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47 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, February 11, 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 22, 2004 Crater�s Whitney Black, left, Dani Montgomery, center, and Katie Robertson are the Comets� �Big Three.� They have sparked Crater to a 4-1 start in the SOC that trails just North Medford. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Comet Cluster Senior stars Black, Montgomery and Robertson are a trio unparalleled in the SOC By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune In the solar system of Southern Oregon Conference girls basketball, three stars make Crater glow brighter than most. Whitney Black, Dani Montgomery and Katie Robertson are a trio of senior standouts who have the Comets in the running for a seventh SOC championship in nine years. They combine to give Crater a trio that is rare not only in talent, production and experience but also in the contrasts — from playing styles to personalities — among them. They are the SOC’s "Big Three," and they form quite a cluster for the Comets (9-6, 4-1 SOC), averaging 35.8 points per game between them. Advertisement "The first thing is that they’re probably three of the most different kids, personality-wise," says Scott Dippel, Crater’s second-year head coach. "Totally night and day." Black is a 5-foot-6 point guard who has given a verbal commitment to play at Portland State University next year. She’s been raised in the Comets’ far-ranging youth program, and she boasts averages of 12.7 points, 5.4 assists and 2.8 steals this winter. Her assist-to-turnover ratio is 1.6-to-1, and she’s firing at a 43.6-percent clip from 3-point distance. She serves as Crater’s leader, both on the court and in luring laughs. "Whitney is intense, but she’s not real vocal about it," says Dippel, who has known Black since she was a fifth-grader. "She’s the one that cracks everyone up. She really reads other people well. One of the best things about her this year is that she’s understanding that you don’t motivate your teammates the same way. "She’ll go up to a kid that she knows you don’t say anything negative to and pump that kid up. And then another kid, she’ll know that you can get on ‘em a little bit to get them going. That’s been a big part of her development as a leader." Black’s influence is apparent to fellow "Big Three" members. "Whitney’s our leader," says Robertson, who first played with Black on a select squad in the seventh grade. "She’s our point guard. She’s our girl." A second-team all-SOC selection as a junior, Black expects to play the point and some shooting guard for the NCAA Division I Vikings, who compete in the Big Sky Conference. Her strengths should translate smoothly to the next level. "I think I’m a playmaker," says Black, a three-year starter and four-year varsity player. "I think I just have the ability to see opportunities that other teams give us." Montgomery is a 5-11 bundle of versatility and athleticism, able to bring the ball up the court just as comfortably as she bangs the boards. She owns averages of 13 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.7 steals this season, despite battling the recurrence of a left ankle injury. Aggression is a big part of her game, and her on-court demeanor can be intimidating to opponents. But Dippel says Montgomery’s competitive side is in stark contrast to her usual personality. "She’s a real sweet kid, but I tell you when you watch her on the floor, you think, ‘Man, she’s mean,’" Dippel says. "She’s tough as nails." Montgomery grew up in Bend and lettered on the Bend High varsity team as a freshman and sophomore. She moved to Central Point spring of her sophomore year, but she had already played on teams with both Black and Robertson — Black on an all-star team when the two were freshman; Robertson for a couple years at a Bend junior high. A first-team all-SOC selection as a junior, when she broke Amy Denson’s season-rebounding record for the Comets, Montgomery has been a boon for Crater. And the feeling’s mutual. "It’s just a different level of basketball," Montgomery says of playing for the Comets. "Everyone’s so committed to playing. There’s such tradition. It’s just so different from any other high school I know of." Different, too, is Montgomery’s playing style, and that’s the way she wants it to be. "I want girls basketball to be at a faster pace and be more competitive," says Montgomery, who is being recruited by a number of college programs. "The boys get up and down the court and do all these different things, while girls play so traditional. ... If women’s basketball is wanting to stay around, it has to be a little faster and more entertaining." Robertson, a 5-10 wing, is a 4.0 student who’s similarly steady as can be in disposition and basketball performance. A left-hander whose shooting touch made her a sophomore starter on the Comets’ last SOC champion, Robertson produces 10.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.1 assists per game. Dippel says she’s one of Crater’s best defenders, as well as a steadying influence. "Katie is real calm," he says. "She doesn’t really get riled up, ever. She’s pretty proper. She comes across as being very, very mature." A third-team all-SOC selection last winter and four-year letter-winner, Robertson lived in Prineville and Bend before moving to Central Point as an eighth-grader. Her consistency as a player stems from experience, she says. Same goes for her defense, which she labels the most improved part of her game. "Defensively, I think I’ve stepped up," says Robertson, who is considering attending Portland’s Concordia University and enrolling in the nursing program there, with or without a continuation of her basketball career. "I’m tougher, and mentally I think I’m a lot smarter. From the experience of the last four years, the mental aspect of my game has definitely blossomed." Robertson’s basketball IQ, like her classroom intelligence, is rare, according to Black. "She’s such a smart player," Black says. "She knows the game." Together, the "Big Three" has collected 45 or more points in five games for the Comets. And they join senior reserve wing Jessica Stoner in giving Crater a momentous dose of experience and leadership. Now, can the "Big Three" carry the Comets back to the top of the SOC? The prospects, it appears, are very bright. Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] 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