The Sweet Home High School girls basketball team lost three games at the Stayton Christmas Classic tournament held Wednesday through Friday.
Wednesday, they lost 91-44 to La Salle Prep. Thursday, Central defeated the Huskies 50-29; and Friday, Hidden Valley defeated them 43-34.
“We didn’t play well in the first one,” said Coach Robby Robinson. “La Salle’s the defending runner-up, and they were pretty good.”
The Huskies faced Central next and got into trouble facing four girls over 6 feet, Robinson said. The Huskies had a hard time putting shots up.
The last game was much better, Robinson said. The Huskies trailed 36-34 with about 3.5 minutes left, but Annie Whitfield fouled out, and the team started struggling.
Overall, the Huskies played evenly with Hidden Valley, Robinson said. “It’s weird in the fact we’re improving but our record doesn’t show we’re improving.”
The Huskies are rebounding better, and its game-long press is working better, Robinson said. The team was having a problem with opponents breaking the press and getting a 2-1 attack at the hoop. The Huskies are rotating the press differently now to allow two Huskies to get back in case the press is broken.
“We improved defensively, and that’s where we’ve got to keep improving,” Robinson said. His goal is to keep the other teams at 50 or less and outscore them with the offense that defense creates.
The Huskies play at Cascade Friday and remain on the road next week.
Among the bright spots, Sarah Wyatt is back on the court, and Whitfield is healthy, Robinson said. Sabrina Davis is doing well, leading in scoring three out of the last four games. Bench scoring has been improving, and Harley Brendle and Kendell Anderson are both doing a nice job bringing points off the bench.
“We’re just going to keep attacking,” Robinson said. The coaching staff will keep on coaching and stay positive.