Stayton 78, Sweet Home 52
They didn’t win either game last week, but the Sweet Home High School girls’ basketball team found numerous bright spots as it began implementing an intense defense aimed at making the other team throw away the ball.
The Huskies lost the game 78-52 at home in the season opener against Stayton.
“We really played hard,” said Coach Robbie Robinson. “We played with lots of enthusiasm.”
The girls didn’t hesitate to shoot, and they did it from behind the three-point line, hitting 12 of 34.
“We shot threes better than we shot free throws,” Robinson said.
The Huskies ran a grueling 1-2-1-1 defense all game, a full-court press that netted them 18 steals and forced 35 turnovers.
“I thought we faded in the fourth quarter because I don’t think our conditioning was what we need to run all day,” Robinson said.
The Huskies took an early lead, 5-0, before trailing the Eagles 15-11 at the end of the first quarter. Stayton nudged up its lead to 37-27 by halftime and then 56-39 by the end of the third.
By the fourth quarter, the Huskies were out of gas, and Stayton outscored them 27-13.
We had glimmers of what we want to accomplish,” Robinson said. “The thing we’ve got to learn is to attack all the time, attack defensively. Right now the girls are in between attacking and dropping back – they didn’t want to give up a layup.”
Their efforts showed up in the steal and turnover stats though.
“That’s exactly where we want to be,” Robinson said.
The Huskies missed 18 free throws, he said. They fouled Stayton too many times, giving up 10 points from the foul line.
Take those 10 points off and add the Huskies misses on the foul line, it’s a 65-65 game, Robinson said. The Huskies missed 12 times in the fourth quarter making it to the line on tired fouls from Stayton, but they didn’t convert.
Megan Rubidoux led scoring with 12 points. Harley Brendle added 10; Sabrina Davis, nine; Annie Whitfield, 8; Jordan Miller, six; Kendell Anderson, four; and Jasmin Yoder, three.
For Stayton, Rheanna Robbins led with 28; Presley Gescher, 13; Dianie Coates, 13; Hannah Lopez, 11; Alyssa Ballard, five; Molly Lopez, three; Niki Tuttle, two; and Karmen Duchateau, two.
Whitfield turned an ankle during the Stayton game and was out of action against Crook County at home on Friday. Rubidoux also hurt her Achilles tendon in the next game and had to come out early.
Robinson played a bunch of freshmen and sophomores, he said, and the Huskies lost 72-28.
The Huskies trailed 19-4 after a quarter and 33-13 at halftime. They trailed 50-23 at the end of the third.
“I didn’t have them ready to play without our seniors,” Robinson said, and Crook County is a good team.
The Huskies struggled with Crook County’s man-to-man pressure, and their guard play wasn’t that good.
Anderson led scoring with nine points. Rubidoux added eight; Davis, five; Yoder, four; and Haley Kent, two.
“I was really happy with the first game,” Robinson said. “The second one’s on me. I’m proud of our girls. They’re battling. They’re putting the pedal to the metal.”