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South boys eager for a shot at snapping streak Roseburg's 25-game SOC winning streak on the line tonight in key matchup By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Big crowd with boisterous fans and a rowdy student section. Lots of noise. And a cozy gym that invariably heats up with all those bodies in a confined space. Welcome to Stewart Robertson Memorial Gymnasium, home of the Roseburg Indians and one of the state's toughest venues for opponents. South Medford meets the Indians tonight in a Southern Oregon Conference boys basketball showdown with first place on the line. The No. 2-ranked Panthers take a 7-0 conference record and a 16-1 overall mark into the contest, but they'll have to overcome Roseburg's 25-game conference winning streak to remain atop the SOC standings. The Indians (11-6, 6-1 SOC) haven't dropped a conference game at home since the Panthers clawed out a win in 1998. "It's a tough place to win, no question about it," South Medford coach Dennis Murphy says. "They pack the place out and most everyone there wants to see you get beat. "But I think our kids are ready for this challenge. I think they're looking forward to playing in that atmosphere." Although South Medford and Roseburg were selected as conference co-favorites in a preseason coaches poll, the Panthers have been a much more dominant team. South Medford not only walloped the Indians, 65-40, in their first meeting this season on Jan. 2, but they've walloped almost everyone else as well. Fourteen of the Panthers' 16 victories have come by double digits, and they've held 10 opponents to less than 50 points. "The last time we played, they beat us in every phase," Roseburg coach Mike Pardon says. "They beat us to the ball, they beat us on the boards, they shot the ball better, defended better - you name it. "They're a great basketball team and we're going to have to play our best to hang with them." Murphy, now in his 14th season with the Panthers, believes this team might be his best defensively. South Medford is yielding just 42.9 points per game and its opponents are shooting just 35 percent from the field. Eric Fiegi, the Panthers' 6-foot-9 senior post who leads the SOC in scoring at just over 20 points per game, is just as intimidating on defense, where his long arms, precise timing and hard work make many shots go wayward. But the other players are tenacious defenders, too, particularly guard Adam Walport and forward Alan Johnson, a 6-4 senior who has consistently smothered the other team's best scorer. "Alan has really been the unsung hero of this team," says Murphy, noting that Johnson is the Panthers' third-leading scorer (8.3), third-leading rebounder and second-leading assist man. "We know he's going to give us a great job on defense every night, and he does so many other things." Roseburg, meanwhile, is led by 6-9 Joe Newton, the SOC's second-leading scorer at a 17.4 clip. Newton, who is headed to Oregon State on a football scholarship, got the best of Fiegi last season. In their earlier duel this month, both players finished with 16 points but Newton had only four points in the second half. The Indians lost starting wing Kellen Walker to a season-ending wrist injury before their first game, and Newton's supporting case has been inconsistent. Consequently, Roseburg has often struggled to score. Such was the case Tuesday when the Indians had to sweat out a 45-41 home victory over Klamath Union. But four of the Indians' six losses came in the Les Schwab holiday tournament that featured many of the nation's top teams, so they're not a team one takes for granted. "We anticipate being in a close game," Murphy says. "Nothing comes easy on that court." 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.