Defense is the name of the game

OC girls force 28 turnovers in a 77-47 rout of McNary

By John Denny

The Clackamas Review, Mar 17, 2010

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PORTLAND – The Oregon City Pioneers dispatched with eighth-ranked McNary with relative ease in their March 10 quarterfinal game of the Class 6A High School Girls Basketball Tournament.

They had some early first-game Rose Garden jitters, and they trailed 9-1 to start the game. But they jump-started their fast-breaking offense with their full-court press, forcing 28 turnovers en route to a 77-47 rout. It was the most lopsided quarterfinal game of the tournament.

A 10-0 run late in the first period and early in the second put the Pioneers up 21-16, and they were pretty much in the driver’s seat the rest of the way.

They stretched their advantage to 13 points, at 39-26, by halftime; and they were up by 20 heading into the fourth quarter.

It was a team effort by the Pioneers. Taylor Ward (17 points), Brittany Knighton (15 points) and Ashleigh Anderson (13 points) led nine Oregon City players who put points on the scoreboard.

Knighton, who had struggled to find the basket in Oregon City’s March 5 state playoff win over Barlow, regained her touch and was a hot-handed 5-of-8 from the field.

Led by Knighton (4 rebounds) and Alisa Griggs (4 rebounds), 10 different Oregon City players won rebounds, as they out-boarded their taller opponents 28-26.

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