 |
Despite suspensions, Tigers drop
Dallas
Bush paces Sharks in Corvallis
Tigers rack up wins over Mac, Forest
Grove
Second-half rout powers Panthers
past CSLA
Bruins start season ranked No. 16 in
country
GFU breaks losing skid with big win
Furious
rally falls
short for NHS |
Newberg
starts the fourth quarter on an 18-0
run Thursday, but can't keep up with the Vikings
By B. Scott Anderson, Newberg Graphic sports editor
E-mail Scott at banderson@eaglenewspapers.com
|
 The Newberg High School girls basketball team’s 55-46 loss to Forest
Grove Thursday night was similar to a roller coaster – up, down and all around.
Newberg, mired in a shooting slump for the first three quarters of the game,
found itself down 40-25 to start the fourth quarter. But as the quarter started the chilly
Tigers came alive from the outside and turned a 15-point deficit into a three-point lead.
The Tigers used four 3-pointers – a pair by senior Joede Leavitt and
singles by sophomore Jessica Parrish and senior Allison Jensen – to key an 18-0 run.
Newberg also used hoops by freshman Sarah Zahler and two by sophomore Celeste Campbell to
take a 43-40 lead with 4:14 remaining in the game.
But Newberg managed just three points the rest of the way and watched Forest
Grove hit 10-of-13 free-throws and walk away with the win.
“We called a timeout and addressed that we were down 15 and that they
have two choices: we can either quit or we can try to fight,” said NHS coach Marianne
Funderhide. “Our defense was key, though. They got some steals and hit some shots and
kept pressing. We had the momentum when the ball was live and then we fouled and it
stopped that and that hurt.”
Funderhide said the way the Tigers didn’t quit was impressive.
“They didn’t give up fighting and showed a lot of heart and
I’m proud of them for that,” she said. “A lot of teams would have just
stopped and I think it says a lot about what they’re made of.”
Newberg found itself down 15-5 after the first quarter and in a 26-16
halftime deficit as they struggled offensively.
“We just started out flat and I didn’t know if they would get that
second wind or not, but they did and that’s all you can ask for,” Funderhide
said.
Jensen led the Tigers with 10 points and Leavitt added nine for the Tigers.
Senior Vanessa Schmitz chipped in eight points; Parrish and Campbell contributed six
points apiece.
The Tigers played without two of its key starters – seniors Meghan
Leonard and Maria Acosta – who were suspended from the team for a week earlier for a
violation of team rules, Funderhide said. Acosta is a two-year starter for the Tigers;
Leonard became a full-time starter this season.
“The kids have been through a tough couple of days and I’m pretty
proud of the way they responded,” Funderhide said. “To be down 15 and then go on
an 18-0 run, these kids can play. ... The kids have new roles and I think they proved in
one night that they can step up into those new roles.”
The loss dropped the Tigers to 5-6 in the Pac-9 Conference. Newberg will
travel to first-place Tualatin (8-1) on Tuesday for a key matchup.
“Tualatin’s always tough, but this was a good game for us to kind
of see where we’re at at this point,” Funderhide said. “The kids always
seem to play well at Tualatin and they’re excited for that game. I don’t expect
it to be any different on Tuesday.” |
|
From Jan. 31,
2004, Newberg Graphic
Click Here to Subscribe |
|
|
