Document text
http://www.omniture.com --> Sections Home Page Local News AP News Archives Business Classifieds Event Calendar Forums Life Opinion Obituaries Photo Gallery Readers Photo Gallery Sports Tempo Weather Special Coverage 2006 Britt Festivals --> Shop Our Valley AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Search Our Valley Special Sections Distinctly Northwest Readers' Choice Homelife Magazine Joy Magazine Holiday Guide Oregon Golf Info Oregon Wine Info Other Publications Local Links Ashland News eSouthernOregon Newspapers In Education Personals Moving Here Movie Listings TV Listings Volunteer Customer Service Advertise With Us Media Kit Place Classified Ad Contact Us FAQ's Home Delivery Site Map --> Email Story to a Friend January 15, 2007 South slams success Singler, Panthers down Lake Howell to capture Bass Pro Shops tournament title By Joe Cress for the Mail Tribune SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Any questions if this was just another win in just another tournament for the South Medford Panthers were erased once the final horn sounded. Moments after wrapping up a 77-72 victory over Lake Howell (Winter Park, Fla.) in Sunday's finals of the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions, the Panthers leaped into each other's arms, and coach Dennis Murphy singled out his players, hugging them one-by-one. "It's not often you truly get an opportunity to play some of the best teams in America," Murphy said. "Events like this and the Les Schwab (Invitational) are special, and if we're going to come all this way, we want to win it." The Panthers improved to 13-1 on the season with a hard-fought win in one of the most competitive and entertaining finals in the 23-year history of the tournament. The lead changed hands 13 times, and the score was tied five other times. Lake Howell — which features University of Florida signees Nick Calathes and Chandler Parsons — re-took the lead at 69-68 on Calathes' putback with 1:46 to go. Advertisement But Jon Grimes was fouled on the Panthers' next possession, and hit both freethrows to put South Medford back ahead 70-69. After a Lake Howell missed shot, Kyle Singler was fouled, and made both shots to put the Panthers up by three. South Medford was 7-for-8 at the line in the final 90 seconds, and 22-for-25 for the game. "We've got great kids with great heart, and they play hard," Murphy said. "In tournaments like this, you go up the ladder and play great teams every night, so you have to step it up." To nobody's surprise, Singler was named most valuable player. The Duke signee had 34 points on Sunday, giving him 92 for the 3-day event, the sixth-highest in tournament history. He was 11-for-14 from the field and 12-for-13 from the foul line, and shot 31-for-42 (73.8 percent) from the field for the tournament, and 29-for-36 (80.6 percent) from the line for the tournament. "We saw an opportunity to play against some good competition," Singler said of the tournament. "It was definitely a great test for us, and showed what kind of character we have." Junior guard Michael Harthun, who scored 20 points and joined Singler on the all-tournament team, agreed that this win can help the Panthers down the road. "It's a great preparation for the state tournament," Harthun said. "It's a huge stepping stone for us." Lake Howell scored the first seven points Sunday night, and held its lead until early in the second quarter, when a bucket by Harthun put Medford up 27-26 for its first lead. That lead lasted all of 30 seconds, and there were six lead changes in the final minutes of the half before Lake Howell took a slim 40-39 margin at halftime. There were five more lead changes in the third quarter, but South Medford made a mini-run towards the end of the quarter, as an 11-4 spurt put the Panthers up 62-56 with eight minutes to go. "We got some stops and we were able to take advantage," Murphy said. "We were committed to winning." Lake Howell kept nipping at South Medford's heels, and briefly took that one-point lead with 1:46 to go, but the Panthers were not to be denied. "It was a back-and-forth game between two great teams," said Lake Howell's Calathes, who had a team-high 25 points. "They were just able to make that last run." Calathes and Parsons were also named to the all-tournament team. With the title in hand, the Panthers thoughts turned to finding their way home. A major ice storm hit Springfield over the weekend, leaving more than 60,000 residents without electricity, and forced the visiting teams to nearby Branson after the team hotel lost power. Murphy said the team hoped to be able to fly out of St. Louis today, and have the team home in time to play at Grant's Pass on Tuesday, but that schedule was subject to change. In other scores Sunday, Raleigh-Egypt of Memphis defeated St. Louis Vashon 65-38 for third place, Milwaukee's Rufus King beat St. Raymond's of the Bronx, N.Y. 45-39 for fifth, and Willard beat Glendale 76-71 in a seventh-place battle between local Missouri teams. SOUTH MEDFORD (77) — Dellenback-Ouellette 13, E. Singler 6, K. Singler 34, Harthun 20, Grimes 4, M. Singler 0, Anderson 0. Totals: 26-49 22-25 77. LAKE HOWELL (72) — Jackson 2, Calathes 25, Parsons 16, Rodriguez 21, Williams 0, Chance 8, Cameron 0. Totals: 29-59 10-13 72. South Medford 21 18 23 15 --77 Lake Howell 24 16 16 16 --72 3-point goals — South Medford 3 (Dellenback-Ouellette 3), Lake Howell 4 (Parsons 2, Rodriguez 2). Fouled out — Calathes. Advertisement Copyright © 1997-2007 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback online casinos news Home Security Systems Online Casino Reviews Men's Clothing Fundraisers UK Homeowner Loans Discount Hotel Reservations Send Flowers Casinos Canada Texas Electric Choice Compare Electric rates in Texas Windermere Van Vleet Trunks, Footlocker Online poker at AbsolutePoker.com