Document text
SUNNY Temp: 90 °F Wind: W at 6 mph Saturday, June 28, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend February 26, 2003 Comets keep hope alive with road victory CORVALLIS — It’s been a long, up-and-down season for the Crater girls basketball team, which has hovered around the .500 mark most of the season. The road got a little longer Tuesday night, but the payoff couldn’t be sweeter. The Comets turned defensive and used a 14-6 run in the third quarter to pull away for a 50-32 victory over Corvallis on Tuesday in a Class 4A state subtournament contest. Crater (15-11), which defeated South Medford, 46-43, for the No. 4 seed out of the Southern Oregon Conference on Saturday, now travels to take on seventh-ranked Lake Oswego, the Three Rivers No. 3 team, on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. for a second-round subtournament contest. A victory there would land the Comets in Portland for a game with St. Mary’s on Saturday, with the winner making the trip to the University of Portland’s Chiles Center on March 4 for the state tournament. Weary legs and a slow-down pace implored by Corvallis limited the Comets in the early going, resulting in a 10-8 deficit. "We didn’t shoot the ball particularly well and I think we had a little bit of travel legs," said first- year Crater coach Scott Dipple. "We switched to a man-to-man defense in the second quarter and were able to get some transition points." The Comets, holding to a seven-point lead at the half, used several different defenses during the third quarter and, offensively, junior guard Whitney Black started to heat up. The combination of the two, Black scoring 12 of her game-high 21 in the quarter, and Corvallis left scratching their heads at the different looks it saw defensively, put Crater in the driver’s seat with a 37-22 lead entering the final period. "At halftime we made some adjustments," said Dipple. "We wanted to work the ball around on offense, screen away, then penetrate and kick. That gave us some open looks at 3s." The Comets also dominated the boards to the tune of a 40-19 advantage. "That was one of our main focuses," Dipple said of his team’s rebounding. "That, and Whitney just played great. "She’s been aggressive when the game calls on her to be so, and she has played very mature." Black finished with nine rebounds, three steals and two assists. Junior guard Katie Robertson added seven points, as did senior post Crystal Huntley. "I’m just real proud of the way we’ve turned it around," said Dipple. "I’ve seen a lot of good things from the seniors, and the younger kids are contributing as well. "Lake Oswego will be a tough challenge, obviously, but we can win it, that’s the bottom line. We just have to keep it going." CRATER (50) — Black 21, Robertson 7, Huntley 7, Kell 6, Montgomery 6, Green 3, Kinney 0, Wasniewski 0, Stoner 0, Bettencourt 0, Adams 0, Tyska 0. Totals: 18 10-15 50. CORVALLIS (32) — Cooper 11, Cronkite 11, Heyman 3, Kuenzli 2, Miller 2, Reich 2, Klamkin 1, Morrison 0, Wood 0, Bakkom 0, Edinger-Snodgrass 0. Totals: 12 8-17 32. Crater..........................................8 15 14 13 — 50 Corvallis......................................10 6 6 10 — 32 3-point goals — Crater 4 (Black 3, Robertson 1). Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Rogue Valley Auto Finder Rogue Valley Job Finder --> Rogue Valley Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Real Estate Showcase Food for Thought Hike of the Week Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Openings Prime Times