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44 °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 February 11, 2004 Crater's Dani Montgomery goes up for a pass during Tuesday's win over North. Crater moves to top of SOC Montgomery’s triple-double helps Comets avenge earlier two-point loss to North By TIM PYLE Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT — Conference championship-quality basketball is practically synonymous with the Crater girls program. But triple-doubles? Now that’s something new. Dani Montgomery turned in what is believed to be the first triple-double in Comet girls history Tuesday night, in the process pushing Crater one giant step closer to a Southern Oregon Conference crown. A senior wing/post, Montgomery collected 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists to propel the Comets to a 58-53 home victory over North Medford. Advertisement Crater (15-6, 10-1 SOC) now stands alone atop the conference, with the Black Tornado (16-5, 9-2) one game behind and Ashland (8-3 SOC) — a 53-41 home winner over Roseburg on Tuesday — two back. "I really had to change my game tonight," said Montgomery, who swiped eight steals and blocked a shot to complete her historic performance. "I know my team looks to me for scoring a lot, and tonight it wasn’t about that for me. It was about assists and making the right plays, the smart plays at the right time." Montgomery was no doubt the night’s star, but both teams put forth full-throttle efforts and multiple players displayed steely nerves in front of an emotional, overflow crowd in the Comet gym. "That was the most physical game I think I’ve been in this year," said Crater junior post Nicki Tyska, who was stellar herself with six of her nine points in the fourth quarter, seven rebounds and four blocks. "Both teams wanted it so much." The Comets never trailed, scoring on five of their first six possessions and opening a 23-15 lead by the end of the first quarter. But like in the teams’ first meeting — a 44-42 North home win on Jan. 13 — Crater went cold in the second period. Then, the Comets were 0-for-9 from the field and managed just two points in the second, getting outscored 10-2. This time, Crater didn’t score until 6 minutes, 12 seconds had elapsed in the quarter, finally breaking through on freshman post Kenna Reiter’s layup off a Montgomery feed 1:48 before halftime. Still, the Comets maintained a 27-19 cushion going into the break after Montgomery snatched a defensive rebound, dribbled the length of the court and dished to senior guard Jessica Stoner for a baseline floater with eight seconds left. Each team shot 2-for-12 from the floor in the second. Crater extended to a 31-19 advantage, its biggest of the night, when senior wing Katie Robertson hit her patented left-side banker off a pick-and-roll assist from senior point guard Whitney Black with 1½ minutes gone in the third. From there, the Tornado responded. Sophomore guard Naomi Mautz sprang off the bench to provide North with all seven of her points, including two 3-pointers, in the quarter, helping to whittle the deficit to 39-34 through three. After Montgomery’s three-point play made it 44-35 early in the fourth, the Tornado mounted a 7-0 charge capped by a pair of one-and-one free throws from junior post Michelle Westermann. It was 44-42 with 5:26 remaining. Black answered immediately, draining a left-elbow 3-pointer to put the Comets up 47-42, and North never crept closer than four the rest of the way. "It was open," said Black, who had missed her last seven attempts before sinking perhaps the game’s biggest shot. "It was an open shot, so I took it, and it went in. Go figure." The Tornado’s last gasp came with 1:30 left, when senior guard Anna Lilly hit one free throw to make it 51-47, then got her own rebound off the errant second. Lilly passed back to junior guard Jennifer Standifer, who found junior point guard Kailey Bostwick open in the left corner. But Bostwick’s 3 missed, and Crater sophomore guard Emily Brookins secured the board. The Comets sank 10 of 11 free throws in the final quarter to preserve the victory. "It’s nice to see a group of girls who decide they’re gonna battle back, down by 12 in the second half, and they cut it to two," said Tim Karrick, North’s second-year head coach. "They gave it all they’ve got. We just have to refocus and focus on playing our kind of basketball for 32 minutes." Westermann amassed 13 points and 12 rebounds to pace the Tornado, which also received 11 points from Bostwick and eight points and six rebounds from junior post Mellisa Eastwold. For Crater, Robertson scored a team-high 14 points and Black and junior post Jessica Wasniewski found seven apiece. In the end, however, it was the Comets’ toughness — with Montgomery serving as lead tough girl — that made the difference between first and second place. "Their advantage is definitely with speed, so our goal was to try to get back and stop that," said Scott Dippel, Crater’s second-year head coach. "But I think our advantage is strength. And I think that was what kind of helped us at the end." NORTH MEDFORD (53) — Seeley 5, Eastwold 8, Westermann 13, Lilly 4, Bostwick 11, Mautz 7, Heim 2, Heath 0, Standifer 3. Totals: 20-54 10-19 53. CRATER (58) — Montgomery 13, Wasniewski 7, N. Tyska 9, Robertson 14, Black 7, Brookins 4, Je. Stoner 2, Ratty 0, Reiter 2. Totals: 20-58 15- 20 58. North Medford .......................... 15 4 15 19 — 53 Crater ........................................ 23 4 12 19 — 58 3-point goals — North Medford 3 (Mautz 2, Standifer 1), Crater 3 (Black 2, Montgomery 1). Fouled out — Wasniewski. JV score — Crater 56, North Medford 47. Reach reporter Tim Pyle at 776-4483 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! 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