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Tornado blows past cougars By Greg Stiles North Medford scored the game�s final seven points Saturday as the Black Tornado girls basketball team registered its first victory of the season. Senior post Ashley Nelson scored five of her game-high 18 points and Kara Hwang added a pair of free throws in the final 1:26 as North snapped back from a disappointing season-opening loss with a 57-51 victory over visiting Mountain View. After seeing a five-point lead evaporate in the final 14 seconds of regulation in a 58-53 overtime loss to Bend the night before, the Tornado ironed out a few wrinkles. "We�re going to learn from our mistakes," said Nelson. "We�re a young team, and we haven�t played together very much." Indeed, the Tornado depends on three freshmen almost as much as it does its five seniors. The rookies � starting point guard Anna Lilly and reserve wings Brittany Hodges and Laura Tarkon � made key contributions as North rallied from an eight-point third quarter deficit. Second-year North coach J.T. Thomas was more than pleased with Lilly�s first varsity weekend. "Lilly had four turnovers today and two last night," Thomas said. "For a freshman point guard to have six turnovers in her first two games is a tremendous start for her career." Lilly had four assists and four steals. Her two points came during crunch time. North led 12-7 after Nelson sank a shot from the left baseline with 2:05 left in the first quarter. But Mountain View (0-3) reeled off 10 points in the final 1:34, including a 35-foot cast by Melissa Groves at the buzzer that made it 17-12. Shannon Passage made it 12 straight for the Cougars with two free throws to start the second quarter. But Kelsey Versteeg ignited a 10-2 run capped by Hwang�s two free throws that gave the Tornado a 22-21 edge with 1:57 left in the half. But the Cougars regained the lead at intermission with two free throws by Lexie Bales and one by Ahlee Thomas. Mountain View wasn�t through. After Nelson pulled North even at 24-24 to start the third quarter, the Cougars scored the next eight points. Emily Helmly, who scored five points in that run, added six more as Mountain View retained the lead, 40-37, heading into the final eight minutes. But the fourth quarter belonged to North as the Tornado outscored their Intermountain Conference visitors, 20-11. Helmly, who finished with 20 points, had just three in the fourth quarter. "Klamath Union ran us off the court (78-44 on Tuesday) and South Medford did last night (53-31 Friday), but I thought we were better tonight," said Mountain View coach Bill Bauer. "We got a little 3-point happy. You�ve got to use your brains out there. We were humming up some from way out there, and they got shots from close in, and that�s the way it should be." The score was tied at 43, 46 and 48 before Denfeld�s second 3-pointer of the quarter gave Mountain View its final lead, 51-50, with 1:38 to play. But Nelson responded with a layin. After Denfeld traveled before she could launch another 3-pointer, Nelson then sank a 10-footer despite being triple-teamed to boost North�s advantage to 54-51. Nelson and Hodges had seven rebounds each, while Versteeg added six. Hwang had 10 points, four assists and three steals. "We were tired, but we sucked it up and played more as a team at the end," said Nelson, who fouled out with six minutes left in the fourth quarter Friday. "We didn�t want to lose on our home court." MOUNTAIN VIEW (51) � Groves 8, Denfeld 10, Field 2, Bales 4, Helmly 20, Passage 4, Steiert 2, Thomas 1, Root 2. Totals: 17-68 11-18 51. NORTH MEDFORD (57) � Lilly 2, Gentry 4, Tarkon 0, Meager 6, Versteeg 7, Miller 0, Stevenson 6, Hwang 10, Hodges 4, Nelson 18. Totals: 22 10-17 57. Mountain View........................................17 7 16 11 � 51 North Medford.......................................12 10 15 20 � 57 3-Point goals � Mountain View 6-21 (Groves 2, Denfeld 3, Helmly 1); North Medford 2 (Meager 2). JV score � North Medford 34, Mountain View 30. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4483, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.