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Grant lifts Panthers to crucial win over Caver GRANTS PASS - Whitney Grant was the difference-maker for South Medford in Southern Oregon Conference girls basketball Tuesday. The Panthers' dynamic senior guard tallied a game-high 18 points as South defeated Grants Pass, 38-32, to clinch the conference's No. 3 state playoff berth. The Panthers (13-8, 9-3 SOC) hold a three-game lead over fourth-place Ashland with two conference games remaining. South could mathematically tie Roseburg for second place, but the Indians hold the tiebreaker with a pair of wins over the Panthers. "Whitney Grant was their edge tonight," Grants Pass coach Ken Lathen said. "She had great poise." Neither team put the ball in the basket with efficiency. Grants Pass shot 25 percent from the field (12-for-48), while South Medford was only 22 percent (13-for-60). "Thank goodness Whitney was hitting," South Medford coach Andrea Jaime said. "She shot the ball with a lot of confidence. She came up with baskets when we needed them." The Panthers held a 15-13 halftime lead, then added to the margin by outscoring the Cavers 15-10 in the third quarter. The Panthers kept at least a seven-point lead until the end when Megan Moon hit a final 3-pointer for Grants Pass (11-10, 5-7 SOC). Junior guard Natasha Wright led South with five assists in addition to converting 4 of 6 foul shots in the fourth quarter. Freshman Katie Singler made two key layins out of South's spread offense in the final period to help the Panthers maintain their lead. South Medford junior post Jennifer Brennan made her biggest contribution of the season with 12 rebounds. Brennan saw extensive playing time because Beth Mueller missed the game because of illness. The Panthers edged Grants Pass in rebounding, 41-36. Grants Pass was paced by seniors Moon and Alison Klingel, who combined for 17 points. Moon had a team-high seven rebounds, while Klingel had six assists, four blocks, four rebounds and two steals. SOUTH MEDFORD (38) - Grant 18, Wright 6, Gillingham 6, Singler 8, Brennan 0, Ingram 0, Silva 0. Totals: 13 9-12 38. GRANTS PASS (32) - Moon 9, Klingel 8, Briggs 4, Morton 4, Taylor 2, Tardieu 2, Glovinsky 1, Claflin 2. Totals: 12 6-8 32. South Medford.............................................8 7 15 8 - 38 Grants Pass..................................................8 5 10 9 - 32 3-point goals - South Medford 3 (Grant 3), Grants Pass 2 (Moon 1, Klingel 1). Fouled out - Gillingham. JV score - Grants Pass 56, South Medford 37. Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.