[Last night, I was sent to Clackamas to cover the Sprague girls in the Class 6A state playoffs. Here is the article.]
Powerful Clackamas proves too much for Sprague
By Lee Clarkson
Statesman Journal
March 3, 2011
CLACKAMAS — The Sprague Olympians knew what they were up against.
At 23-1, the Clackamas Cavaliers entered the game ranked No. 1 in the coaches’ poll and second in the OSAA RPI rankings. They also were on a 21-game winning streak.
Sprague finished third in the Central Valley Conference, was 13-12 overall and 34th in the RPI.
Behind 20 points from senior post Jen Reese, the Cavaliers cruised to their 22nd consecutive victory Wednesday, 68-30, against Sprague in round one of the OSAA Class 6A playoffs.
“The girls knew they were coming into the gym playing the No. 2 team in the state, arguably No. 1,” Sprague coach Allison Galvin said.
Clackamas hosts West Linn on Saturday, with the winner advancing to the state tournament next week at the Rose Garden in Portland.
Sprague senior Jami Roos, the CVC player of the year, led the Olympians with 18 points. Senior Hannah Mocaby added six points and 11 rebounds.
The Cavaliers (24-1) jumped out to a 13-point lead after one quarter, and final score was the largest lead for Clackamas.
The Olympians turned the ball over early, and also had trouble converting from the field. A driving layup by Roos halfway through the second quarter was Sprague’s first field goal. By then, the Cavaliers led 23-8.
Galvin attributed the poor start to nerves and the Clackamas defense.
“Their defense altered our shot selection,” Galvin said. “Our nerves created our turnovers.”
“I think we were just really impatient offensively,” Roos said. “We just didn’t really know how to work against their pressure.”
Rebounds also were a factor. Clackamas out rebounded Sprague 41-23.
Reese, at 6-foot-3, provided matchup problems and finished with 12 rebounds.
Despite the loss, Sprague closed the season strong.
A four-game losing streak in January put the Olympians at 5-10. But Sprague finished on an 8-3 run.
“We started to figure out things off the court,” Roos said. “We just jelled. … Everything just came together.”
“I truly believe we were the best team (in the) second half of our league (season),” Galvin said. “It takes a while (for players) to figure out their individual role, and once we figured that out is when we found our success.”
