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Local
man takes over OBCS boys basketball job
GFU's
Taylor named MVP in Hawaii
Toney
heads into second season at CSLA
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Tigers find what needs work |
By B. Scott
Anderson, Newberg Graphic reporter
E-mail Scott at banderson@eaglenewspapers.com
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They say
jamborees don’t count on a team’s record. What they don’t say is
that jamborees give coaches and players a chance to see what areas
teams need to improve.
The Newberg High School boys basketball team found out exactly what
it needed to work on Monday night at a jamboree at Rex Putnam High
School — defense. But Newberg coach Rod Cook said he looked at the
jamboree as just another day at practice.
“All
we’re doing is just seeing where we’re at and what our strengths are
and what we need to work on,” Cook said.
Newberg finished with a 1-2 record in three eight-minute quarters.
It fell 11-10 to Wilson, lost 17-5 to Aloha and produced a 10-6 win
over Putnam.
Cook said his team’s defense is the first thing that needs to
improve if the Tigers are going to win this season.
“It was our flat-out man-to-man defense and our transition defense
against Aloha that was really lacking,” he said. “We just need to
get better at defense.”
Newberg opened against Wilson and played well, spearheaded by
the pair of three-pointers junior Levi Fletcher hit from the top of
the key. Junior Lonny Gardner’s three-pointer gave the Tigers a 10-9
lead with 45 seconds remaining before a Wilson score. Newberg had
the final possession of the quarter and worked the clock down to the
final seconds when a jumper in the lane by junior Tony Torres missed
with three seconds left to play.
“That was a good shot by (Torres),” Cook said. “We wanted to milk
the clock down to the end and get a shot off and maybe draw a foul,
but we didn’t get a call and so goes it.”
Newberg’s offense was unable to get on track against an Aloha team
that boasts three 6-foot-7 players (Newberg doesn’t have a player
taller than 6-foot-4). A bucket and a free throw by Torres, along
with a hoop by Gardner were the only points the Tigers mustered in a
quarter which featured 15 fouls (six on Aloha and nine on Newberg).
“Playing Aloha brings out our lack of size,” Cook said. “We need to
do a better job of adjusting to the situation. We didn’t get it done
tonight, but hopefully because of tonight, we’ll get it done
tomorrow.”
Newberg ended the jamboree with its win over Putnam. The
Tigers struggled offensively for nearly the first six minutes, but
in the final 2:02 went on 10-4 run to secure the win, started by
Kenneth Gunn’s three-point play. Later, Gardner hit a three-pointer
from the corner, followed by an inside basket by Fletcher.
The experience was an awakening for some players who hadn’t
experienced basketball at the varsity level, Cook said.
“It’s good for these kids to get out and see that, rather than hearing me
just talk about it over and over again,” he said.
The Tigers return to action today (Wednesday) to play Fort
Vancouver at 5:45 p.m. at a tournament at Parkrose High School. On
Thursday, depending on whether Newberg wins or loses, the Tigers
will play at 5:45 p.m. or 7:15 p.m. against Parkrose or Milwaukie. |
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From
Nov. 30, 2005, Newberg Graphic
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