Now, doesn’t that feel good.

Even though there were only two teams on the court in Erikson Gymnasium Friday night, South Whidbey basketball fans watched two completely different games in the space of 40 minutes. First, there was South Whidbey’s game, which consisted of relentless offense and almost effortless shooting. Then there was the game played by the Sultan Turks, a game that lacked both offense and defense.

The two games met where the Falcons snatched an 82-40 victory in their most satisfying win in years.

Led by Tim Gabelein’s 29 total and 19 first-half points, the South Whidbey boys won their fifth game of the season and perched themselves atop one of their best records in the past three years.

Gabelein torched the game early, flaming the Turks with two first-quarter three pointers that sparked his team to a 17-7 first period advantage. On defense Gabelein and Travis Tornga kept the advantage intact as they pilfered eight balls between them to shut down the Turk offense.

Even though his team came close to doubling up Sultan in almost every quarter, Falcon Coach Andy Davis was modest about the win.

“We just had good matchups with them,” he said.

Now in sixth place and one game behind Mount Baker, the boys are within easy striking distance of a district tournament playoff spot. With 6-3 Lakewood on the menu for Friday and 9-0 Lynden Christian on the road Saturday, the Falcons are looking at a chance to split a pair and put themselves in the top half of the North Cascades Conference.

In Friday’s junior varsity game, the Falcons may have seen their future in junior Brandon Adams. The 5-11 guard took Sultan apart by shooting five three-pointers and going 8-for-8 from the free-throw line for 25 points on the night. JV coach John Kipling said he knew Adams was good, but not that good.

“Not this kind of performance,” he said.