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Cavemen give South its initial SOC defeat By DAVID DAUGHERTY for the Mail Tribune It was just a subtle change, one a person could easily have overlooked. It was a change that started as quietly as Y2K, but ended with the roar of a middle-of-the-night thunderstorm. The change was a first-quarter switch to a zone defense by the Grants Pass High boys basketball team on Friday night -- a change that left South Medford in a zone of its own. The defense, coupled with some timely shooting, helped the visiting Cavemen earn a 59-51 Southern Oregon Conference victory over the Panthers. It was a loss that left South dazed and searching for answers. "We were very poor offensively," said South coach Dennis Murphy, whose club shot only 18-for-48 in falling to 3-1 in SOC play and 9-5 overall. "Their zone didn't do anything unexpected, but you have to be smart enough to go to the open spots." At the opening tip, Grants Pass opened in a man-to-man defense and South bolted to a 4-0 lead. Caveman coach Bill Cowell quickly pulled his team out of the man-to-man. "Our man-to-man has been awfully good this year, but they (South) just overpowered us early," said Cowell, whose team moved into a first-place tie in SOC play at 3-1. "It wasn't a tricky move; we just went to a simple zone." South kept the lead, 14-12, through one quarter, but fell behind 27-20 late in the second period. Grants Pass guard Tyler York did much of the damage to South, scoring 11 first-half points. "We were ready for them to come out hot," said Grants Pass wing Andy Dobner. "We always come out slow and get going. Their eyes got wide and confused when we went to the zone, and we liked it." Nevertheless, South responded to its seven-point deficit with a 7-0 run, capped by a Damian Rasmussen 3-pointer, that tied the game at 27. Grants Pass ended its drought and led 29-27 at halftime. The intermission seemed to be what the Panthers needed. They stormed out to a five-point lead, 38-33, and for a moment looked ready to run off with their fourth straight SOC win. But the Cavemen would have no part of it, going on a 14-0 run of their own behind consecutive 3-point plays from Dobner and reserve wing Luke Lathen. "At that point, we needed to step it up a notch," said Murphy. "We didn't and they did." "We just picked each other up," said Dobner. "We had to go out and play our game. It just worked out for the best." With the South's defense scrambling all over the court, Dobner found himself with numerous open looks at the basket -- looks he turned into crucial points. "Whenever my defender turned his back to me I ran him off a pick," said Dobner, who finished with a game-high 16 points. "They didn't leave me open in the first half, but I made the most of my chances in the second half. It was awesome." "He's as good a shooter as I've coached," said Cowell of Dobner. "I think our inside players really opened things up for him tonight." Though the presence of 6-foot-6, 300-pound Mike Delagrange and 6-7 Ian Elseth didn't equate to points, the two took away the Panthers' low-post game and allowed the other defenders to get in the faces of South's outside shooters. The perimeter pressure limited South sharpshooters Steve Hilgendorf and Ryan Heil to a combined 5-for-20 from the field. "We looked scared to death to shoot," said Murphy. "The team that played the hardest and smartest won. That's how you play the game. We weren't ready to play." Hilgendorf, who scored 14 points, got open enough to nail a key 3-pointer late in the fourth period to bring the Panthers within two points, 50-48. But Grants Pass guards Rob Lesher and York converted all six of their free throw opportunities in the fourth period to ice the victory. After an early season conference loss to Eagle Point, the Cavemen wrapped up their week 2-0, with wins over the two conference favorites -- Roseburg and South. "This win makes a huge statement for us," said Dobner. "That loss to Eagle point taught us a lesson. Now we just come to play and have fun. That's all that matters." GRANTS PASS (59) -- Lesher 4, York 13, Minor 4, Dobner 16, Berg 2, Lathen 7, Delagrange 5, Elseth 8. Totals: 19-42 18-26 59. SOUTH MEDFORD (51) -- Tomlins 0, Hilgendorf 14, Heil 6, McKay 0, Rasmussen 5, Wallenberg 11, Mulhollen 2, Grant 4, Kime 1, Decker 8. Totals: 18-48 12-18 51. Grants Pass ...................12 17 16 14 -- 59 South Medford ..............14 13 11 13 -- 51 3-point goals -- Grants Pass 3-8 (York 2, Dobner 1), South Medford 3-11 (Hilgendorf 2, Rasmussen 1). JV score -- Grants Pass 64, South Medford 52. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, OR U.S.A.