Sweet Home’s girls basketball team has played a grueling pre-league schedule, every game against a tough opponent.
The Huskies were winless through that stretch, but that conditioning nearly paid off Friday in the Huskies’ first league match-up, at Philomath.
Sweet Home lost 38-36, but it was an indication that they may be on the verge of putting some numbers in their win column. The Huskies are 0-10 overall.
Sweet Home played “really well defensively” in the first half at Philomath, holding the Warriors to 14 points and took a 16-14 lead into halftime.
“We were really able to take them out of their offense, to slow their shooting down because they are a very good shooting team,” said coach Jason Gorham.
Philomath, which lost to Burns in last year’s 3A title game, came out firing in the third quarter and went on an 11-0 run to take a nine-point lead before Sweet Home clamped down with a press on defense and managed to battle back in the fourth quarter to make it 33-32 with a minute and a half left.
The teams then traded baskets, Philomath hitting a three-pointer with under a minute to play to take a five-point lead. But the Huskies hit another shot just before the end of the game and Tabby Trahan had a good look in the final seconds for a three-pointer, but it rattled inside the rim, then rolled out.
“The kids battled back real hard when we got down,” Gorham said. “They really played with a lot of intensity. They gave themselves a chance to come back and win it.”
Sarah Brocard was the top scorer for Sweet Home, putting in 11 points from the post, all in the fourth quarter. The Huskies had success getting the ball inside to Brocard, who used her quickness to get inside defenders, Gorham said.
Trahan added nine for Sweet Home, McKenzie Marchbanks five, Paige Niemi four, and Jesslyn Seiber, Ashley Danielson and Jenny Hamm each added two.
Britney Crocker scored 11 to lead Philomath.
Gorham said Sweet Home’s players are beginning to realize what they can do. Philomath, he noted, has graduated some players, but thanks to its state tournament experience, “they’re used to playing at that level.”
His Huskies, he said, “came out believing they could win and they were right there. The fact that they didn’t give up, that they battled back and gave the other team everything they could handle is encouraging.”
Sweet Home is hosting Taft on Tuesday night, Jan. 9, and has a bye on Friday.
The Huskies will be back at home on Tuesday, Jan. 16, hosting Newport. All games begin at 7 p.m. for the varsity.