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South rolls to tourney-opening victory By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune The supporting cast is coming into its own, and that makes the South Medford boys basketball team quite a force. Glencoe discovered the Panthers' might Thursday night in the first round of the Abby's Holiday Classic, as South (7-1) rolled to a 63-40 victory. Adam Walport, who only recently has stepped into the starting lineup, drilled two 3-pointers as part of a 14-2 second-quarter spurt that put South up double figures to stay. Fiegi, a 6-foot-9 senior post, and Heil, a 6-1 senior point guard, were their usual terrific selves. Fiegi scored 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting, corralled a game-high eight rebounds and - most emphatically - swatted away five Glencoe shots despite sitting out the fourth quarter. Heil dropped eight of his game-high 14 points during the third quarter, when the Panthers stormed to a 52-30 lead largely on the strength of an 11-0 spurt. Heil had four assists, three rebounds and two steals to go with 5-of-12 shooting from the field. Both Fiegi and Heil are happy to see Walport, fellow starters Alan Johnson and Boomer Marshall and South's squadron of reserves step up to help push the Panthers. "We're really beginning to mature a lot," said Fiegi, who tangles with Lake Oswego's 6-91/2 Ben Sullivan in the semifinals at 7:45 tonight. "Last year, we relied a lot on Ryan and I. And this year, we have so many threats. "Adam Walport's been stroking it from outside. A.J. is playing real well. Boomer's shooting it a lot better and really confident. There's just so many threats." The Panthers trailed just once against the Crimson Tide, 3-0 in the opening minute. A 12-2 run put South on top for good, and the first quarter ended with the Panthers nursing a 16-10 lead thanks to a combined 10 points from Heil and Fiegi. Glencoe struggled offensively all night, dropping off after a 4-for-9 first quarter from the field to 2-of-17 in the second and finishing 13-for-49 for an ice-cold 26.5 percent. Reserve senior wing Zach Henningsen was the Tide's most potent scorer, and he drained his first three shots, all 3-pointers, to keep Glencoe in it in the first half. But South's 14-2 streak going into the break gave it a 34-18 edge, and following a quick, 6-2 Tide run to start the second half, the Panthers poured it on with their 11-0 stretch to pull away. "It's a game of runs," said 14th-year South head coach Dennis Murphy. "We know that, and getting on runs is what we try to do. "On that big 11-0 run, it was Heil and four reserves on the floor, so that was real good to see those kids play well." Walport, who stands 6-1 and was a second-team all-Southern Oregon Conference standout as a fullback for the Panthers boys soccer team, contributed five assists and three rebounds and shot 4-of-5 from the field. As a team, South made 52 percent of its field goals and converted 7-of-11 free throws. "We keep becoming a better team, especially on the offensive end," Murphy said. "We try to emphasize playing as a team, and the kids have bought into that." Glencoe - which faces McNary, a 56-51 overtime loser to Lake Oswego, at 4:15 p.m. today at South Medford High - didn't put up much of a fight against the Panthers, much to head coach Terry McClary's dismay. "They're a good basketball team," McClary said. "We didn't execute at all, and to beat a team like that, you have to play smart and efficiently." The Tide lost to the Lakers last week, giving McClary unique insight into tonight's matchup between Fiegi and LO's Sullivan, who has signed with Cal State-Northridge and scored a game-high 21 points against McNary. "They're different kinds of players," McClary said. "Fiegi's a lot more physical, particularly on defense. He certainly intimidated our kids tonight. "Sullivan sees himself more as a small forward, I think." GLENCOE (40) - Apodaca 2, McAuley 3, Pitts 3, McInnis 7, Ainge 6, Ellis 0, Henningsen 11, Faulk 2, McCullough 2, McClary 2, Orton 2, Culligan 0. Totals 13-49 10-14 40. SOUTH MEDFORD (63) - Johnson 8, Marshall 3, Fiegi 12, Walport 12, Heil 14, Lower 6, Hagert 4, Carpenter 2, Olson 0, Smith 2, Fischer 0. Totals 26-50 7-11 63. Glencoe ........................................... 10 8 12 10 - 40 South Medford ............................... 16 18 18 11 - 63 3-point goals - Glencoe 4 (Henningsen 3, Pitts 1), South Medford 4 (Walport 2, Heil 2). Fouled out - McAuley. LAKE OSWEGO 56, McNARY 51, OT - Senior post Ben Sullivan used his 6-foot-91/2 frame to help rally Lake Oswego (8-0) to a victory in the first round. Sullivan scored a game-high 21 points and Mike White added 14 as the Lakers outscored McNary 9-2 in the fourth quarter to force overtime. In the extra session, Lake Oswego outscored McNary 13-8. Trevor Cross paced the Celtics (3-3) with 14 points. McNARY (51) - Patterson 0, Miller 8, Wood 6, Erickson 3, Cross 14, Ohrt 2, Schmidt 10, Rufener 6, Wichmann 0, Johnson 2, Rieff 0. Totals: 21 4-4 51. LAKE OSWEGO (56) - Sullivan 21, Shoff 8, Collins 2, Reeves 0, Davis 0, Furey 0, Joselow 6, White 14, Mildren 0, Robertson 5. Totals: 24 6-11 56. McNary..............................................13 15 13 2 8 - 51 Lake Oswego.....................................12 14 8 9 13 - 56 3-point goals - McNary 5 (Wood 2, Erickson 1, Cross 2), Lake Oswego 2 (Shoff 2). Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.