STERLING – The Sauk Valley Predators are short-handed. How short-handed? So short-handed that head coach Ryan Vasquez had to practice with the team this week just so they could go five-on-five.

With just eight players available Saturday night, Sauk Valley overcame an 0-for-9 start and a nine-point, first-half deficit on the way to a 104-95 win over the Kenosha Ballers in IBA/PBL action at Musgrove Fieldhouse.

“That’s a good test for us. We need adversity like that to find out who we really are,” said Kwan Waller, who led six Predators in double figures with 21 points. “We passed the test.”

“It’s about being mentally tough. We grinded this game out all the way to the end,” Vasquez said. “I give those eight guys credit. They were flat-out tough.”

Trailing 46-37 with less than 5 minutes remaining in the first half, Sauk Valley (7-1) used a 12-0 tear to take its first lead with just over 2 minutes left in the half.

Carlton Fay (13 points) drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 3.4 seconds left to give the Predators a 52-51 halftime edge.

Sauk Valley went up by nine three times in the third quarter before Kenosha (4-3) took its last lead at 83-82 on a 3-pointer by University of Minnesota product Devron Bostick (21 points, 11 rebounds) with 9:06 to play.

The Predators responded with a 10-0 blitz to go up 92-83 with 6:49 remaining.

Waller, who also had 12 rebounds, kick-started the run with a 3-pointer. Casey Love (15 points, 11 rebounds) added a three-point play and 7-footer Joe Wolfinger (12 points, 9 rebounds) had a putback before Keith Radcliff (19 points, 9 rebounds) capped the burst with a shake-and-bake move for a bucket.

Sauk Valley went up by 10 twice before the Ballers whittled the margin to 100-95 on a three-point play by Mahlon Thomas (18 points) as Fay fouled out with 2:02 left.

The Predators tacked on four more points and held Kenosha scoreless the rest of the way.

“They average 143 points,” Radcliff said. “We held them under 100. That was something we needed. We’re trying to be battle-tested going into the playoffs and finishing the season.”

Thomas Cobbs had game-highs of 30 points and 16 rebounds for the Ballers.

From two Richmonds to none: Former Predator Jereme Richmond recently quit the Predators. His brother, Justin, was a member of the Ballers, but has also been absent recently, including Saturday night.

Reinforcements on the way: Predators owner Brad Grenoble said that four players will be joining the roster next week. They include Lattrel Alford, brothers Perry and Tyray Petty, and Chris Ware. Perry Petty was the PBL MVP last season. Alford was the 2012 National Christian College Athletic Association Division II player of the year, and Ware is a 6-8, 285-pounder who has been playing with Perry Petty in Romania.

Star of the game: Keith Radcliff, Predators, 19 points, 9 rebounds, 6 steals, 5 assists

Key performers: Thomas Cobbs, Ballers, 30 points, 16 rebounds; Kwan Waller, Predators, 21 points, 12 rebounds

Up next: Predators at Bloomington, 7:05 p.m. April 27