Nov. 28: Grizz boys fall in hoop start on road

Ashland Daily Tidings

BEND - Experience played a huge factor Tuesday night as the young Ashland High boys basketball team fell to a senior-laden Mountain View squad 74-50 in the season opener for both squads.

Mountain View trotted out a unit that included 11 returning seniors while Ashland fielded one starter from 2000-01.

"Our youth and inexperience really hurt us," Grizz head coach John Skinner said. "They played 10 deep and we are not really deep."

Still, Ashland started off with a bang.

The Grizzlies opened up a 6-0 lead before the Cougars came rolling back and took a 13-9 lead at the end of the opening period.

The second quarter buried the Grizz as turnovers led to easy baskets for Mountain View and a 37-19 lead at the half.

Ashland made a final push, cutting the Cougar lead to 10 with 2:27 to play in the third quarter but couldn't get any closer.

"We finally started to shut down their breaks," Skinner said. "They were playing run and jump defense on us and we told the kids they can't dribble through it and they had to pass. Once we did that we made a run."

Senior Titus Weston led the Grizzlies with 13 points, while senior Bill Rowe added 12.

"That was a hard-working 13 for Titus," Skinner said. "He was going against a guy that was 6-4, 220 and he did a good job, but he was worn out. Bill did a nice job. It's just experience that's killing him. He hadn't played since his freshman year."

The Grizzlies, who have now dropped 16-straight games, host Northern California foe Yreka Thursday night. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at the Mountain Avenue gym.

SOU men's basketball

At Arcata, Calif., a cold-shooting first half was enough to do in the Raider men Tuesday night as they fell to Humboldt State 85-74 in a non-conference tilt.

The Raiders hit on 10 of 33 shots in the opening 20 minutes and fell behind 44-28 at the half.

SOU (3-2) battled its way back into the game after intermission and a 3-pointer by Brad Coen cut the Humboldt lead to 64-59.

But the Lumberjacks - who connected on 51 percent of their shots for the game - quickly rebounded and upped the margin to 14.

Junior guard Moses Olson led the Raiders with 14 points. Senior guard Hamilton Barnes and junior Brandon Knudsen added 10 points each.

Humboldt was led by Fred Hooks 28 points on 12 of 19 shooting.

SOU continues on the road Friday against Menlo College at Atherton, Calif.