DECEMBER 14, 2018, KEIZERTIMES, PAGE B1
KEIZERTIMES.COM
Lady Celts can’t hang with Westview
By MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
McNary’s girls basketball
squad was able to be compet-
itive in the early stages, but
turnovers and poor shooting
kept them from staying close.
The Lady Celts turned the
ball over 22 times in the con-
test and shot under 20 percent
(6-of-32) from the fi eld in the
second half in their 75-43 loss
to Westview on Friday, Dec. 7
at McNary High School.
“We need to cut down on
the turnovers and start valu-
ing every possession,” McNary
head coach Elizabeth Doran
said. “We did not do a good job
taking care of the basketball and
when that started to go wrong,
everything just went downhill
from there.”
Abigail Hawley was the only
McNary player in double-fi g-
ures with 12 points.
After falling behind to start
the contest, Hawley knocked
down consecutive 3-pointers to
tie the game at 6-6 early in the
opening period.
Mackenzie Proctor then got
in on the action with a triple
of her own, as well as a tough
lay-up to give McNary the 14-
11 lead.
“We knew that we could
run on them and get ourselves
into open space,” McNary
guard Sabella Alfaro said. “One
of the advantages of our team
is that we’re quicker than a lot
of teams.”
But late in the quarter,
Westview put on a full-court
press that the Celtics weren’t
prepared for.
McNary’s starting point
guard Leah Doutt was forced
to miss the game due to illness,
and Westview took advantage
by swarming the Celtics with
intense defensive pressure in
the backcourt. McNary turned
the ball over on four straight
possessions, which allowed the
Wildcats to go on a 9-0 run and
take a 20-14 lead.
Without their best ball-han-
dler, the Celtics greatly strug-
gled to get into their half-court
offense for the majority of the
game.
“With Leah out, we had
some players in positions
they’re not used to,” Doran
said. “Leah usually runs our
press-break, so we were asking
a lot of kids to step up tonight.”
Transition buckets by Isabella
Walker and Rebekah Grimmer
gave McNary the momentum
to begin the second period,
but three straight triples from
Westview’s Nicole Flennaugh
put the Wildcats up by dou-
ble-digits.
Flennaugh torched the Celt-
ics for a game-high 30 points.
“(Flennaugh) is a really good
player and we didn’t do a good
enough job communicating on
screens to be able to get a hand
in her face,” Alfaro said.
After going to the locker
room trailing 41-27, Alfaro and
Kennedy Buss each got easy
hoops in the opening minute of
the second half to cut the lead
to 10. But a 20-7 run by West-
view made it impossible for the
Celtics catch up.
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
McNary guard Mackenzie Proctor goes in for the lay-up in the Celtics 75-43 loss to Westview last Friday evening.
“We have to stop the bleed-
ing when a team goes on a
run,” Doran. “That has been
one of the themes of our fi rst
two games.”
McNary will travel to Cen-
tral Catholic tonight for a 7
p.m. contest.
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
Sabella Alfaro scores a bucket in transition for McNary.
KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings
Annie Leigh Besa tries to drive through a pair of Westview defenders.
Mat men perform well at Springfi eld Tourney
By MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
The McNary High School
wrestling team sent 11 athletes
to the podium and fi nished in
third place as a squad in the 24-
team Springfi eld Invitational
on Saturday, Dec 8.
With their fi rst conference
meet right around their cor-
ner, head coach Jason Ebbs is
impressed with how his young
squad is progressing.
“It was a pleasant surprise to
see how much success we had,”
Ebbs said. “Overall, I’m really
happy with how we are de-
veloping and improving. We’re
getting some good experience
for our young kids.”
Of all the Celtic wrestlers,
Anthony Garcia-Reyes was the
most impressive.
The junior went 5-0 for the
tournament and won all of his
matches either by pin or major
decision and was crowned the
tournament champion in the
220-pound division.
“It felt really good to win,”
Garcia-Reyes said. “I feel like
all the work and conditioning
I’ve been putting in was put to to win his next two before fall-
the test and I was able to step ing in the consolation champi-
onship.
up to the challenge.”
McNary also got big contri-
It was fi rst time Gar-
cia-Reyes had placed fi rst at a butions from a trio of freshmen.
Jordan Orr (106) won three
tournament in his career.
“In the years that he’s been out of his four matches to take
wrestling, that’s the fi rst time sixth place. Estaban Victoria
(138) also placed
that I’ve seen
sixth
while
(Garcia-Reyes)
Layne Runyan
string togeth- “I’m really
(220) took sev-
er fi ve really happy with
enth.
good matches
“It’s huge for
in a row,” Ebbs how we are
our
freshmen
said. “Every-
to win some
thing that hap- developing.”
matches and have
pened in those
— Jason Ebbs
success early in
matches
was
the season,” Ebbs
controlled and
said. “The sooner we can get
determined by him.”
Grady Burrows (120 lbs.) those guys to climb that ladder,
and Garrett Wampler (182) the sooner we can get them to
each took third in their respec- set future goals for themselves.”
tive weight classes after ending
McNary will compete in
the day with a record of 4-1. the Liberty Invitational Tour-
Eoan Sharabarin (113) Mat- nament at Liberty High School
thew Mehlhoff (160) and Ryan in Hillsboro on Saturday start-
Bamford (182) fi nished in sixth ing at 9 a.m. Their fi rst Moun-
place while Noah Gatchet tain Valley Conference dual
(120) took seventh.
meet will take place at Sprague
After losing his fi rst match, High School on Wednesday at
Gilbert Parra (145) came back 7 p.m.
File Photo
McNary’s Daniel Hernandez (blue singlet) fi ghts for positioning during a match from earlier this
season.