January, 15 2016

By Sandra Hernandez, Meddie Lozano, Kyle Botermans and Piedad Carrera

On January 8th, 2016, the Varsity girls basketball team traveled to Winston, Oregon to play Siuslaw High School. Our girls scored nine points in the first quarter, baskets made by Lindsey Burns, Alexis De La Torre and Amanda Orndorff. At the end of the quarter the girls were down by eight points, but they came back ready to fight in the second quarter! Their determination paid off and by the end of the second quarter they were only trailing by one point. During the third quarter the girls were doing an excellent job. With shots made by Brooke Kentner, Alexis De La Torre, Madelyn Marroquin, Kaylene Ritter and Lindsey Burns they were able to take the lead with six points by the end of the quarter. The girls played their hardest until the final buzzer went off, with the ending score of 51-47, making it their 5th win of the season!

Their next game was played away against South Umpqua. Our girls came out on top with a score of 56-36. In the first quarter the girls were able to score 17 points, putting them in the lead by 11 points. They continued to do well in the second quarter, and by the end of the quarter they were ahead by 13 points. In the third quarter Kentner, DeLa Torre, Orndorff, and Ritter all made baskets that helped the team stay on top with 27 points.The girls played great throughout the game and were able to acquire another victory for the Phoenix Pirates!

The most recent game the girls played was on Tuesday night against the North Valley Knights. Burns, DeLa Torre and Ritter all made shots in the first quarter, which put them ahead by two points at the end of the first quarter. The girls fought very hard the second quarter, but fell behind by 11 points. They kept giving all they could muster, but unfortunately by the end of the third quarter the Knights were still in the lead by ten points. In the fourth quarter the girls were able to score four points but it was not enough. The girls, regardless of being behind, never gave up and kept playing hard until the end. However, despite all their efforts, they were unable to catch up and lost with a score of  28-52.   

This season the girl’s Varsity basketball team has been putting up a good fight against all the other schools. They have an overall record of 6-8 and are working hard to improve on the court. Their next games will take place at Phoenix High School next week on the 19th (Tuesday) and the 22nd (Friday). Be sure to come by and support our girls. They really have been doing an amazing job!

Following six consecutive road games, the Pirate boys returned home to wrap up non-league play with matchups against Douglas and Siuslaw. On Friday, the 16th, the boys took on the Douglas Trojans in a tough battle behind a rowdy home crowd. Despite holding a four point lead heading into half, the Pirates ultimately fell by a 52-47 loss. A defensively sluggish third quarter doomed the boys as the Trojans took a five point advantage that they maintained for the rest of the game. Crucial turnovers and missed free throws were blatant contributors to the defeat, although Coach Rhoades recognized these factors as treatable issues. Thomas Skaff continued his offensive tear with 14 points, but his teammates struggled to provide him with much assistance. Colton Beer, Mase Masalosalo and Cole George each had five points, while Angel Sauceda added another seven. One dimension of the Pirates’ game that was certainly missing in this contest was their ability to knock down shots from beyond the arch. They finished with a three point percentage of 25, which is significantly lower than what they’re accustomed to producing. The most troublesome aspect of this defeat was the reality that the turnaround time for the next game was a mere 14 hours.

Saturday morning the team pushed to shed the burden of the loss from the night before and pick up their first win in the last six games. Having already beaten Siuslaw in the first week of the season, the Pirates had a sense of confidence heading in, though the coaches made it clear not to underestimate any competitor. Although Skaff was again the leading scorer with 20, the rest of the points were distributed fairly evenly amongst the rest of the team. Kyle Botermans contributed eight points after failing to sink a shot the night before and Beer recorded another five points. The defensive intensity was at an all-time high as the Phoenix zone defense permitted only five points in the entire second half! This is largely accredited to their proficiency at rebounding, but more importantly, their efficiency on offense. Shooting 50% from the field puts a team in a better position and mindset to focus on the defensive side of the game. In the end, the Pirates were only two points away from doubling their opponents score with a 48-25 victory. This was a much needed reminder for the players and fans alike of the caliber of team the Pirates can be when healthy, confident and focused.

To begin league competition the boys headed up to Merlin for a contest against the North Valley Knights. With essentially a fresh start, the Pirates looked to start off conference play on the right foot. They did just that with a focused intensity that was unparalleled in comparison to their previous games. The Pirates got in a rhythm early by getting quick baskets that made the game’s pace soar by. On the other hand, North Valley’s ability to push the floor kept them within striking distance early. Just before halftime Angel Sauceda nailed a three pointer to give his team a three point advantage and momentum heading into the third quarter. Unfortunately, something must have motivated the Knights during the half as they returned with a fire to reclaim the lead. The fourth quarter was a true battle of endurance as the game had several lead changes all the way into the final minute with the game tied at 50. The Pirates had possession after a timeout and strove to drain the clock with a safe offense. On a man-ball screen, Mase Masalosalo was called for a moving screen that switched everything upside down. Instead of having the opportunity to run the clock down and take the final shot, Phoenix was going to have to hope the Knights couldn’t execute in the final seconds. As expected, a North Valley guard dribbled up top to run down the clock all the way to about 6 seconds before chucking up a prayer from beyond the arch. The ball barely nicked the rim, but landed right in the arms of a North Valley post down low who put in a lay-up to take the lead 52-50. Coach Rhoades took a quick timeout to discuss how to get the ball in for a shot, though only 3 seconds remained on the clock so innovation was limited. Both teams broke their huddle and returned to the court for the final play of the night. Masalosalo was the man throwing it in, and, at first, couldn’t find anyone open, but at the last second threw a dart to Sauceda just in front of the opposing three point line. He took a couple dribbles and then let his shot sail. The crowd watched anxiously as the ball smacked against the backboard, ending hope for a win. This loss was a tough one to swallow, but certainly solidified the Phoenix Boys’ basketball squad as a force to be reckoned with. Statistically, Botermans, Masalosalo, Sauceda and Skaff combined for 46 of their 50 points with each totaling scores in the double digits. Despite the loss, this was actually the second most points the team has totaled throughout the year thus far. The most promising thing about the score is that North Valley is a respected basketball team that has a swarming, pesky defense. Hopefully the boys can prolong their success against hectic defenses as they travel to Henley on Friday for their second conference showdown. Like the Knights, the Hornets feature a fast lineup that attempts to utilize their aggressive defense to create chances at the other end of the court. In this next contest, let’s hope the final score will better reflect the effort from the Pirates.