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Panther guard is climbing the charts MT file photo Steve Hilgendorf is averaging five more points per game than last year. Hilgendorf adds scoring to arsenal By KRIS HENRY At 5-foot-9, 145 pounds, Steve Hilgendorf doesn't exactly cut an imposing figure on the basketball court. The South Medford point guard does, however, have exactly what it takes to stamp his mark on his school's record books. Barring injury, Hilgendorf will cap his senior season ranked second on South's all-time list for assists and could become the school's single-season leader. Hilgendorf also should continue his climb up the top 10 in career steals. But it was a conversation with South coach Dennis Murphy this past summer that added another dimension to Hilgendorf's game -- scoring. Never one to light up the scoreboard, Hilgendorf was asked to take a more aggressive approach this season. "During summer league, Murph really emphasized my scoring this year," says Hilgendorf. "He had me go to the hole a lot more and get a lot more shots up. It was really emphasized this summer, and it's just carried over." Maintaining an assist clip of nearly six per game, the 18-year-old has stretched his scoring from 8.5 points per game last season to 13.2 this season. "It's been a lot of fun," says Hilgendorf, who took about 300 shots per day in training for this season. "I shot a lot more in the off-season than I ever had, so my confidence is a lot higher this year." That confidence has carried over in all phases for South Medford (8-5, 3-1 SOC), winners of six of its last seven games. "He's responded real well to the challenges we've put to him, not only as a scorer but as a leader," Murphy says. "The position lends itself to that real easily. Even though he's real soft-spoken, I think there are times when he gets everybody together and says they need to crank it up a couple notches." Now appears to be one of those times for the Panthers, who had their six-game winning streak snapped last Friday at home by Grants Pass. "We had some good momentum going," says Murphy. "Now we have to get it back." Hilgendorf will be a key figure in making it happen. "He's one of those kids when you bring something to his attention, then that will become his focus and he'll really work to improve that right away," says the coach. One reason to get South pointed in the right direction is to prevent a repeat of last season. After three straight Southern Oregon Conference titles, the Panthers slipped to seventh under Hilgendorf's watch. "Last year was really used as a good experience for us," says Hilgendorf. "We don't want to go back down that road again. "We have five seniors and we know this is our last chance, so we really have to step up and play hard." Friday's home game against Ashland will be yet another test of South's mettle. "Last year, our confidence was kind of lacking, but we tried not to show it," he says. "This year, we do have a lot of confidence, and we're not scared of playing any teams." That character was forged in December when South Medford had a strong showing in the Red Bluff Tournament in California, then followed up by winning Abby's Holiday Classic title. "I think that gave us a lot of confidence going into the conference schedule," says Hilgendorf. That confidence was shaken with the loss to Grants Pass, but Hilgendorf has a bead on what will help the Panthers restore their roar. "Different nights we have different guys step up," he says. "Right now we're just trying to get everybody to step up on the same night. That's really the big key right now is who's going to step up every night." One of South's more consistent performers, Hilgendorf says he won't fall into the trap of trying to do too much to right the ship. "I don't look to score a lot, it just seems to happen," he says. "I'm not trying to take care of myself first. I'm always trying to get other people involved in the game. The big thing is trying to get everybody their points, too." And in the end, that's what makes Hilgendorf the player he is at South, and what will make the Panthers a force over the final 10 regular-season games. "The assist thing is really cool," Hilgendorf says of the mark he hopes to leave at South. "I think a lot of people just look at scoring. I've been scoring this year, but when you add the assists with it, I think it shows I've contributed that much more." Thankfully for the Panthers, he's not done yet. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, OR U.S.A.