Lady Cougars improved vs. Mustangs
From our weekly issue dated February 11, 2009
The Illinois Valley High School girls basketball team’s defense held third-ranked Hidden Valley to 33 points Tuesday night, Feb. 3, in Ken Mann Memorial Gym in Cave Junction.
That’s 10 fewer than the first time these teams met this season. The Cougar offense scored 14 more points then during the previous engagement.
The Mustangs (15-4, 7-0) got the tip and worked the ball around until they got an open look for the first 2 points of the game. Amanda Hults then hit a 3-pointer to give Illinois Valley a 3-2 lead.
Tammy Huntamer’s baseline bounce pass to Laurissa Tausaga, who banked it off glass, brought the Cougars back 8-5 with 2:45 left. However four turnovers led to 8 points for HV to end the first quarter 11-5.
Kayla Johnson’s free throw, a 3-pointer by Hults and 2 points by Tausaga kept the Cougars close. Jamie Richardson sparked the Mustangs at both ends by first stealing the ball and dishing an assist to a teammate. She then hit a trey to give HV a 29-15 lead at halftime. Once again turnovers led to 6 points in the quarter.
In the second half the Lady Cougars played their best ball of the season against the Mustangs, limiting them to 9 total points. They scored 8 in the third and only 1 in the fourth. The Cougar offense scored 7 points for a 2-point differential.
Miranda Clemon’s two free throws and Hults’ jumper provided the offense in the third quarter. Tausaga’s 3-pointer was the only scoring in the fourth. I.V.’s full-court pressure and relentless half-court defense held one of the state’s best to a single point, which was the lowest point total in a quarter by any team this season .
Said HV’s Richardson, “We were totally unaware of their capability of shooting the 3; I think they shot 50 percent from that distance. It really caught us off guard. They were well prepared and really improved from the first game” she said.
“Tausaga shot really well” Richardson added.
Regarding her recent hot shooting, Tausaga said, “I’m just putting them up and they are falling down.”
She added, “We practiced real hard this week to prepare for HV and the whole team improved its play, especially in the second half.”
Tausaga had a game-high 11 points and three rebounds. She had three 3-pointers. Hults added 8 points, six rebounds, Clemon grabbed four boards.
Richardson and Haley Fisko each had 8 points for Hidden Valley.
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On the Road
The Cougar boys lost by 8 points, 61-53, to the #3-ranked Mustangs. Turnovers made the difference.
Roger Hults had 18 points; Kevin Snook added 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks. Andrew Augustadt had 9 points.
About their playoff hopes, Augustadt said, “We just have to win out.”
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