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Queens roll to victory
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| H&N photo by Andrew Mariman Chiloquin’s Dani Case looks for a teammate to pass to while Pilot Rock’s Kelsey Walker tries to knock the ball loose. Chilolquin won, 73-44. |
February 25, 2007
CHILOQUIN - Normally, state playoff games are supposed to be tough.
Nobody told the Chiloquin girls, who dominated their OSAA Class 2A state playoff matchup with the Pilot Rock Rockets in a 73-44 win Saturday at Big Gym.
The Queens moved on to Pendleton for the final site of the tournament with an impressive display of versatility and all-around basketball.
Chiloquin opened the game with a 12-4 run and were up by eight at the end of the first period.
“We came out really excited,” senior Tiffany Rich said. “We calmed down in the later part of the first (period) when we got the lead and started to let the game come to us.”
In each subsequent period, a different player stepped up for the Queens.
In the second, it was Rich who scored eight of her game high 21 points in the period and helped increase the Queens lead to 15 at the halftime break.
In the third period, Tempest Dawson stepped up and took the reins from Rich. Dawson was able to get behind the defense of the Rockets for several easy lay-ups and scored 10 points.
Chiloquin coach Donald Spoon said the team changed its philosophy in the second half as to how it was going to break the full-court press the Rockets used the entire game.
“We were trying to dribble through the press at the start of the game,” Spoon said. “I told the girls to start using passes to break the press, and the result was evident.”
The Rockets were able to keep the deficit at 16 at the end of the third, but that was as close as they would get.
Using the same method Dawson used to get many of her points in the third period, Shawn Walker was able to slip behind the defense in the fourth and score 13 points.
Walker did not do all her damage inside on layups. She also stepped outside and hit a three-pointer.
Balance in scoring
Dawson said the ability of the Queens to have any player step up and score has been a reason they have been so good all season.
“Anyone can score,” Dawson said. “That helps the team when you have the kind of depth we had.”
Spoon agreed with his player.
“Tiffany is a great player and a good leader for us,” Spoon said. “But if she has an off night, it is great to know that any one of the other starters can step up and score.
“Shawn, Tempest and Dani (Case) all can be dominant players in a game.”
Spoon said the game was one of the most impressive performances he has seen from his team this season, but there was one stretch when the Queens turned the ball over four straight times, which Spoon said cannot happen at Pendleton.
“All the teams you play in the final eight are going to be good teams,” Spoon said. “A stretch like that can be a killer against a good team.”
Season-long goal
Much like after their last win over Lakeview, which gave the Queens the Southern Cascade League tournament championship, the Queens did not celebrate a too much.
They have been business-like in their approach to the game all season because, Rich said, they have had a stated goal of going to, and performing well at the Pendleton Arena.
“We said at the start of the year that we wanted to go to Pendleton,” Rich said. “Now we have accomplished that and we want to win.”
The Queens appear to have as good a shot as any team to win state. They are peaking at the right time and are playing well as a team, which Spoon said is they key to any successful run at the state tournament.
“Sometimes at state it is not the best team that wins,” Spoon said. “It is the team that gets hot at the right time. We have been doing that. When the girls play together as a team, they are tough to beat and a lot of fun to watch as a coach.”
-’ Ross L. Timbrook
CHILOQUIN - Normally, state playoff games are supposed to be tough.
Nobody told the Chiloquin girls, who dominated their OSAA Class 2A state playoff matchup with the Pilot Rock Rockets in a 73-44 win Saturday at Big Gym.
The Queens moved on to Pendleton for the final site of the tournament with an impressive display of versatility and all-around basketball.
Chiloquin opened the game with a 12-4 run and were up by eight at the end of the first period.
“We came out really excited,” senior Tiffany Rich said. “We calmed down in the later part of the first (period) when we got the lead and started to let the game come to us.”
In each subsequent period, a different player stepped up for the Queens.
In the second, it was Rich who scored eight of her game high 21 points in the period and helped increase the Queens lead to 15 at the halftime break.
In the third period, Tempest Dawson stepped up and took the reins from Rich. Dawson was able to get behind the defense of the Rockets for several easy lay-ups and scored 10 points.
Chiloquin coach Donald Spoon said the team changed its philosophy in the second half as to how it was going to break the full-court press the Rockets used the entire game.
“We were trying to dribble through the press at the start of the game,” Spoon said. “I told the girls to start using passes to break the press, and the result was evident.”
The Rockets were able to keep the deficit at 16 at the end of the third, but that was as close as they would get.
Using the same method Dawson used to get many of her points in the third period, Shawn Walker was able to slip behind the defense in the fourth and score 13 points.
Walker did not do all her damage inside on layups. She also stepped outside and hit a three-pointer.
Balance in scoring
Dawson said the ability of the Queens to have any player step up and score has been a reason they have been so good all season.
“Anyone can score,” Dawson said. “That helps the team when you have the kind of depth we had.”
Spoon agreed with his player.
“Tiffany is a great player and a good leader for us,” Spoon said. “But if she has an off night, it is great to know that any one of the other starters can step up and score.
“Shawn, Tempest and Dani (Case) all can be dominant players in a game.”
Spoon said the game was one of the most impressive performances he has seen from his team this season, but there was one stretch when the Queens turned the ball over four straight times, which Spoon said cannot happen at Pendleton.
“All the teams you play in the final eight are going to be good teams,” Spoon said. “A stretch like that can be a killer against a good team.”
Season-long goal
Much like after their last win over Lakeview, which gave the Queens the Southern Cascade League tournament championship, the Queens did not celebrate a too much.
They have been business-like in their approach to the game all season because, Rich said, they have had a stated goal of going to, and performing well at the Pendleton Arena.
“We said at the start of the year that we wanted to go to Pendleton,” Rich said. “Now we have accomplished that and we want to win.”
The Queens appear to have as good a shot as any team to win state. They are peaking at the right time and are playing well as a team, which Spoon said is they key to any successful run at the state tournament.
“Sometimes at state it is not the best team that wins,” Spoon said. “It is the team that gets hot at the right time. We have been doing that. When the girls play together as a team, they are tough to beat and a lot of fun to watch as a coach.”
-’ Ross L. Timbrook
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| Triad headed to Baker City |
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Bill Hoffman wrote on Apr 10, 2008 10:07 AM:
" Long live Matt Miles! He was the "Billy Kilmer" of Semi Pro Football: tough, gritty, fiery leader, winning mentality. I will never forget this "young gunslinger", he made this league better for being in it.
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Hoffman
CO Stampede, #45 "
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Hoffman
CO Stampede, #45 "
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