Hornets offense too much for Lady Cougar squad
From our weekly issue dated February 25, 2009
I.V.’s Beckah Kaberline defends on a Henley shot. (Photo by Michelle Binker, I.V. News )
Precise passing and a high-shooting percentage by the Henley Hornets were the main reasons for the Cougars’ 54-27 loss at Ken Mann Memorial Gym in Cave Junction on Tuesday, Feb. 17.
In I.V.’s first possession, Miranda Cleman was fouled while shooting and made both free-throw attempts. Laurissa Tausaga stole the loose ball and dished to Amanda Hults, who drove to the hoop and scored for a 4-2 lead.
Tausaga threw a lob pass to Cleman for 2, to take a 6-5 lead at the three-minute mark. The Hornets’ Rylee Carleton hit one of her three 3-pointers, and Hults answered with a nice touch off glass to tie the game at 8 apiece.
Tausaga added another dime to Tammy Huntamer, who swished a 20-foot jumper with eight seconds left in the first quarter for a 10-10 tie. The Cougar defense knocked the ball out of bounds. Henley’s inbound lob pass for 2 ended the first at 12-10, Henley.
The Cougars were relentless, with Kayla Johnson’s fight for a loose ball, and Huntamer, Cleman, and Johnson’s strong rebounding against the stronger and taller Hornets. Cleman was fouled hard and made 1-of-2 at the line. However several Cougar turnovers, pin-point passing and clutch shooting by Henley gave them a commanding lead at 27-11.
Beckah Kaberline was fouled, and Johnson cleared the rebound and put the ball back up for 2, to end the first half: Hornets 27, I.V. 13.
The Hornets then scored the next 10 points until Hults made two 3-pointers, with defenders in her face. Johnson’s uncontested outside jumper ended the third, with Henley having a 20-point lead at 41-21.
In the fourth, Henley continued to pass and shoot extremely well and outscored the Cougars 13-6. Huntamer’s nothing-but-net, outside jumper; Hults’s 2-point “J,” and Huntamer’s theft and bullet pass to Johnson, who scored, accounted for the only points in the fourth. The game ended at 54-27.
“Henley’s high-powered offense gave us a little trouble, but our girls played good defense in the first and fourth quarters,” said head coach Ryan Lathan.
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“Hults had a good shooting night with 5-of-8 from the field; Johnson had her best overall game, looking for her shot and aggressive defense and rebounding; and Clemon got great position down low and made good passes to open girls,” added Lathan.
Hults had 12 points, 5 rebounds; Johnson added 6 points and 6 rebounds, and Cleman contributed 5 points and 5 rebounds.
Carleton had a game-high 17; sisters T. Wallace and C. Wallace had 12 and 11 points respectively for the Hornets. The Lady Cougars are 0-17 overall and 0-10 in Skyline Conference play.
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