Columbia High ended a busy first week of the 2006-07 boys basketball season with a 71-61 non-league loss at Woodland last Friday.
Playing their third game in four days, the Bruins (2-1) got off to a slow start, spotting the Beavers a 25-8 lead in the first quarter.
They battled back in the middle quarters, however, outscoring the Beavers 43-35 to pull within 60-51 for the start of the final period.
"We made a good run at them but that first-quarter deficit proved too much to overcome," Bruins Coach Scott Kasenga said, adding, "The game was a real wake-up call for us."
Kent Shelley had 18 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists for CHS, which also got 15 points from Greg Tellez, 13 points and seven boards from Thomas Jeter and 10 points and five assists from Jared McDonald.
For Woodland, Jack Whitmire had a game-high 21 points, Michael Ward added 20, including 13 in the first quarter, and Ashton Morgan chipped in 17.
The Beavers' built their final margin of victory by outscoring the Bruins from the foul line (Woodland was 18/26, CHS 9/12) and 3 point range (15 to 4).
They also did it with rebounding (40-36 advantage) and defense (CHS committed 28 turnovers to Woodland's 16 and shot 25/66, 38 percent, from the field).
At Columbia 60, Corbett, Ore. 38:
The Bruins broke open a close non-league game Dec. 6 with a 17-4 third-quarter run.
The game was tied 13-all after one quarter but Columbia gained a 28-26 halftime edge on a late 3-pointer by Darnell Douglas.
CHS quickly turned that into a double-digit lead in the opening minutes of the third quarter. It did so with an 8-0 run that featured a turnaround jumper by Thomas Jeter, a bucket by Douglas and two baskets by Kent Shelley.
After a pair of Cardinals free throws, the Bruins went on a 9-0 run that included two Greg Tellez foul shots, five straight points by Douglas and a basket by Jared McDonald, off an assist from Douglas.
In the fourth quarter, Columbia scored eight of the first 10 points. By then, only the final margin of victory was in question.
"Our defense really stepped it up," Bruins Coach Scott Kasenga said. "Corbett only scored 12 points in the second half."
The Cardinals stayed close in the first half by making four 3-pointers, including one with 1:13 remaining in the second quarter that gave them their second, and last, lead of the game at 26-23.
But Corbett made just one more shot from long distance the rest of the way; it came midway through the final period, with CHS comfortably in front.
The Bruins were led by Tellez, who scored nine of his 15 points in the opening quarter, and Douglas, who had 10 of his 15 after the break. Jeter also reached double figures, finishing with 10.
Under the backboards, Columbia won the battle, 48-23. McDonald was tops with 12 rebounds, followed by Tellez with 10 and Jeter with nine.
Moreover, the Bruins had more assists (16) than turnovers (14), and totaled 11 steals (out of 19 Corbett turnovers).
Columbia High 79, at Dufur, Ore. 28:
Kent Shelley scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Bruins to a season-opening win over the Rangers Dec. 5.
Shelley had 22 of those in a big CHS first half during which he sank all four of his 3-pointers. His offensive outburst helped the Bruins establish a 51-18 halftime lead.
"It was a great opening game," Bruins Coach Scott Kasenga said. "The offense was sparked by some terrific shooting."
Co-captain Greg Tellez tallied 13 points to go with 13 rebounds and four steals, Thomas Jeter added 10 points and 12 rebounds, and Darnell Douglas chipped in eight points, going 8 for 8 from the foul line, and six assists.
As impressive as the final score was, however, the CHS coaching staff downplayed its significance. They noted Dufur, fresh off a state football championship on Dec. 2, had had only one practice to prepare for the game, which was originally scheduled to be played Nov. 28.
"They were just beginning to get in a basketball mindset while we'd been waiting weeks to play some ball," Kasenga said.
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