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Skyline A tourney to feature top point guard By Greg Stiles One of the state�s premier point guards � at any level � will make what he hopes is a one-game appearance in the Skyline A district boys basketball tournament this weekend at Crater High School. Jared Dunn, a 6-foot-6 senior, leads top-ranked Days Creek into town Friday as the Wolves take on Skyline A South winner Paisley at 9 p.m. for a ticket to the Feb. 28-March 3 Class 1A state tournament in Baker City. Dunn was ranked No. 6 among the state�s point guards by Prep Basketball Oregon � right behind Salim Stoudamire of Lake Oswego. Dunn averages 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists a game for Days Creek, which has fashioned a 19-2 record. Dunn has played on Oregon Basketball Congress International all-star teams in recent summers, including one that went 8-0 at Dallas, Texas. He has heard from the likes of Washington State, Boise State and Portland but will likely play for a small college, admitting he wouldn�t feel at home going from a 90-student high school to a major university. Days Creek�s two losses have been to Oakland, the defending Class 2A state champion that last weekend won its 51st straight game � a state record for all classifications. The Wolves nearly ended the record Dec. 12 before losing 53-51 in overtime. "We were up by 11 points in the third quarter and we let it slip away," Dunn says. That wasn�t the case in league play as Days Creek blazed unbeaten through its Skyline A North schedule. "Basically, we�ve had three goals this season," Dunn says. "Go undefeated in the league season and win the district championship this week � we all feel confident we will. Our third goal is to win the state championship. "We�ve been taking it one goal at a time." If Days Creek were to stumble against Paisley on Friday, it would have another chance to earn its fourth straight trip to the state tournament by beating either Hosanna Christian of Klamath Falls or Powers on Saturday. In the past four years, the Wolves have compiled an 88-14 record. Days Creek finished fifth in the state Dunn�s freshman year and fourth the next when he was idled with a dislocated ankle. The school�s only losses last season were to Oakland and Dufur. The Wolves lost to Dufur, 58-48, in last year�s state championship game, but defeated the Rangers, 59-55, Dec. 21 in Portland. "There is going to be some pressure on us now after beating Dufur," Dunn admits. "Unless we win the state championship, we�ll basically be going downhill." ST. MARY�S BOYS BASKETBALL team is in a no-lose situation as it heads into its final two Southern Cascade League games. The Crusaders entertain Cascade Christian at 6:30 tonight. If St. Mary�s wins, it will likely enter the SCL playoffs as the No. 1 seed. But if Cascade Christian defeats St. Mary�s, the Crusaders could wind up tied for the league championship with Gilchrist. (St. Mary�s and Gilchrist end the regular season against lower-echelon teams they should defeat.) Under SCL bylaws, when two teams tie for first place, the regular league playoffs are eliminated and the co-champions play off for the No. 1 seed to the Feb. 27-March 3 Class 2A state tournament in Pendleton. Thus, Cascade would likely nail its own coffin shut by beating the Crusaders. Back in 1981, Medford�s girls basketball team faced a similar situation on the final night of Southern Oregon Conference play. Grants Pass had a one-game lead over Klamath Union and the SOC had guidelines then similar to the SCL�s. Had Medford beaten Grants Pass, it would�ve created a two-way tie for first place and there would�ve been no SOC playoff. Medford led by seven points going into the fourth quarter only to lose, 38-37. "It was the most uncomfortable, eerie game that I�ve ever sat through," Tornado coach Steve Maguire told the Mail Tribune after the game. "I never want to sit through another one; I didn�t enjoy it at all." Although he coached to win, the players knew what was at state. Guard Julie Vobora said at the time: "There were mixed feelings. Coach said to play our hardest to win and we agreed with him. We said OK, we�d play our best. And we did ... to a point." No one wants to tank a game, but the Tornado apparently approached this one a half at a time. "It was our decision," Vobora said at the time. "We wanted to go out and win the first half and we won the first half. If it was a do-or-die situation for us, we coulda beat �em." SOC SWIMMERS PICKED up one wild-card entry out of 22 events for the state swim meet Friday and Saturday at Corvallis. Roseburg freshman Jennifer Saylor, who finished second to South Medford senior Ashley Johnson in the district final, was added to the 100-yard butterfly field. Grants Pass senior Matt Bisson was the top qualifier from the SOC. He was No. 5 in the 100 backstroke (55.02) and No. 6 in the 100 breaststroke (1:01.38). Ashland junior Brad Scoles was No. 7 among 100 freestyle (48.62) entrants. Roseburg�s girls 200-medley relay team had the fifth-fastest mark (1:52.86). In the Class 3A/2A/1A seeding, Tony Byrd of Phoenix gained a wild-card entry in the 100 butterfly (1:01.81). Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4483, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.