Sweet Home 53, Taft 40
The Husky boys defeated Taft 53-40 Friday night at home following a lackluster offensive performance at Philomath on Jan. 8 where the Huskies lost 45-41.
The Huskies held firm control over the Tigers most of the game, starting with an 11-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and then building a 24-11 halftime lead. The Huskies held a 37-26 lead at the end of the third.
In the first half, the Huskies played defense “very well,” Coach Tim Little said. “We contested all their shots and made sure they didn’t get any offensive rebounds. The shots they made were difficult shots.”
In the fourth, “the kids kind of let down their guard,” Little said. “I think they were feeling confident.”
Taft turned an 11- to 12-point deficit into just a couple of buckets.
Eleven or 12 points isn’t much against a team like Taft, which can shoot well and often gets streaky, Little said.
Taft started gambling a little and overplaying Husky passing lanes, Little said. The Huskies didn’t read the defensive change and kept throwing the ball according to the plays and habits, a fundamental mistake by the team leaders.
The Huskies composed themselves and put a stop to the Taft rally to win the game by 13.
Gabe Kauffman led Husky scoring with 16 points. Colton Emmert added 11; Ryan Graville, nine; Levi Marchbanks, six; Josh Riggs, five; Brent Moyer, four; Jerad Olsen, one; and Dustin Hay, 1.
Kyle Hamlin led Taft with 21 points.
Philomath 45, Sweet Home 41
The Huskies played good defense against Philomath, but an undisciplined offense led to their downfall.
Little said his team shot three-point attempts 17 times and connected only once. The team made few passes in each offensive set.
“We just kind of got away from the plays,” Little said. “Our defense kept us in the game.”
With a little more patience on offense, Little said, the game would have been a Husky victor.
Sweet Home led 12-8 after one quarter. Philomath established a solid lead in the second quarter, leading 22-16 at halftime. The Huskies trailed 34-28 at the end of the third quarter.
Kauffman and Emmert led scoring with 18 points each. Riggs added three points and Graville, two.
Sturner led Philomath scoring with 22 points.
The Huskeis are 8-5 overall and 1-1 in league.
They will play Newport Friday night at home.
“Friday’s the biggest game first round of league for us,” Little said. “They bring in some size, play well together. They push the tempo and just kind of pack the zone defensively.”
The Huskies will need to focus on playing their own game, not Newport’s, Little said. “We should do well. I think we learned lessons Tuesday against Philomath. Friday we played a much better game offensively with the exception of breakdowns in the fourth quarter. We’re looking forward to Friday night – even out the Val-Co a little bit. Newport’s good. I think we’ll do well against them, a fun game to coach and play in.”
Tuesday, the Huskies will play at Central.