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Crater roars into semifinals By Greg Stiles PORTLAND � This is when the tough get going, and the Crater Comets proved they can be tough when it counts. Junior forward Amy Denson�s spectacular first half and Jody McLeod�s domination of the backboards in the second half allowed the No. 1-seeded Comets to fend off upset-minded Barlow, 56-46, Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A state girls basketball tournament. The victory propelled the Comets (24-1) into tonight�s 8:45 p.m. semifinal against No. 4 Jesuit (23-3), a 53-33 winner over Lake Oswego. No. 2 seed Oregon City held off Beaverton, 39-29, while Springfield ended Central Catholic�s 24-game winning streak, 56-47. Denson scored 14 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in the first half and finished with 25 points and 17 rebounds, while sinking 10 of 11 free throws. "I think she ended up with a monster game," Crater coach David Heard said. "There�s no doubt she was the difference in the game." The Comets expected a challenge and got more than they wanted as the Mount Hood Conference�s runner-up led 14-13 midway through the second quarter and was within four points with 2:06 to play. "They definitely picked it up against us," Denson said. "We had to come out and play hard. Our rebounding was one of the differences tonight." Crater outrebounded the Bruins 47-22 as the Comets pulled down 22 offensive caroms alone. "We needed to communicate better and let each other know who we were screening out individually," Barlow coach Ron Jones said. "When a team gets as many extra opportunities as they did, then you�re going to pay a price and we did. A lot of that is experience, and they had that over us." The Comets had trouble shooting from the field (17-for-47 for 36.2 percent), but they were far more on target from the foul line, connecting on 21 of 29 (72.4 percent). And free throws played a big role down the stretch as Crater nailed 9 of 12 attempts in the fourth quarter. "We had trouble shooting," Heard said. "We were getting bumped in the lane a lot � but that�s the way it is up here. They were in a match-up zone and you get stuck deciding whether you want to run a zone or man offense. If you don�t shoot well from the inside, it makes it tough no matter what you run. But there was a lot of hooking, pushing, grabbing going on." Barlow gave the cold-shooting Comets all they could handle in the first half, but Denson�s determined heroics allowed Crater to have a semblance of control as she scored 10 of her team�s last 12 points of the second quarter as Crater took a 25-18 advantage. Denson�s 15-footer from the left side of the lane gave Crater its first 10-point lead, 41-31, with 55 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Bruins closed to within eight at the final break, but Denson�s coast-to-coast move and Janell Sapienza�s rebound following Denson�s missed 3-pointer gave Crater its biggest advantage, 45-33, early in the fourth quarter. But the never-say-die Bruins went on a 13-5 run to close within 50-46 when Heidi Jurgens cashed in on a steal with 2:06 to play. Denson responded with a pair of free throws and the Comets were able to shut out Barlow the rest of the way. "They had more intensity than we had in the fourth quarter," Barlow�s Kim Pitney said. "But it�s tough going against a big team like them. They�re about twice our size and we were outnumbered." McLeod came up with a critical steal and rebound in the final moments to keep Barlow at bay. "We�ve been in a couple of close ones before down in California," McLeod said. "I think we handled it well. They�re quick and very strong on the inside and play with a lot of heart." Pitney sank 8 of 12 shots from the field and finished with 19 points and six rebounds, while Ashley Hollenbeck added 10 points before fouling out. "I don�t think we�re clicking yet as a group," Heard said. "Fortunately, we�ve got enough good players that one or two players can carry us when we�re not clicking." Heard reminded his players that prior to three years ago � when McLeod and Sapienza were freshmen � only one Southern Oregon Conference team had reached the semifinals. "It�s just another stop for this team," Heard said. "Sometimes, you need to learn to enjoy the ride." BARLOW (46) � Pitney 19, Hollenbeck 10, Dunn 4, Jurgens 4, Shearer 0, Boschee 4, Binneen 3, Miller 2, Jacobsen 0. Totals 19-48 8-17 46. CRATER (56) � Denson 25, Sapienza 11, Pool 9, McLeod 8, Johnson 0, Black 3, Robertson 0, Nafie 0. Totals 17-47 21-29 56. Barlow.......................................................12 6 15 13 � 46 Crater......................................................11 14 16 15 � 56 3-point goals � Crater 1-5 (Denson). Fouled out - Hollenbeck, Denson. 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.