By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
JEFFERSON, Ore.– It has been a while since the Amity Girls Basketball team has been pushed like they were Tuesday night.
Sitting at number one in 3A, undefeated as well, the Warriors found themselves down 23-13 with 5:36 left in the second quarter to a Jefferson Girls Basketball squad that entered the game ranked fifth in 3A. The Lions entered the game as well, not too far removed from a scare against Santiam Christian, a few games back, and were motivated to avenge their 68-38 defeat to Amity up at their place as well.
But the Warriors proved that that slow start was a blip on the radar for them. A good test for them to respond as they cut the deficit down to two entering halftime, trailing 25-23, before taking a 45-36 lead into the fourth quarter.
The mindset was to take it one possession at a time and rely on their strength: Defense. And that defense clamped up big as they outscored Jefferson 32-13 over the course of the next 13-plus minutes of the game following falling behind double-digits early.
“We haven’t been tested too much throughout league, and we needed this. Both of us needed this, us and Jefferson. Getting ready for that playoff push, you want games like this so that you are ready for it,” said Amity Head Coach Jed McMullen. “When we were down by ten, I just told them just one possession at a time. We’re not going to get it back all at once. Just keep playing tough defense, keep grinding on offense, and get what you want.
“We missed some shots early on, and they’re going to start to fall. This team has grown so much over the last few years that they believe in themselves, and they keep grinding.”
This game could’ve gotten out of hand in favor of the Warriors, but the Lions dug deep. The crowd, the energy on the court. This was a playoff game. This felt like a Coos Bay-kind of game.
Back-to-back three’s by Aziza Saad made this a 45-42 game a minute into the fourth quarter. And though the Warriors shut down the threat with their defense, Jefferson made the Warriors work to close out the 56-46 victory on Tuesday night.
“The third quarters are hard for us. They come out hard in the third quarter and we come out discouraged, (but) us not giving up and knowing it’s a game of runs, we stayed in it there at the end of the third quarter,” said the Lions Gretchen Orton. “It shows us how we can get to State and play with people. It shows that we can continue all game long, no matter how close the game is.”
Jefferson, who was led by Orton’s 22 points, closes out the regular season at Scio on Friday. Amity, who was led by Eliza Nisly’s 18 points, will host Philomath Wednesday night.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
