By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
SALEM, Ore.– The West Salem Girls Basketball team just had the luck with their shots on Tuesday night in Central Valley Conference play against South Salem.
The Titans led 18-13 after the first quarter and built up a ten-point halftime lead on the fourth-ranked Saxons. Leading South Salem 35-25 at the intermission.
The confidence has been riding high for the Titans since their wins over Jesuit and South Albany. Maybe, just maybe, they are turning the corner at the right time as the CVC League season has now started. It was a team-effort kind of game for West Salem as they clutched up in the third quarter, keeping the Saxons strong start to the second half limited.
South Salem got the game to within single-digits late in the third quarter, but the Titans were able to rebuild their lead back into double-figures by quarter’s end, leading 51-41.
“Our preparation and our teamwork and just being able to pass the ball up in transition has helped,” starts West Salem’s Samantha Griffin. “Us knowing that we have that potential to be really good and I think we can show that and prove that heading into league.”
Griffin scored 22 points with Emma Zungia contributing another 17 points in the game and Johanna Diaz contributing another 10 in what became a 69-51 victory over the Saxons. The Titans used a 18-10 fourth quarter to help seal the victory and hand the Saxons just their second loss of the season.
“I thought we responded well in that third quarter, I think we got it back within six with ten seconds left and they hit that corner three. I thought that knocked the wind out of us with that shot. But we battled. We’re kind of in a slump right now, we’re battling through that and it’s a good test. West Salem is a well-coached team, they fly around and I think we adjusted after that first quarter, we matched their speed and physicality, their shots went in and ours didn’t,” said South Salem Head Coach Adrian Lewis.
Chica Casas led the Saxons with 19 points and Brook Tate added another ten points in the win. South Salem are at McNary on Friday while the Titans will host Sprague on Friday.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
