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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds 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 Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 13, 2004 Commentary Fiegi able to put aside heartbreak of early loss By KRIS HENRY Mail Tribune EUGENE — No one hurt more than Ryan Fiegi following Thursday’s lackluster loss to Redmond in the quarterfinals of the Class 4A state tournament. South Medford’s 6-foot-5 senior point guard was inconsolable after what clearly was his worst game of the year. But through the tears shed among friends in the bowels of McArthur Court came resolve to not let his teammates down again Friday. Advertisement "We worked so hard and it hurt so bad to fall short (of a state championship) after so many years trying to get to that point," said Fiegi. "It was definitely a redemption game for me today." And that’s exactly what Fiegi did Friday as he played with the same kind of intensity that helped lead South to a 25-1 record and 19-game winning streak entering Thursday’s opener in Eugene. An aggressive Fiegi scored South’s first six points of the game against Lake Oswego. He totaled eight points and five assists with only one turnover in 14 first-half minutes. He finished with a team-high 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line. The night before, Fiegi played only 16 minutes the entire game against Redmond because of foul trouble and finished with as many turnovers (5) and fouls (5) as points (5). "Today, I just put everything that happened behind me," Fiegi said Friday. "I honestly did not think about anything that happened yesterday before the game or while I was playing. I just went out to play within myself and have fun." While Fiegi’s point and assist numbers were important, they paled in comparison to the fact that he played 27 of the game’s 32 minutes. "It meant a lot to just have him in there," said South senior post Craig Johnson. "When he plays well, it makes such a difference for our team. He really stepped up tonight and played well, and it made a big impact on us." The difference between Thursday and Friday? "Confidence," said Fiegi. "It was all confidence today." And maybe a little challenge put to him by head coach Dennis Murphy. "It was just a matter of telling him he’s just a better player than that and he needed to step up and show it," Murphy said of a Friday morning meeting with Fiegi. Although harsh, it was a message well received. And a lesson Fiegi hopes will pay off today as the Panthers look to extend their own school record for wins and earn only the second boys basketball trophy in school history. "You’ve got to come back and not feel sorry for yourself, and that’s what we’re going to do," Fiegi said. FRIDAY’S MATCHUP between South Medford and Lake Oswego also gave onlookers their first glimpse of what the future holds for Oregon basketball. While Lake Oswego freshman Kevin Love has been the subject of much attention in the Portland area, 6-foot-7 South freshman Kyle Singler got his chance to dance on a big stage and more than held his own in the spotlight. Singler went 5-for-10 from the field in scoring 12 points, and pulled down 11 rebounds to go with two assists and a steal. He also was active in the low post, either playing help defense on Love or taking him solo. "It was pretty exciting playing with one of my old (AAU) teammates," Singler said. "We’re both competitors, and we just love to get out and run and just play basketball. Today was one of those fun days." Getting the win made Singler’s day a little more fun, although Love fared well with 25 points on 6-for-14 shooting from the field and 11-for-13 from the free throw line. The 6-10 son of former University of Oregon great Stan Love also had seven blocked shots and two steals, but had trouble containing his frustration as he barked back at his bench throughout the game. "It was still fun being out there with (Singler)," Love said. "We’re buddies from a long time ago. He got some on me, I got some on him. He’s a great player." While the debate rages over which player is the state’s top freshman, both agreed comparing them is like comparing apples and oranges. "I think we’re definitely the future and the two best players coming up," said Love. "People want to compare us, but you can’t because we play two opposite positions. He’s a small forward and I’m a center, and you can’t really compare the two." Then again, that’s why they keep score. And for comparison’s sake, Singler is now up 1-0 on Love. 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 © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers