Cottage Grove holiday tournament

COTTAGE GROVE – Thank goodness for silver linings.
After losing both games of its own holiday tournament, the Cottage Grove girls could find some solace in knowing they are indeed growing and improving as a team.
Stayton (5-1) rolled to a convincing 50-15 victory Thursday, Dec. 22 over South Umpqua to take the championship of the Cottage Grove Holiday Tournament.
In the 3rd-4th-place game, Hidden Valley (2-7) pulled away to defeat Cottage Grove, 47-32. The previous night, South Umpqua topped the host Lions, 52-36.
Against South Umpqua, the Lions (3-6) scored 18 fourth-quarter points, equaling their point total through the first three quarters. They even outscored the Lady Stangs 18-14 in the fourth.
But it seemed as though the great majority of bounces and lucky breaks went in South Umpqua’s favor. One shot by the visitors rolled a couple of feet across the top of the backboard and fell through. On another occasion, the Lions nearly forced a turnover on an inbounds pass, and had to save the loose ball from going out of bounds at the other end of the court. The Lancers regained possession and went the length of the floor for a layup.
Against Hidden Valley in the consolation game, Cottage Grove went on a 7-0 run early in the third quarter and trailed 20-17 after a 3-pointer from freshman guard Mariah Bailey. The Lions never got any closer after that, but the play of Bailey, the lone freshman on the roster who led the Lions in both games, was a bright spot for the host team.
Cottage Grove avoided facing Stayton, but the Eagles will host the Lions in their own holiday tournament, which runs Dec. 28-30.

Cottage Grove Holiday Tournament