Sweet Home notched its fourth win of the season in varsity girls basketball at a tournament last week 39-28 against Crosshill Christian Thursday.
On Friday, the Huskies fell apart in the second half, allowing Umatilla Christian a 49-17 victory.
The Huskies opened 10-2 in the first quarter against Crosshill, which fielded just five players, and advanced the score to 21-11 at halftime. The Huskies led 33-17 after three quarters.
They turned the ball over 14 times and stole it seven, while blocking seven shots. By contrast, the Huskies gave up 20 turnovers with five steals against Umatilla the next day. Umatilla hit 10 threes, eight of them in the second half when Huskies scoring fizzled. Thirty of Umatilla’s 49 points came from threes.
Umatilla led 10-6 after one quarter and 20-13 at halftime. Umatilla expanded its lead to 32-15 in the third quarter.
“They’d hit a three, and we’d go down and throw the ball away,” said Coach Steve Brown. Many of the turnovers in the second game were unforced.
The difference in the two games was evident at the foul line too. Against Crosshill, they were 8-12 in free throws, and Jordan Miller, who scored 19 points, was 5-6 from the foul line. The next day, the Huskies were 1-11 at the free throw line.
In the field, Katie Virtue sank a half-court three against Crosshill, but they couldn’t even get a look in the second half of the Umatilla game, shooting just seven times and scoring four in the half.
They practice with pressure and shoot 100 free throws a day, Brown said. They do it under pressure.
“For them, the game should be nothing for them as far as pressure,” Brown said. “It was bizarre.”
Crosshill, though fighting adversity, was disciplined, Brown said. Post Emily Sproul scored 18 to lead Crosshill; and the Huskies were still able to get by her.
Against Umatilla, “they were way better than the way they played,” Brown said, and that’s the frustrating thing. “These were not the same people that were here (against Crosshill) or against Taft.”
To Umatilla’s credit, “they were an excellent shooting team,” Brown said. “They rained threes like they were nothing. They were very good shooters, and we just didn’t get the ball to the hoop.”
Brown is looking for the first team that showed up at the tournament as the girls head into games this week.
“I just want to have a good showing against Philomath (Tuesday night),” Brown said. “I just want them to play well, so they have a chance to win.” They could do it if they played like they did in last week’s win, he said.
Sweet Home is 4-4 as it takes on Blanchet Catholic of Salem at home Friday night in boys and girls basketball. Both teams then face Stayton at home on Tuesday, Jan. 14, the girls at 5:45 p.m. and the boys at 7:15.
Both teams start their league schedule at Junction City on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
That night, Junction City will host a Basketball Free Community Night. The Junction City Tiger Club is paying for everyone to get into the game, and all Sweet Home fans are invited. The club will give away a 50-inch plasma TV and other prizes to fans who stay for both games.
The club will hand out raffle tickets starting at 5:15 p.m. Tickets will be available until the end of the first quarter of the first game. The drawing will be held at the end of the third quarter in the second game. Fans must be present to win.