RECAPS
■ CRESWELL defeated Cottage Grove 71-32 on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Mason Schartz showed what his return means for the Bulldogs, as he scored 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field, 2-of-2 from 3-point range and 6-of-6 from the free throw line. The Bulldogs shot a season-best 63% from 3-point range. No Lions player scored 10 or more points. 32 points tied a season-low for the Lions. … Creswell defeated Coquille 100-26 on Saturday, Jan. 10 in its final non-league game. The Bulldogs had not reached triple digits since Feb. 17, 2014 against Chemawa. A number of team season-highs were the result, including 27 assists and 20 steals. Ace Arnold and Emerson Valerde also set season-highs in points, with 22 and 18, respectively. A 33-1 first quarter set the tone.
■ SPRINGFIELD lost to Cascade 60-48 on Tuesday, Jan. 6. Lejhaun Henderson led the Millers with 16 points. His ability to get to the free throw line has been a bright spot for an otherwise struggling offense. The Millers defense has been much improved, holding six of its past seven opponents to 60 points or less.
■ THURSTON defeated Eagle Point 91-39 on Thursday, Jan. 8. The Colts led 56-10 by halftime, in large part due to Lucas LaBounty’s 28 points in the first 16 minutes. He finished with 34 on 11-of-13 shooting, and added eight rebounds and four steals. Leo Filipe and Treyson Hill were also major contributors, with 16 and 13 points, respectively.
■ COTTAGE GROVE lost 71-32 to Creswell on Tuesday, Jan. 6. … Cottage Grove lost to Marshfield 67-52 on Friday, Jan. 9. The Lions shot more efficiently than the Pirates from the field, but allowed too many extra possessions due to turnovers and offensive rebounds. The Pirates hurt the Lions from the left wing, shooting 6-for-7 from that spot beyond the arc. The Lions responded well in the second half, not allowing the Pirates to expand the lead. Trevor Cooper led the Lions with 23 points.
■ PLEASANT HILL defeated Oakland 66-45 on Friday, Jan. 9. The Billies’ two returning starters from last season, Landen Melvin and Jacob Neely, combined to outscore the Oakers with 47 points. Oakland led at half, but the Billies dominated the last 16 minutes 40-17. The perimeter shooting for the Billies was on full display, as they hit 15 3-pointers. … Pleasant Hill defeated Toledo 79-44 on Saturday. Freshman Cole Jackson scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Billies, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter. Nine of the Billies 11 players got on the score sheet. The 79 points were the most for the Billies since scoring 94 in the season opener against Jefferson.
PREVIEWS
■ CRESWELL, ranked 18th in Class 3A, has three games next week, two of which are Mountain Valley Conference matchups. Offense has been inconsistent for Creswell, although it is coming off a season-high 100 points and the roster is nearly at full strength.
The Bulldogs open home league play against No. 13 Sisters (5-7) on Friday. The Outlaws are ranked five spots ahead of the Bulldogs, even with a significantly worse record. However, all but one of the Outlaws’ games have come against teams in a higher class or who are ranked in the Top 10 of an equal or lower class. Last season, these two met three times, and all three finished within four points; The Outlaws took two out of three.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs welcome No. 8 Cascade Christian (9-3) for a non-league matchup. Last season, the Challengers won both matchups by 14 points each. The Bulldogs’ offense is in for a test; Cascade Christian has allowed only 59 total points in its past two games.
On Wednesday, the Bulldogs are at No. 24 Harrisburg (9-6). In the past two years, the Eagles have won three out of four, although two of those three victories have come by three points or fewer. The Eagles favor a low-scoring, defensive battle, with only 49.4 points per game.
■ THURSTON (8-4), ranked 8th in Class 5A, travels to Crater on Friday. The Comets (12-1) are No. 5 in Class 5A and have won five in a row. The most recent of those five was a 59-58 victory over North Eugene, who is No. 3 in 5A. In the two years that Colts head coach Blaine Liberatore and Comets head coach Bryan Scott have each been at the helm to face one another, Liberatore’s team has won all four matchups by an average of 12 points. However, this Comets team is off to its best start in Scott’s tenure.
On Tuesday, the Colts face the Springfield Millers (1-11). The Colts have won each of the past four matchups in this series by 20+ points. The Millers’ defense has been at its best of late, but has its toughest test upcoming against a Colts team that just scored a season-high 91 points in its last time out. Stopping Colts star Lucas LaBounty will be the top priority in that effort. The Millers excel at getting to the free throw line, and will need to convert those opportunities to stay in this one. The Colts have allowed an average of only 36.7 points per game in its past three.
■ SPRINGFIELD (1-11) faces No. 30 Eagle Point (2-11) on Friday. It’s the 33rd-ranked Millers’ league home opener. Each team has lost at least seven games in a row, so something has to give. The Millers losses are getting closer, while the Eagles’ are becoming more lopsided, including a 52-point loss to Thurston.
■ COTTAGE GROVE (2-11) is ranked 29th in Class 4A and faces No. 23 North Bend (4-8) on Friday. The Bulldogs have lost two starters to long-term injuries, and dropped three games in a row. Both teams have excellent big men; Trevor Cooper is the top option for the Lions, while Hunter Christensen is an imposing presence for the Bulldogs. The Lions’ perimeter defense will need to contain Bulldogs sharpshooting junior Brody Kyllo, who hit five 3-pointers against Creswell on Jan. 3. The Lions will hope to build off a promising second half against Marshfield.
■ PLEASANT HILL (10-3) will play host to Harrisburg (9-6) on Friday. The Billies are No. 3 in Class 3A, while the Eagles are No. 24. Pleasant Hill beat Harrisburg in both meetings last season, but the Eagles held the Billies to their two lowest-scoring games of league play. First-year Eagles head coach Michael Joseph has them sticking to the gritty, defensive play style that Terry Crabb instituted in his 12 years at the helm of the program.
On Wednesday, Jan. 21, the Billies travel to La Pine to play the No. 37 Hawks (5-9). The Hawks had lost seven in a row before winning the past two games. The Billies open league play with the best record in the Mountain Valley Conference, while the Hawks have the worst. La Pine scores a lot of points, but gives up even more; The Hawks are one of four teams at the 3A level to have allowed 800 points this season.
– Eli Thomas, The Chronicle
