Rounding out a seven-game schedule in 10 days, Sweet Home went 1-2 at a tournament held in Regis, falling to Regis 58-48 Thursday in overtime, beating Scio 58-29 Friday and losing 52-46 to Mohawk Saturday.
The games were part of the Regis Holiday Tournament in Stayton. By the end of the tournament, Coach Michelle Knight said, her team was down to seven girls thanks to illness and injury.
Against Regis, which jumped out to an 18-11 lead in the first quarter.
The Huskies spent the rest of the game whittling that lead down, to 30-26 at halftime and 37-35 at the end of the third quarter. The Huskies tied it up by the end of the fourth quarter 46-46, sending the teams into overtime.
Sweet Home’s shooting went cold, Knight said, and Regis fired 90 percent from the foul line, allowing Regis to pull away and win it.
Burke led Sweet Home with 16 points. Miller added nine; Natalie Rodgers, eight; Hannah Powell, six; Belcher, six; Watkins, three; Vandehei, one; and Danielle Tressel, one.
Ava Silbernagle and Lily Persons led Regis with 18 points each.
Facing Scio, “We had the lead the whole way through,” Knight said. “That was our first full game.”
The Huskies opened the season against Scio. In that game, they came from a 17-point deficit at halftime to get a narrow win.
This time, the Huskies led 12-8 after the first quarter and 26-15 at halftime. Sweet Home led 37-21 at the end of the third quarter.
Burke led the way with 16 points. Rodgers added 14; Belcher, 13; Miller, five, Watkins, five; and Powell, four.
C. Jones led Scio with nine points.
The Huskies were worn out by the time they saw Mohawk, Knight said. “We were just tired. It was the seventh game in 10 days. They hadn’t had a lot of rest.”
The Huskies fell behind fast, trailing 20-11 after one quarter and then 35-23 at halftime.
They talked about the same things as usual at halftime, Knight said. “We worked really hard to come this far.”
If they’re going to be out playing ball on a Saturday, they should be winning it, she said.
They went back out and started closing the lead, trailing 44-37 at the end of the third and closing out the game with a six-point deficit.
Knight said Burger and Vandehei were both out for that game.
Belcher led the Huskies with 18 points. Burke added 11; Rodgers, eight; Miller, six; and Powell, three.
Peyton Robinson led Mohawk with 18 points.
Overally, “we’re improving every game,” Knight said. “We still have a lot of stuff to work on.”
The Huskies have been turning the ball over less, with 18 against Scio and 23 against Tillamook; but, Knight said, “we still make silly mistakes.”
Right now, they’re working on their composure and being in control of the ball, Knight said, and they’re focusing on playing together as a team.
The Huskies scored an average of 28 points per game last year, Knight said. “This used to be our final score. Now it’s our halftime score.”
The Huskies are scoring 50 points per game this year, she said.
Sweet Home is 5-3 and scheduled to host La Pine on Monday and hit the road Friday to face Harrsiburg.