Intermountain Conference play does not begin for another few weeks. The first Civil War is not until Jan. 24.

But on Saturday night, Mountain View and Bend High got an early glimpse of what awaits for them in the next two months.

Meeting in the semifinals of the Les Schwab Oregon Holiday Hoopfest boys basketball tournament at Summit High, the Cougars and the Lava Bears gave players, coaches and fans a taste of how competitive the Class 5A IMC might be this season. And with a smaller lineup and added defensive pressure, it was Mountain View coming out on top 62-58.

“They’re a very good ballclub,” Cougars coach Craig Reid said of the rival Lava Bears. “We knew coming in we would have to play well. The first half, they just out-executed us. We were stagnant and didn’t move the ball very well. Second half, we played a lot better.”

Mountain View (4-2) trailed by five points at the half, but the Cougars outscored Bend (3-4) 40-31 after the break to advance to the tournament’s championship game today at 4:45 p.m. against Evergreen (Wash.).

Ments Haugen and Garrett Roth paced Mountain View with 14 points apiece. Haugen also dished out four assists, and Grant Lannin contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds.

For Bend (3-4), Connor Scott led the way with 17 points to go along with four boards. Jacob Parsons went 6 of 6 shooting for 15 points, J.J. Spitler finished with 12 points, and Jaylin Robinson chipped in with 12.

“It was a well-played game on both sides. It was a good battle,” Bend coach Scott Baker said. “They put a little pressure on us in the fourth quarter. We had a few turnovers, and turnovers turned into points for them.”

Bend continues tournament play today at 1:15 p.m. at Summit against Lakeside (Wash.).

“I think it’s a great indication that it’s going to be an outright battle for the IMC title,” Reid said. “I honestly think you could see both of us compete in Eugene (site of the Class 5A state tournament) in the final eight. I think both teams have the potential to do that.”