The Husky girls basketball team dominated Taft in a 46-29 win at home on Jan. 9.
“We wanted to come out, set a tone early, play solid defense and force turnovers,” Coach Jason Gorham said.
The Huskies did just that, building a modest 12-8 lead in the first quarter.
They missed a few shots early on that kept them from building a big lead, Gorham said, but second-quarter defense held Taft back and created opportunities for the Huskies as they worked their way to a 21-11 halftime lead.
The Huskies put the clamps on in the third quarter to stretch their lead out for their first league win in two years, Gorham said.
The Huskies are now 1-1 in league after a previous two-point loss to Philomath and a difficult and winless pre-league schedule.
“We’ve been talking all season about how we’re a better team than our record shows,” Gorham said. “We knew when we got to league we’d have our chance. It’s not just talk. It’s happening. Their hard work is paying off, and they can compete.”
The non-league schedule was tough, Gorham said. The Huskies played some of the toughest, fastest and most aggressive teams in the state.
League has been a little slower, Gorham said, and used to facing much more aggressive teams, the Huskies are taking advantage of it.
Erika Snow led the Huskies in scoring with 10 points. Sara Brocard added nine; Jenny Hamn, eight; Makenzie Marchbanks, six; Ashley Danielson, five; Jessalyn Seiber, four; Michelle Aerni, four; and Paige Niemi, two. Alex Thompson, Becky Spencer and Nicole Fagan played but did not score.
For Taft, Amanda Swertz, Dana Dargay and Ashley Taylor scored six points each to lead scoring.
After playing Newport at home Tuesday, the Huskies will travel to Central on Friday.
“Central’s going to be a team that’s going to be somewhere in the mix in our league,” Gorham said. Central played a tough 1-9 preseason, like the Huskies. He expects the Panthers to play tough defense, packing the zone and forcing outside shots.
The Huskies will try to work their way inside on offense, he said. On defense, the Huskies will force turnovers for easier transition baskets.
The Huskies have been pretty good at forcing turnovers, Gorham said. “We’re starting to understand how to force turnovers and turn them into points.”
The Huskies start the season in the middle of the pack, with one win and one loss, Gorham said. “We’d feel a lot better if we had the win at Philomath and sitting on top right now; but you can’t be greedy so we’ll take our spot in the middle and work from there.”
ValCo League Standings
as of Jan. 15
Newport 2-0
Philomath 1-0
Sweet Home 1-1
Central 0-1
Taft 0-2