It may be a difficult season, but the Tigard Girls Basketball team still persists.
In the ninth game of the season, the girls traveled to Grant High School in a downpour. They suffered their eighth loss with a final score of 55-73. This moved the girls to a 1 – 8 season record and improved Grant to 5 – 5 with league games upcoming.
This game wasn’t always at such a deficit.
Beginning the first quarter, 6’3 Sarah Lamet (#10) leapt up for possession. She was able to tip the ball in Tigard’s favor to Delaney Leavitt (#22). Leavitt made a break for it, dashed in close and layed up the ball for the first two points of the game.
This was quickly followed up by Ajae Holdman (#15) shooting her shot from within the three-point line, Lamet tossing the ball in despite being crowded by Grant, Leavitt shooting a three and Lamet once again scoring from underneath.
Four minutes had passed and the Tigers had yet to miss a single shot giving them an 11-9 lead. Kennedy Brown (#2) also scored a two-pointer and a free throw with 2:45 left in Q1.
With the Tigers leading by one point with 14-13, their lead would strike its end.
Whenever Tigard snatched the ball off a rebound from Grant, the Generals held strong, overwhelming any player from moving forward. Grant stayed on the receiving end of Tigard’s passes causing a great number of steals despite the fact that Tigard had very few missed shots in quarter one. Following a simple strategy of steal, shoot and score, Grant took 10 consecutive points till the end of Q1 for 14-23.
In a similar fashion, Grant dominated till the end of the half with 25-39. GHS quite literally was able to take the ball from Tigard’s clutches. In response, the girls attempted the ol’ phrase ‘If you can’t beat them, join them.’ The team started playing aggressive, trying to push through everything and anything. Leading the charge was Brown, who scored 16 points of the game, but because of this, nearly fouled out with four acquired fouls.
It was a fight for possession. Tigard could barely make it to the basket or even pass to one another. Coaches were yelling and the players just needed to keep the ball moving. With 4:30 left in the game, Grant held a 20 point lead and switched their starters out.
Tigard’s starters were showing their fatigue after pushing through the game and Tigard’s coaches decided to do the same as Grant. The on-court team was switched for a team that gets little time in any game: Kaylin Kisor (#5), Anna Follett (#12), Raegan Gustafson (#13), Kassiah Moore (#23) and Emily Paulson (#24). Essentially, two whole different teams were pitted up against each other with half a quarter to go.
From the switch, the previously benched Tigers were able to score 12 more points with Kisor taking a three-pointer at the start and Moore finishing the game on a layup.
Throughout the game, Tigard was able to score 19 of 49 shots from the court including four three-pointers with 10 of 21 successfully attempted free throws.
Despite the game being 18 points in Grants’ favor by the time the game was at its end, the Tigers just brushed it off and began preparations for the Three Rivers League games.
