By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
MCMINNVILLE, Ore.– The Silverton Girls Basketball team had one more run, one more finish, and just enough in the gas tank to do so in their 38-33 victory over Redmond for third-place in 5A Saturday afternoon.
At one point, about two-and-a-half-minutes into the second quarter, the Foxes led 18-9 before the Panthers turned the tides on Silverton and led as much as five at one point in the second half.
It was 30-25 with 56 seconds left in the third quarter in favor of Redmond. Silverton made it a one-possession game by quarter’s end, trailing 30-27 after a pair of Marley Wertz’ free throws to start the fourth quarter, but by the 4:05 mark of the fourth quarter the Foxes led 36-30.
And 11-0 run after the Panthers length and aggressive play had all but kept the Foxes in check since Silverton went up 18-9 with 5:15 left in the first half.
“We realized that it was our last game, so we all came out for the seniors and worked our hardest since we won’t play with this team ever again,” said Wertz. “Just keep going. Staying focused in the game, on what’s important, and handling the ball.”
Games like these, against quality teams like Redmond, South Albany, and West Albany that Silverton had played this year, they are never easy points Silverton Head Coach Alyssa Ogle Trusting the process and just keeping work as the Panthers cut it to three with 2:54 left in the game.
It was 36-33 at this point, but Silverton went to work. That Redmond three-pointer that cut it to that spread came way of Naveah Villa, and it proved to be the lone basket that the Panthers had gotten in that whole quarter.
“We just kept trusting the process,” said Ogle. “It’s four quarters. 32 minutes of playing four minute increments and going from there.”
No one scored over the next 3:47 of gameplay as both teams’ defenses held it down with valiant effort to keep the game where it was. It wasn’t until 18 seconds left in the game when Silverton was sent to the line. Wertz split her pair of free throws at the time, increasing the Foxes lead to 37-33. Silverton’s defense got another stop and tacked on another point off a Hadley Craig free throw with five seconds left to help seal the third place finish for the Foxes.
Wertz led Silverton with 12 points with Allie Mansur (11) and Hadley Craig (10) scoring in the double-figures.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
