LADY FISHERMEN WIN AGAIN
The Astoria Lady Fishermen have already had their best season in four years and we have yet to reach the halfway point!
Astoria defeated R.A. Long of Longview 36-31 at home Wednesday night to improve to 7-5 on the season. With one more win, Astoria will match its victory total of the last two seasons combined.
"We are pretty pleased where we're at after a 1-4 start," said Astoria head coach Gordon Thomson. "We are not as pretty as we'd like to be, but we are pleased with the progress we've made."
The Lady Fishermen never trailed in a game that was tied twice. After Lumberjills guard Brittany Welch hit a pair of free throws with 5:58 to go in the first half to knot the game at 14, Astoria went on a 6-0 run to close the half with a 20-14 lead. The Lady Fishermen proceeded to score the first ten points of the second half, holding R.A. Long scoreless for a span of more than 11 minutes. The Jills went more than 12 minutes between successful field goals.
"If we can continue to keep teams off the scoreboard like that, we are going to put ourselves in a position to win some basketball games," said Thomson."
Kristina Wilson keyed the defensive effort with five steals and three blocked shots. Jamie Coggins led eight Astoria players in the scoring column with eight points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. R.A. Long's Sara Oliva, a junior guard, led all scorers with 13 points.
"At halftime I thought we really could be up 30-14 instead of 20-14," said Thomson. "Not saying that R.A. Long wasn't doing a good jobs, but we had some offensive boards and putbacks that we should finish. We must have had seven or eight missed layins in that first half. You put those in the hole and it really opens the game up, instead we're up six at the half and end up in a dogfight."
The Jills whittled a 16-point second half deficit to seven on an Oliva 3-pointer with 3:49 to go in the game, but Astoria responded with back-to-back baskets by K.J. Carr to regain a 34-23 lead. After a pair of Welch free throws, Oliva drained another 3-pointer to cut the lead to 34-28 and the Jills took over possession after Hilary O'Bryan was called for traveling with 1:36 left. But Astoria's Kristen Saulsbury, playing only her second full game of the season, stole the ball on the ensuing possession and the Fishermen held on for the win.
"We put her in towards the end of the first quarter just to see how things would go and she just flowed right into the thing," said Thomson of Saulsbury, one of his best athletes who had missed all but one of Astoria's prior games for a variety of reasons. "She gave us good minutes tonight. As she continues to get her legs under her she will score a little more for us offensively. She brings a nice energy to us."
The Cowapa League preseason tournament begins tonight, with Seaside hosting Tillamook. Astoria faces the Gulls at home on Monday then travels to Tillamook on Wednesday.
R.A. LONG 10 4 4 13--31
Oliva 12, Welch 10, Gudgell 7, Earnest, Coalman, Linn 2, Craft.
ASTORIA 10 10 10 6--36
Stephens 4, Cullen 6, Wilson 4, Carr 6, J. Coggins 8, O'Bryan 2, Roman 2, Saulsbury 4, Hillard.
FIELD GOALS-RAL: 11-34-32%, AST: 15-43-35%
3-PT FG'S-RAL: 4-9-44%, AST: 0
FREE THROWS-RAL: 5-8-63%, AST: 6-12-50%
REBOUNDS-RAL: 21, AST: 33
TURNOVERS-RAL: 12, AST: 10
Astoria defeated R.A. Long of Longview 36-31 at home Wednesday night to improve to 7-5 on the season. With one more win, Astoria will match its victory total of the last two seasons combined.
"We are pretty pleased where we're at after a 1-4 start," said Astoria head coach Gordon Thomson. "We are not as pretty as we'd like to be, but we are pleased with the progress we've made."
The Lady Fishermen never trailed in a game that was tied twice. After Lumberjills guard Brittany Welch hit a pair of free throws with 5:58 to go in the first half to knot the game at 14, Astoria went on a 6-0 run to close the half with a 20-14 lead. The Lady Fishermen proceeded to score the first ten points of the second half, holding R.A. Long scoreless for a span of more than 11 minutes. The Jills went more than 12 minutes between successful field goals.
"If we can continue to keep teams off the scoreboard like that, we are going to put ourselves in a position to win some basketball games," said Thomson."
Kristina Wilson keyed the defensive effort with five steals and three blocked shots. Jamie Coggins led eight Astoria players in the scoring column with eight points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds. R.A. Long's Sara Oliva, a junior guard, led all scorers with 13 points.
"At halftime I thought we really could be up 30-14 instead of 20-14," said Thomson. "Not saying that R.A. Long wasn't doing a good jobs, but we had some offensive boards and putbacks that we should finish. We must have had seven or eight missed layins in that first half. You put those in the hole and it really opens the game up, instead we're up six at the half and end up in a dogfight."
The Jills whittled a 16-point second half deficit to seven on an Oliva 3-pointer with 3:49 to go in the game, but Astoria responded with back-to-back baskets by K.J. Carr to regain a 34-23 lead. After a pair of Welch free throws, Oliva drained another 3-pointer to cut the lead to 34-28 and the Jills took over possession after Hilary O'Bryan was called for traveling with 1:36 left. But Astoria's Kristen Saulsbury, playing only her second full game of the season, stole the ball on the ensuing possession and the Fishermen held on for the win.
"We put her in towards the end of the first quarter just to see how things would go and she just flowed right into the thing," said Thomson of Saulsbury, one of his best athletes who had missed all but one of Astoria's prior games for a variety of reasons. "She gave us good minutes tonight. As she continues to get her legs under her she will score a little more for us offensively. She brings a nice energy to us."
The Cowapa League preseason tournament begins tonight, with Seaside hosting Tillamook. Astoria faces the Gulls at home on Monday then travels to Tillamook on Wednesday.
R.A. LONG 10 4 4 13--31
Oliva 12, Welch 10, Gudgell 7, Earnest, Coalman, Linn 2, Craft.
ASTORIA 10 10 10 6--36
Stephens 4, Cullen 6, Wilson 4, Carr 6, J. Coggins 8, O'Bryan 2, Roman 2, Saulsbury 4, Hillard.
FIELD GOALS-RAL: 11-34-32%, AST: 15-43-35%
3-PT FG'S-RAL: 4-9-44%, AST: 0
FREE THROWS-RAL: 5-8-63%, AST: 6-12-50%
REBOUNDS-RAL: 21, AST: 33
TURNOVERS-RAL: 12, AST: 10
posted by Matt Richert at 11:25 AM
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