Too many turnovers, too few scoring opportunities left Columbia High's girls varsity basketball team on the short end of a 48-24 score last Thursday in Goldendale.
The Bruins (1-1) turned the ball over 33 times and attempted just 28 field goals in their non-league loss to the Timberwolves.
"We were having some success breaking their press," first-year Bruins Coach Mike Yarnell said. "But when they went to that halfcourt trap, that's when we got in trouble."
Columbia held Goldendale in check in the first quarter, during which the Timberwolves missed six layins, and didn't allow a field goal until the 2:37 mark.
But Goldendale (1-0) started to hit the shots it missed earlier, going on a 9-0 run to extend its 5-0 first-quarter to 14-0.
Columbia finally got on the board with 3:12 remaining in the half, when sophomore Becky Clary hit a 3-point basket to make it 14-3.
Goldendale, however, closed the half with an 8-0 run, then outscored CHS, 15-0, in the third quarter to build an insurmountable 37-4 lead.
Even though CHS gave up 48 points, Yarnell said he liked the defensive intensity his team displayed throughout the game.
Senior Alexa Williams was especially active on defense against Goldendale's inside players, Megan Graff and Sarah Miller. She worked hard to deny the entry passes into the post and came up with eight steals.
When Goldendale missed, Williams was there to battle for the rebound. (She pulled down a team-leading eight rebounds in the game).
"I thought, fundamentally, our defense improved a whole bunch from the first game. We were a lot more aggressive," he said. "Now we need to take that aggressiveness and apply it to the offensive end."
After attempting just five shots in the first half, the Bruins finished strong in the fourth quarter, netting five 3-pointers and 20 points total in the frame.
Clary scored two of the 3's and also made 2 of 2 from the line for a team- and career-high 11 points. Sophomore Amy Courtney also had two 3-pointers in the period.
"We have some girls who can shoot the three, but we aren't going to be able to live by the three," said Yarnell. "We're also going to have to improve our ball-handling. You can't make 30 turnovers a night and expect to compete."
At Wahtonka 37, Columbia High 25 --
The Eagles closed out the first half with a 10-2 run to take control of the Dec. 2 non-league game in The Dalles.
The Bruins held their own in the first quarter, taking an 8-3 lead on a pair of 3-point baskets from sophomore Becky Clary.
But Wahtonka scored the next six points to lead 9-8 at the end of one quarter.
In the second stanza, the Eagles found enough soft spots in the Bruins' 2-3 zone defense, and played tough defense on their end, to mount a 23-13 halftime advantage.
Bruins Coach Mike Yarnell called his decision to switch from man-to-man to zone defense "a key mistake" -- one that helped Wahtonka get its previously sluggish offense going.
"If I had it to do over again, I would've stayed with man, because when we went to zone, it took away our aggressiveness," he said. "I should've realized sooner that we weren't ready to play zone."
Wahtonka's zone defense, meanwhile, continued to give Columbia's offense problems in the second half.
The Bruins got off just 11 shots after the intermission and finished 8 for 27 from the field overall.
"We've got to work on taking the shot when it's there. We passed up way too many open shots," Yarnell said.
Columbia managed to win the rebound battle, 27-26, but turned the ball over 29 times, compared to Wahtonka's 14 turnovers.
Senior Alexa Williams led CHS with 13 rebounds, and her seven points tied Clary for team honors. Clary had five rebounds, to go with three blocks.
Wahtonka took its first lead of the game with four seconds remaining in the opening period.
Junior Megan Harvey's free throw tied the game at 9-9 early in the second quarter. But a 14-4 spurt by the Eagles gave them their first double-digit lead of the night.
It came with 40 seconds left in the half, on a 3-point play by senior Lindsey Lick.
The Bruins cut the lead to eight at 25-17 early in third quarter on a 3-pointer by senior Katie Mansfield and a free throw by junior Corrine Blankenship.
But the Eagles quickly pushed their lead back into double figures, converting consecutive steals in CHS's backcourt into easy baskets for a 31-17 lead.
Wahtonka eventually led by as many as 17 points (37-20, late in the fourth quarter) before Columbia ran off five straight to narrow its margin of defeat.
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