Tyler Hollingsworth had been hoping his Creswell girls would be battle-tested if they were lucky enough to reach the state tournament.
The coach got his wish … on both counts.
Thanks to Saturday’s 30-28 nail-biter of a victory over visiting Harrisburg in a league playoff game, the Bulldogs set themselves up for a road game Saturday at 6 p.m. against Douglas. The two teams met in the season opener, with Creswell losing a 13-point halftime lead and falling 46-39.
“We were playing fast, but we got tired and they started hitting shots against us,” Hollingsworth said. “We just weren’t in true game shape that early in the season.”
Creswell and Harrisburg were both assured of playing again after Saturday’s game, but Hollingsworth said the victory – sealed by Samairah Quinones’ two free throws with less than a second remaining – was still huge.
“With the win we moved up from 12th to 9th seed, and we face Douglas, which is 8th,” Hollingsworth said. “If we had lost to Harrisburg on Saturday, we might be looking at a five-hour bus ride to Burns in eastern Oregon. So I like our chances better in a revenge game against Douglas.”
Creswell’s week started with a 59-48 loss at Santiam Christian (18-6), which won the Mountain Valley Conference 3A-4 title with a 7-1 league record. Creswell (11-9) and Harrisburg (20-5) needed to break a tie for second place, which is why they played Saturday.
“That loss only meant that we could no longer host a first-round game.” Hollingsworth said.
While the loss to Santiam was painful, it may have helped the Bulldogs grow as they led by 8 halfway through the third quarter.
“We were more fatigued than I’ve seen us in a while,” Hollingsworth said. “We missed a layup that would have put us up 10, then they got some good looks and started making them. They tied it on a banked-in 3, and we got tight and didn’t recover from it.
“That’s OK, though, because it had the feel of a playoff game. I want us to embrace that feeling.”
Next up was La Pine, which has struggled all season to field enough players. Creswell led 16-4 after one quarter, breezing to a 56-21 triumph.
That set up the Harrisburg showdown, and it was a classic defensive battle from the get-go. Late in the fourth quarter, after Emme Whitson hit a floater with her off hand to tie it, the Bulldogs were able to hold the ball for a potential game-winning shot.
It was the right strategy. Quinones got the ball inside with about 4 seconds left, and was fouled with only seven-tenths of a second showing on the clock.
“She nailed both free throws,” Hollingsworth said. “Sam is a streaky foul shooter, but she stepped up there and calmly made both.”
The Bulldogs converted only eight field-goal attempts, so they weren’t able to press as much as they normally do, the coach said.
“We were 12-for-16 on free throws, so we’re finding other ways to score,” Hollingsworth said. “That’s a sign of a team that’s coming together – you find ways to win.”
To get past Douglas, the Bulldogs will have to slow down two skilled guards and a big post player.
“The key will be keeping the big girl off the boards, and we have to do a good job of forcing their guards to take tough shots.
“I’m proud of the girls. They’ve improved so much, I hope we can keep it going for two more weeks.”
