Keizertimes., June 25, 2021, Page 16, Image 16

PAGE A16, KEIZERTIMES, JUNE 25, 2021
Celts exact their revenge on South Salem
Evan Cornell gets to the hoop after driving past a South Salem defender.
Photo by MATT RAWLINGS of Keizertimes
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
After losing to South Salem in
gut-wrenching fashion earlier in the
season, the McNary boys hoops squad
dominated the Saxons in the rematch.
Nate Meithof once again led the
Celtics with a game-high of 31 points
and Evan Cornell poured in 12 second
half points off the bench as McNary took
down South Salem 69-51 on Monday,
June 21.
“You always want your team playing
at their best at the end of the year, and I
feel like that is where we are at,” McNary
head coach Ryan Kirch said.
“We wanted to get them back, and
show them that the last game wasn't
really us,” Meithof added.
The Celtics jumped out to a 10-2
advantage in the fi rst three minutes
after back-to-back triples from Meithof
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playing well together and we
just kind of roll with that.”
You always want your
Late in the third quarter, it
was
Cornell that stepped up
team playing at their
big for the Celtics. The junior
best at the end of the
shooting guard scored eight
straight points on a pair of
year, and I feel like
corner 3-pointers and a tran-
that is where we are
sition layup to give McNary a
double-digit lead at 50-39.
at.
“I felt like we spaced out
everything and played really
well together. We picked the
— RYAN KIRCH
right shots to shoot,” Cornell
McNary head coach
said. “It is about always being
ready to step up.”
Cornell got two more
and Jando Gonzalez, as well as a pair
buckets in the early stages
of buckets by Jabol Balos and Tyler of the fi nal period, putting McNary up
Copeland.
by 13. South Salem went on a 6-0 run
Meithof wound up scoring 10 points later in the quarter to get within seven,
in the period, helping McNary maintain but Meithof got to the rim on the next
a 20-16 lead at the end of the fi rst. The Celtics possession and put in a tough
Saxons cut the lead to one in the second lay-in while getting fouled. Meithof
period, but a thunderous, two-handed completed the three-point play to put
dunk by Meithof, after driving base- McNary back on top by double-fi gures.
line by his defender, gave McNary the
“We thought if we could get them
momentum back.
into the half court and make them guard,
Moments later, Meithof threw one we would be able to score. We were more
down yet again, this time on a put-back disciplined with our ball movement in
dunk after a missed layup by Gonzalez.
the second half, and we were able to
“It is always fun getting up on the attack some long closeouts,” Kirch said.
rim, especially on a put-back,” Meithof
“We wanted to come out aggressive
said.
and break their hope,” Meithof added.
McNary took a 32-28 lead into the
There have been moments this sea-
locker room at the end of the fi rst half, son where McNary has struggled to
but when the third quarter began, the maintain their lead late in games. But
Celtics started to break away from their in this one, the Celtics fi nished off the
opponent.
contest on a 10-0 run to seal the 18-point
“We have a lot of depth, and usually victory.
the third quarter is when we start to
“I was really proud of the way we exe-
separate from teams,” Kirch said. “It is cuted in our late-game situations,” Kirch
about who is playing well and who is said.
Speed Bump By DAVE COVERLY