Document text
Korthals comes up big for Crater By KRIS HENRY When the going got tough, Jason Korthals got going in keying Crater's 51-48 Southern Oregon Conference victory at South Medford Tuesday night. The 5-foot-9 senior guard did everything right for the Comets, especially down the stretch, to lift Crater (9-4, 3-0 SOC) to the rare win in the Panthers' gymnasium. "Jason was huge for us tonight," Crater coach Matt Meunier said. "That was his best game of the season." Korthals had eight assists and 14 points, and caused considerable havoc on defense. He carried the Comets down the stretch with a basket and three clutch free throws. Even with the senior's efforts, the Panthers (6-7, 1-2 SOC) still had a chance to win in the waning seconds after junior Brian Hickey drilled a 3-pointer to trim South's deficit to 49-48 with 17 seconds to play. Following a timeout, however, Crater got the ball in the hands of Korthals, who split the defense and fed Mike Jacobs for the game's final basket. A final 3-point shot to tie the game by Steve Hilgendorf missed its mark as the buzzer sounded. "Every win we can steal on the road is big. Then we just have to take care of business at home," Meunier said. With the win, the Comets were able to keep pace with North Medford atop the conference standings. Both teams boast undefeated SOC records, and both have been able to topple South on its home court. Despite the rare company, Korthals said the Comets aren't satisfied with their unblemished start in the SOC. "We've got a long ways to go, but if we keep working hard and play as a team, I think we can pull it through," the senior said of the league race. With junior post Nick Decker sidelined due to a sprained ankle, South Medford struggled to find its offensive touch for most of the contest. Junior Damian Rasmussen scored the first seven points for the Panthers, but was forced to sit out most of the second half after getting tagged with his fourth personal one minute into the third quarter. "Damian played real well at Klamath Falls and stepped up and played even better tonight," South coach Dennis Murphy said. "It hurt us when he had to sit down." Rasmussen scored a career-high 18 points against Klamath Union last Friday, and dropped in a team-high 14 points Tuesday against Crater in limited action. With the Comets extending their defensive pressure, only Hilgendorf and Ethan Wallenberg were able to near double digits for South at nine points apiece. Besides Korthals, Crater's Jacobs scored a game-high 17 points and Matt Brown added 13. All three seniors were able to step up when the game got tight. "They're an experienced, veteran basketball team," Murphy said. "To win close basketball games, especially as the game winds down, you have to step up and make plays, and they did. You have to give them credit for that." Crater nabbed an 8-7 lead with three minutes to play in the first quarter and stretched its advantage to 22-14 before South rallied in the final minute of the second quarter to trim its halftime deficit to 27-25. Hickey hit a jumper to open the third quarter that tied the contest and Graham Foster added two free throws for South's second lead of the game at 29-27. Korthals answered immediately with a 3-pointer and the Comets regained the edge until another late Panther surge gave South a 35-33 advantage heading into the final period. The Panthers momentarily appeared to gain the momentum on a driving basket by Colin Grant, only to have the referees wave off the basket on a questionable charging call. South never seemed to recover from the twist of fate as Crater reclaimed the lead and never relented. The late meltdown proved especially bitter for South, which now has lost both SOC tilts at home due to fourth-quarter lapses. "We have to learn how hard and how smart you have to play in the fourth quarter, because that's where we get beat," Murphy said. "It's partly experience, but I truly think it's about desire. You have to play harder and smarter, and we haven't done that yet." Causing even more concern for Murphy is his team's lack of a true offensive threat down the stretch. "We don't have a go-to guy," he said. "In the fourth quarter, especially if the game's on the line, you've got to have somebody who can step up who wants the ball and can score. That's a challenge we have to put to the kids." It's also a challenge that needs to be answered before the Panthers fall too far behind in the SOC race. "The problem is we're getting beat at home," Murphy said. "You know when you go on the road it's twice as tough. We're digging a hole. I don't know if we'll be able to climb out of it or not." CRATER (51) -- Jacobs 17, Korthals 14, Brown 13, Wangle 4, Harthun 3, Foster 0, Campbell 0, Smith 0. Totals: 18 13-25 51 SOUTH MEDFORD (48) -- Rasmussen 14, Hilgendorf 9, Hickey 7, Wallenberg 9, Grant 5, McKay 2, Foster 2, Kime 0, Tomlins 0. Totals: 15 11-15 48 Crater .........................10 17 6 18 -- 51 South Medford ...........9 16 10 13 -- 48 3-point goals -- Crater 2 (Korthals, Brown), South Medford 3 (Rasmussen, Hilgendorf, Hickey). Fouled out -- Grant. Technical fouls -- South Medford bench. JV score -- South Medford 42, Crater 39. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford,