s layup and Sean McMahan’s two free throws gave the Lancers their final points.

“They have good coaches and good players,” Levine said. “They’re going to come around. I’m just glad we got them now.”

Grant took a 10-8 lead toward the end of the first quarter and went on to outscore the Huskies, 18-5, including a 13-0 run to start the second quarter.