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49 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, February 18, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend January 31, 2004 North Medford�s Ty Ryan, right, looks for an opening against the defense of Grants Pass� Matt Cowell during Friday�s game. Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Williamson’s hot hand lifts North Junior guard makes two clutch baskets as the Black Tornado tops No. 8 Grants Pass in overtime By DON HUNT Mail Tribune Kyle Williamson scored just eight points for the North Medford High boys basketball team on Friday night. But the 6-foot-2 junior guard swished a pair of crucial 3-point baskets — one with a half-minute left in the fourth period that tied the game and another in overtime that thrust his team ahead to stay — as the Black Tornado posted a 59-56 victory over eighth-ranked Grants Pass. Advertisement The win, North Medford’s first over the Cavemen in five years, left the Tornado (11-6, 5-2 SOC) alone in third place heading into Tuesday’s matchup at second-ranked South Medford. But it wouldn’t have been possible without Williamson’s late-game heroics. With Grants Pass leading 49-46 in the final minute of regulation play, Williamson came off a double screen set by Ryan Lucas and Ty Ryan and drilled a trey from just beyond the top of the key to tie the game. "One of the Grants Pass guys was fighting through the screen, but Lucas got a piece of him and that allowed me to get the shot off," a smiling Williamson said after the game. "I was a little off balance and kind of double-pumped the shot, but it went in. And that’s all that counts." North Medford coach Tim Sam, who took a timeout with 42 seconds to play in regulation to set up the play that freed Williamson, said his team ran it to perfection. "We’ve been drawing that one up since December, and that’s the first time we’ve run it right," Sam said. "What a clutch shot by Kyle." Suddenly infused with confidence, Williamson tallied the first points of overtime — a trifecta from the left wing with 2:28 remaining. And he wasn’t done. On North Medford’s next possession, he rifled a pass to a cutting Ryan for a layup and a 54-49 Tornado lead with 1:31 left in the extra session. The Cavemen, who fell to 11-5 overall and 4-3 in the SOC, never quite recovered. "This is the biggest win I’ve had in a North Medford uniform," said Black Tornado senior post Lucas, who registered eight points and 11 rebounds. "I can’t ever remember beating a ranked team." What made it all the sweeter for Sam was that virtually every player he put on the floor made significant contributions on a night when starting guard Beau Hovland sat out for disciplinary reasons. Ryan enjoyed his best game of the season with 15 points and seven rebounds. He was 6 of 7 from the field. Sophomore post Kendall Gielow broke out of a slump to score 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Junior post/wing Ben Running had 10 points and six assists and broke GP’s press for two important layups as the Tornado protected its overtime lead. And junior point guard Drew Herrera, while scoring just four points, engineered an offense that committed only seven turnovers. "On any given night, just about anyone on our roster can lead us in scoring," said Sam, noting that seven players have done just that. Grants Pass led 19-15 after one period, but Gielow scored seven straight early in the second quarter to give North Medford a 22-19 advantage. The Tornado held the lead for the remainder of the half until Caveman sharpshooter Tom Higgins drained a long 3-pointer with one second left, tying the game at 29-all. The contest was still deadlocked at 35-35 midway through the third quarter when North Medford scored seven straight, including four by Gielow, to forge a 42-35 lead heading into the fourth. But the Cavemen, who fought back from a 17-point deficit to come within one point of South Medford on Tuesday, rallied once again. Senior guard Matt Cowell nailed two 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, the latter of which gave Grants Pass a 47-46 lead with 1:31 left. After North Medford failed to score at the other end, Wes Lathen hit a layup for the Cavemen, giving them a 49-46 lead with 46 seconds left in regulation. The situation didn’t look too promising for the Tornado at that point, but Williamson was just getting warmed up. "We were never able to get into a rhythm offensively and defensively at the same time," Grants Pass coach Bill Cowell said. "And North Medford deserves credit for that. They played a good game." The smaller Cavemen outrebounded the Tornado, 36-27, but Grants Pass hurt itself with 18 turnovers compared to just seven by North Medford. Matt Cowell led Grants Pass with 14 points and Mike Pollock added 13. GRANTS PASS (56) — Cowell 14, Pollock 13, Lathen 10, Higgins 8, Dastrup 8, Morgan 2, Berg 0. Totals: 21-49 5-9 56. NORTH MEDFORD (59) — Ryan 15, Gielow 13, Running 10, Williamson 8, Lucas 8, Herrera 4, O’Brien 1, Barger 0, Faaeteete 0. Totals: 25-55 6-10 59. Grants Pass............................. 19 10 6 14 7 — 56 North Medford.......................15 14 13 7 10 — 59 3-point goals — Grants Pass 9-25 (Cowell 4, Pollock 3, Higgins 2), North Medford 3-12 (Williamson 2, Herrera 1). Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times