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Click Here 53 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, March 4, 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 29, 2004 South readies for stiff test in Roseburg By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune Second-ranked South Medford jumps out of the frying pan and into the fire Friday night as the Panthers look to close out the first half of the conference slate undefeated. Coming off Tuesday’s 61-60 road victory at Grants Pass, the Panthers face another stiff road test against a surprising Roseburg team, also 6-0 in Southern Oregon Conference boys basketball. "Obviously, the winner takes a step toward claiming the title — there’s no question about that," says South head coach Dennis Murphy. "As difficult as it was (Tuesday) night, we expect it to be as exciting or more exciting Friday. It’s hard to imagine the stakes higher, because they’re both must-win games, but we could really set ourselves up if we got one up there." Recent history has leaned in South’s favor, with the Panthers (15-1) carrying a four-game winning streak over the Indians (12-4) into Friday’s tilt, including two at Roseburg’s Stewart Robinson Memorial Gym. "We’ve had pretty good luck up there, so that helps our cause," says Murphy. "But nobody goes to Roseburg and wins easily or wins very often." Advertisement Prior to South’s current streak, Roseburg had won five of the teams’ six meetings dating back to the 1998-99 season. While most would have predicted South’s position heading into Friday’s 7 p.m. tilt, few outside Roseburg had the Indians penciled in as a league leader this far into the season. In the preseason SOC coaches’ poll, Roseburg was picked to finish fourth behind Grants Pass (11-4, 4-2 SOC) and North Medford (10-6, 4-2). The Cavemen play at North on Friday in another pivotal SOC boys basketball matchup. "I would call them a sleeper," Murphy says of the Indians. "By playing the tough ones at home in the first round, they’ve gained a lot of confidence." Leading the charge for Roseburg has been 6-foot-7 senior post Seth Bauman, who is averaging a league-high 18 points per game in SOC action and 15.3 overall. "He’s definitely one of the top-five players in this league," says Murphy. "That’s going to be a big battle for us." The statistics aren’t overwhelming beyond Bauman, although much of that has to do with Roseburg’s controlled style as much as anything. The Indians are averaging 54 points per game in the SOC, and they give up an average of 42.3. Fourth-year starting guard Kerry Hall is averaging 8.3 points in conference, with junior transfer guard Steven Davis at 5.8 and 6-4 senior post Kevan Gerretsen at 5.2. "I think they’re a real solid basketball team," says Murphy. "You watch them play and you can see that Bauman’s good, but they also have five or six other players who are solid." One key for Roseburg may rest with senior guard Daniel Jeremiah, who has the ability to light it up from the outside but enters Friday’s game having gone scoreless in the Indians’ past two contests. In stark contrast to Roseburg, South’s up-tempo style has the Panthers outscoring league foes by an average of 21.1 points per game (70.8 to 49.7). Craig Johnson, a 6-4 senior post, heads a host of South scorers at 16.3 points per game in league and 18.5 overall. Not far behind are senior point guard Ryan Fiegi, averaging 15.3 points per game in SOC play, and 6-7 freshman Kyle Singler (11.8). Murphy’s hope is that the Panthers learned a lesson from Tuesday, when his team led by 14 points in the second half but couldn’t put the Cavemen away until a last-second shot by Mike Pollock missed its mark. "We just have to play a little smarter down the stretch, and hopefully we will," Murphy says. "It’s going to be another great high school basketball game," adds the coach. "We look forward to it. We believe if you have any chance to compete at the top level, you have to play in those kind of games, and you have to win them." Those making the trek up to Roseburg on Friday might want to get an early start as a capacity crowd is expected. Construction at the school has closed the main parking lot, so the only parking available is in the school’s back lot. Reach reporter Kris Henry at 776-4488, 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