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Roseburg fights off Tornado Photo by Andrew Mariman/Mail Tribune By Kris Henry North Medford isn�t the type of boys basketball team interested in keeping the game close against a top-10 team. The Black Tornado wants to win, and for 31 minutes it appeared the scrappy North bunch was destined for such a finish against ninth-ranked Roseburg on Tuesday night. Unfortunately for the Tornado, the wheels fell off in the final minute as the Indians stepped to the forefront for a nailbiting, 45-40 Southern Oregon Conference victory. Roseburg broke open a 39-38 thriller with six free throws in the final 43 seconds. The Indians improved to 15-4 overall and 9-1 in the SOC, while North Medford dropped to 9-10 and 6-4. "For a large part of it, we did follow our game plan," said North Medford coach Gene Quilhaugh. "We were going to double down and step back out and double down and step back out. I was real proud of the kids for doing that." Despite being overmatched on the blocks by 6-foot-7 post Joe Newton and his 6-6 teammate Brennan Garrelts, the North trio of Travis Poulton, Kevin Foreman and Gabe Burchfiel did an admirable job defending the interior despite an average height of 6-3. Still, it�s hard to keep a good man down, and Newton showed he was more than capable of stringing together point as the junior scored 29 of his team�s 45 points. Newton scored 11 field goals, including his team�s only 3-pointer, and went 6-for-7 from the free-throw line. "Their good player was good at the end," Quilhaugh said, who also pulled down six rebounds. "He was as tough as could be, and we knew that coming in." North�s scrappy presence did force Roseburg into committing 11 turnovers, with seven either committed by Newton or on passes intended to the post. Given those chances and several others off steals and missed shots, the Black Tornado was effective in keeping the game close throughout. Neither team led by more than four points until the final buzzer. Poulton provided a big lift off the bench for North, especially in the second half. The 6-4 junior poured in nine of his team-high 11 points in the final two quarters and grabbed four rebounds. "Travis played his heart out and he always does," said Quilhaugh. "When the game�s over, he�s given it everything he�s got." Poulton�s unlikely 3-pointer tied the game at 35-all and brought the North faithful to its feet with 4:15 to play. "I don�t know if the ball even got above the rim," Quilhaugh said with a grin. "It was flat." But the remaining North efforts were just as flat, only without the positive outcome. The Tornado went 2-for-6 from the field and didn�t get a shot off on five possessions. After another Poulton jumper cut Roseburg�s lead to 39-37, Poulton dove to deflect an interior pass and Mike Olson raced downcourt with the ball and the potential game-tying basket. In his first game back after missing most of the season with a broken hand, Olson�s finish proved a bit rusty as the senior guard left the court too soon and left his lay-in short. Olson appeared to redeem himself with a solid block on Roseburg freshman Kerry Hall, but he was called for a foul. Hall missed both charity shots, with Brian Weeks fouled on the rebound to give North two shots to tie the game. Weeks missed the first shot and made the second. Newton added one free throw on the ensuing possession and Roseburg scored the next five points of the game until Poulton�s jumper in the waning seconds. Burchfiel chipped in nine points and six rebounds for North, while Ben Anderson added six rebounds but was held scoreless for the first time this season. Olson, who had his right hand taped, had seven points in his return but struggled to find his shooting touch as most of his attempts hit the front rim. "When you play as hard as Mike, plays you�re going to get tired," said Quilhaugh. Once the rust wears off, Olson�s return should bode well for a North team that has been forced to juggle its lineup all season. "Because of how this season has developed with players in and out of the lineup, we have nine guys who have started for us," said Quilhaugh. "We�ve had a number of adjustments and we just keep coming back and putting pieces together. If we can keep our lineup together and our rotation in line and play with confidence, I feel good about our chances against everyone on our schedule." Next up will be South Medford on Friday at 7 p.m., when the Black Tornados get a chance to face off against another hot SOC team. Roseburg was coming off wins over South and previously unbeaten Grants Pass; South now comes in off a a rout of Eagle Point and a win at Grants Pass. Quilhaugh downplayed any thought that a win against South (7-3 SOC) on Friday would go far into securing his team a spot in the state playoffs. "I don�t think in terms of playoff spots," he said. "We think in terms of playing the next team. We play them one game at a time, and what happens at the end of the season is either you have enough wins to make the playoffs or you don�t." ROSEBURG (45) � Newton 29, Garrelts 3, Moss 8, Williams 2, Walker 3, Hall 0, Osborn 0. Totals: 16-34 12-17 45. NORTH MEDFORD (40) � Poulton 11, Burchfiel 9, Olson 7, Taylor 6, Foreman 3, Weeks 2, Wessells 2, Anderson 0, O�Brien 0. Totals: 16-46 6-10 40. Roseburg..................................................11 10 9 15 � 45 North Medford...........................................8 15 7 10 � 40 3-point goals � Roseburg 1-6 (Newton 1), North Medford 2-13 (Olson 1, Poulton 1). JV score � North Medford 63, Roseburg 54. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.