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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Advertisement Email Story to a Friend February 4, 2006 Harthun near perfect as South routs Pelicans Point guard scores a game-high 25 points By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune It’s one thing to be good, and quite another to be great. Although only a sophomore, South Medford’s Michael Harthun has already distinguished himself as one of the state’s top boys basketball prospects. Instead of resting on those laurels, however, the slick point guard is adamant about making himself an even better player. Considering Friday night’s performance against Klamath Union, Harthun’s hard work is paying off — and he’s leaving little room for improvement. The 6-foot-3 floor general connected on 9 of 11 shots, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range, to score a game-high 25 points and doled out seven assists in an 85-57 runaway victory over the Pelicans. Advertisement "Mike came out shooting the ball well, and if someone comes out like that, you want to make sure you get them the ball," said South junior Kyle Singler, who had 21 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. "I think that’s what we did tonight, and I give credit to Mike because he made the shots." And while Harthun’s long-range shots may have appeared effortless on Friday, it’s only because he’s spent long hours honing his craft. As someone who favored a set shot from 3-point range, Harthun is making the transition this season into more of a jump-shot delivery from downtown. "It’s kinda like night to night," Harthun said of his newfound feel from the perimeter. "Some nights I’m feeling really good and some nights, if I don’t have the legs, I’ve been coming up short. Tonight it was just feeling good and my teammates did a great job of getting me the ball." That unselfish play has been a trademark this season for the top-ranked Panthers, who improved to 18-1 overall and 9-0 in the Southern Oregon Conference. Their first eight baskets against KU came off seven assists, and 12 of South’s 16 baskets in the first half came via the extra pass en route to a 52-22 advantage. Entering Friday’s game, 81 percent of South’s converted shots have come off assists. "That’s a crazy statistic and one nobody would probably believe if you told them, but that’s just what this team is about," said Harthun. "Everybody’s great at getting the ball to the open guy." That list certainly includes Harthun, who had a couple highlight reel lobs to Singler for dunks in the second half. "Harthun tonight was a real big factor for South Medford," said KU coach Bret Crawford. "He just keeps that team running and fed Singler on two nice monster dunks. I’m not going to see something like that very much again in my high school basketball career as a coach." Kendall Gielow added 13 points and three assists for South, while Brent Johnson had nine points, six rebounds and three assists, and E.J. Singler came off the bench to notch six points and six rebounds. The Pelicans (12-8, 5-4 SOC), who dropped into a third-place tie with Roseburg in the SOC, managed to shoot only 31 percent from the field (18-for-58). Alex Foster and Daniel Landrum led the way with 16 points apiece. "South’s just a tough team," said Crawford. "They have a lot of ingredients and have a lot of class. They’re a good basketball team with a great coach, and they definitely are all they’re cracked up to be." But for all their accomplishments, the Panthers will only take a one-game lead into Tuesday’s road test against second-place Grants Pass. "For all the wonderful things we’ve done, we go over there and it’s a must-win," said South coach Dennis Murphy. "The challenge we put to our kids is that’s a state playoff game, and you have to play it at that level. We’ve got to bring our best effort." KLAMATH UNION (57) — Al. Foster 16, Landrum 16, Hughes 9, Porter 6, Yazzie 5, Gallagher 3, Hill 1, Aa. Foster 1, Lundy 0. Totals: 18-58 15-21 57. SOUTH MEDFORD (85) — Harthun 25, K. Singler 21, Gielow 13, Johnson 9, Daley 5, DeSimone 4, E.J. Singler 6, Stanek 2, Grimes 0, Anderson 0. Totals: 29-51 19-21 85. Klamath Union..........................11 11 15 20 — 57 South Medford..........................28 24 19 14 — 85 3-point goals — Klamath Union 6-21 (Landrum 3, Al. Foster 1, Hughes 1, Gallagher 1), South Medford 8-14 (Harthun 5, Gielow 2, K. Singler 1). JV score — South Medford 55, Klamath Union 45. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail Harthun near perfect as South routs Pelicans ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2006 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. 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