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Rogue River shoots down Phoenix Mail Tribune / Andrew Mariman Phoenix's Mike Smith, right, drives on Rogue River's Derrick Schoner in Friday night's game. Schoner finished with 19 points. Chieftains remain undefeated in Skyline Conference play with the victory over the Pirates By TIM PYLE PHOENIX - Judgment week is next for the Rogue River boys basketball team. But it almost came with an unforeseen blemish. In their last action before Skyline Conference showdowns against Illinois Valley and Mazama next week, the Chieftains narrowly averted an ambush Friday night at Phoenix High. The surprise conference leader, Rogue River needed a strong fourth quarter against the young-but-gritty Pirates to pull out a 54-45 victory. The Chieftains (12-2 overall, 5-0 Skyline) were led, as always, by the 1-2 scoring punch of senior guard Derrick Schoner and senior forward Jason Luchterhand. Schoner struck for 13 of his 19 points in the first half, and Luchterhand produced 12 of his 18 in the second, including Rogue River's first six points of the fourth quarter. "They surprised us," said Schoner, who stands a slender 5-foot-8 but helped floor the Pirates with a deep 3-pointer and a breakaway layup as part of a 9-0, fourth-quarter run that sealed it for the Chieftains. "They came out with really tough defense. I could hardly do anything because they were all over me." Phoenix (5-9, 1-3) used a 12-0 streak during the closing minutes of the third quarter to tie it at 34-all and trailed just 35-34 entering the fourth. But the Pirates were undone by scoring droughts in the second and fourth quarters, when they shot a combined 5-for-27 from the field. They were 3-for-16 in the fourth, mostly against a zone defense. "In the fourth quarter, we kind of got complacent and didn't attack, especially with the double bonus," said first-year Phoenix head coach Kevin Dixon, whose squad shot just six free throws in the fourth despite drawing Rogue River's 10th team foul with 6 minutes, 52 seconds still remaining. "We've got young kids, and they're getting better and better. I couldn't be more proud of them. That's a good team we played." Behind two first-quarter 3's from Schoner, the Chieftains opened up a 13-8 lead. But the precocious Pirates - who start one senior and have only two on their roster - tied it at 13-all with five straight points to close the quarter, including sophomore wing Martin Gonzalez's 3-point play. Gonzalez scored seven of his team-high 15 points in the first. After taking a brief 15-13 edge early in the second, Phoenix turned cold, and Rogue River erupted for 13 unanswered points. Schoner's step-back 3-pointer with about 1:30 to play in the half capped the spurt and made it 26-15. Junior post Brady Rhodes pulled the Pirates within 26-18 with a field goal and free throw before the halftime break. The Chieftains extended their edge to 32-20, then 34-22 in the third before Phoenix roared back. Senior guard Brett Ellis, after missing his first eight shots, hit a driving layup, drew the foul and converted the free throw to get the Pirates started. Three Phoenix field goals later, sophomore guard Mike Smith drained the Pirates' first 3 of the night to tie the score at 34-all with 10 seconds left in the quarter. Second-year Rogue River head coach Scott Anderson called a timeout with 7.1 seconds left and set up a play for Schoner. The Chieftains found Schoner on the in-bounds, and he drove, drew a foul and made 1-of-2 from the line to put Rogue River up 35-34 through three quarters. At the start of the fourth, the Chieftains made a concerted effort to get the ball to Luchterhand, and the 6-4 star responded. Luchterhand made his first three shots of the quarter to give his team a 41-37 edge. "I knew I had the advantage," said Luchterhand, who grabbed a game-high nine rebounds and rebounded from an 0-for-3 start from the field to finish 8-of-16. "I wanted the ball. I was kind of calling for it. ... And we ran a couple plays to isolate me." Following a Phoenix free throw, Rogue River embarked on its 9-0 push that knocked out the Pirates' upset hopes. "We usually find a way to get a streak going when we need it the most," said Schoner, one of eight Chieftain seniors. Last in the Skyline at 2-12 last season, Rogue River is in uncharted waters with its 5-0 start. But that doesn't mean Anderson was satisfied with the performance Friday night. "They gave us a good fight," said Anderson, whose team was picked fifth in the preseason Skyline poll. "We came out pretty flat. ... For how poorly we played, it's great to come out of here with a win tonight." Now, the Chieftains can turn their complete attention to battling Illinois Valley (4-0 Skyline) on the road Tuesday and welcoming Mazama (4-1 and the preseason Skyline favorite) to Rogue River on Friday. Both games will tip off at 7:15 p.m. "This is the biggest week of basketball that Rogue River has played in I don't know how many years," Anderson said. ROGUE RIVER (54) - Branch 4, Luchterhand 18, L. Mortinson 5, R. Mortinson 0, Schoner 19, Coma 2, Badley 0, Vaughn 2, Girodat 4. Totals 21-51 8-19 54. PHOENIX (45) - Gonzalez 15, Rhodes 5, Lacy 7, Crockett 2, Ellis 9, Jimenez 2, Smith 5, Barrett 0. Totals 18-53 7-10 45. Rogue River ........................................... 13 13 9 19 - 54 Phoenix ................................................... 13 5 16 11 - 45 3-point goals - Rogue River 4 (Schoner 4), Phoenix 2 (Smith 1, Ellis 1). Fouled out - Lacy. Technical - Gonzalez. 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.