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Crater trips playoff-bound North By Don Hunt CENTRAL POINT � It was the final home basketball game for Crater High seniors Andy Haas and Steve Darnell, and their teammates wanted to send them out on a positive note Tuesday night. Mission accomplished. Chris Pettegrew scored a season-high 21 points and Derek Petersen added 18 to lift the Comets to a season-ending 65-62 victory over North Medford. Despite the defeat, the Black Tornado qualified for the Class 4A state playoffs. North Medford tied Klamath Union for fourth place in the Southern Oregon Conference with a 6-8 record, but got the nod as the conference�s No. 4 representative by virtue of its two victories over the Pelicans. The Tornado, now 9-14 overall, will travel to Portland to meet the No. 4 team from the Portland Interscholastic League next Tuesday. Pettegrew, a 6-foot junior forward, got his first start since early in the season and responded with his best game. "The underclassmen wanted to send Haas and Darnell out on a winning note," Pettegrew said. "We felt like we owed it to them. They�ve done a great job of keeping this team together when it looked like we were falling apart. "We didn�t have the kind of season we wanted to have, but it feels great to end it by beating North Medford. They�ve always been one of our main rivals." Cold shooting was again the culprit for the Tornado. North Medford shot 31 percent from the field for the second straight game (20 of 64) and added to its woes by making just 58 percent of its free throws (14 of 24). The loss was the fifth in a row for the Tornado, but coach Gene Quilhaugh isn�t about to give up on his team as it heads to the postseason. "I was very proud of the way our boys came back tonight," he said. "The intensity and the will to win is evident in the way we play. "We�ve been a resilient group all season long. We won enough games to get in the playoffs and now it�s a new season." Ben Anderson scored 20 points, Mike Olson added 16 and Gabe Burchfiel chipped in 14 for North Medford. The Tornado trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half but rallied to within 29-25 at the half. Anderson drilled a 3-pointer from the baseline that inched North within 29-28 early in the third period, and Olson�s trey halfway through the quarter finally drew the Tornado even at 35-35. But Pettegrew and Petersen responded with trifectas of their own, and the Comets never trailed again. Not that the hosts could ever get comfortable. North Medford fought back from a nine-point deficit with 6� minutes remaining to get within 55-53 on a pair of free throws by Burchfiel. The Comets then went into a delay game and Haas hit a driving layup with 1:34 remaining that made it 57-53. One free throw by North Medford�s Kevin Foreman and two by Pettegrew left the Comets with a 59-54 advantage in the final minute of play, but Olson cut the gap to 59-56 on a 3-pointer with 39 seconds left. Haas then missed a lay-up at the other end, giving the Tornado a chance to tie. But junior guard Brian Weeks was called for carrying the ball and Crater made six straight free throws in the final 22 seconds, four by Petersen and two by Haas, to offset last-second 3-pointers by Ben Anderson and Olson. Crater caught a break when Olson was called for an intentional foul with 5.5 seconds to play and the Comets leading 61-59. Haas made two free throws and then, after Crater got the ball back, Petersen followed with two more. Olson�s 3-pointer at the buzzer left the score at 65-62. "Our kids showed they still have some pride," said Crater coach Matt Meunier, whose team finished the season with an 8-16 record. "This was a good way to end the season." NORTH MEDFORD (62) � Anderson 20, Olson 16, Burchfiel 14, Weeks 5, Foreman 3, Poulton 2, O�Brien 2, Taylor 0, Wessells. Totals: 20-64 14-24 62. CRATER (65) � Pettigrew 21, Petersen 18, Haas 14, Darnell 8, Sills 2, Norum 2, Good 0, Ryan 0. Totals: 21-43 17-21 65. North Medford.......................................... 12 13 18 19 � 62 Crater....................................................... 17 12 22 14 � 65 3-point goals � North Medford 8 (Olson 4, Anderson 4), Crater 6 (Pettegrew 3, Petersen 3). Fouled out � Poulton, Anderson. JV score � Crater 64, North Medford 62. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.