Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Fast start has Cutthroats breathing rare air

SV boys race past MVC 69-35


By JEFF CORDES
Express Staff Writer

It's been a while—like never—since The Community School boys' varsity basketball team has started a season 4-0.

The Cutthroats were 4-1 in their school-record 21-7 campaign of 2003-04 and 4-2 back in another state tournament season, 1997-98.

But not once in 14 varsity seasons have the Cutthroats been 4-0, which was the record they were shooting for Tuesday when they hosted the Twin Falls Christian Academy Warriors (2-0) in their final non-league game at The Fish Tank.

It was a good feeling to be aiming for something that hasn't been done, especially with a four-game homestand coming up through Dec. 14.

Coach Mike Wade's Cutthroats earned a chance to breathe rarified air Friday when they scored an astounding 31 points in the eight-minute first quarter and whipped the Magic Valley Christian Conquerors (0-2) by a 69-35 score at Jerome.

Sun Valley shot 53% from the field. After three games, two on the road, the unbeaten Cutthroats were averaging 64.7 ppg and were even ranked in the top five of the Idahosports.com 1A boys' cage poll.

Talking about the early scoring surge against Magic Valley Christian, Wade said, "We made an unbelievable (for us) 13 of 18 shots. Many came off of turnovers by them that we forced with solid defense on both full and half court.

"With the large, early lead we worked on a variety of things, particularly set offenses. That slowed the game substantially. We had solid play in the paint and on the perimeter and nice balance in our scoring for the first time."

Senior post Mac Whittington (22.7 ppg) scored all of his game-high 24 points in the first three periods, 10 in the first. He added 8 rebounds.

Senior co-captain Max Harris (14 points, 4 assists) and senior co-captain Spencer Harris (12 points, 2 assists) scored in double digits. Senior guard Ian Ingram (8 points, 5 steals) was very close to that mark.

Other Cutthroat contributors were senior Travis Stone (4 points in the first), sophomore Paul Davis (4 points) and 6-3 junior Lucas Vorsteveld (3 points, 4 rebounds). Cameron Jacobs and Matt McClimans each had 10 for MVC.

Wade said, "Everybody got into the action and scored. Five different guys went to the line where we were 9-for-10. We had excellent team defense. MVC had an overall height advantage but they're a young team with two excellent guards. They will be solid at tournament time in the Southside."

The Community School enters Northside Conference action Friday, Dec. 7 when Shoshone invades The Fish Tank, followed by Dietrich Tuesday, Dec. 11 and Carey Friday, Dec. 14 to wrap up the pre-Christmas boys' schedule.

Huskies hold off battling Cutthroats

Her team didn't win Friday against the visiting Hansen Huskies, but Community School girls' varsity basketball coach Ryan Waterfield saw positive signs in the Cutthroat effort on both ends of the court.

The Huskies (4-3) prevailed 52-40 over The Community School (1-3, 0-1 league) in the non-league match-up of 1A teams. Yet it was much closer, half the hurt, compared to Hansen's 22-point victory Nov. 17 over the visiting Cutthroats.

"I was proud of them," said Waterfield about the Cutthroats. "There is always a confidence thing with our girls. We try to get them to see they can play with a team like this and can determine the tempo."

One bright spot as the Fish leveled their home record at 1-1 was the play of senior Jessie Curran (11.3 ppg) on offense and defense. She exemplified the team's never-say-die spirit that went all the way to the final whistle and pleased Waterfield and assistant Willy Felton.

Curran scored a career-best 18 points, 9 in each half, and added 5 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 assists in an outstanding all-around effort. She plays especially well against Hansen. Last year she averaged 5.7 ppg but scored 19 in two games against Hansen. This year she is averaging 16.0 ppg against Hansen.

When Waterfield needed her on defense to cover top Hansen scorer Abby Curry, a sweet-shooting 5-6 senior, Curran blanketed Curry in a box-and-one zone. Curry (21 points, 10 rebounds) had 17 points before half and just 4 after.

The coach said, "We still let Curry hurt us. But Jessie did a great job on her in the box-and-one. At times there was a fluidity about the way our girls moved in the defense."

Great defense enabled the Cutthroats to stay in the hunt in the third quarter, despite being out-rebounded 14-9 in the period and 45-31 for the game by the Huskies. And Waterfield said her team continued to move the ball well on offense.

Curran's second 3-pointer of the game pulled the Cutthroats to within five at 39-34 early in the fourth quarter before Hansen went on a 12-2 tear, sparked by two 3-pointers nailed by sophomore guard Shawnie Higgins (14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals and 7 assists).

The Cutthroats got the first shots but, lacking offensive rebounding, didn't get many second tries and just couldn't match the Huskies on the glass. Doing much of the damage was a pair of 6-footers, senior Shelby Schoessler (16 boards) and junior Dakota Marovich (12 rebounds).

Outside of the fact that the Cutthroats had only 15 turnovers compared to Hansen's high total of 26, one other bright spot was sophomore Ricki Eshman (3 rebounds, 3 steals). She tallied 8 of her career-best 10 points in the second quarter.

Also contributing were Caroline Fairchild (9 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals), Emily Eshman (a team-high 10 boards, 3 steals and 5 assists), Natalie Goddard (2 points) and Jean Montgomery (3 steals).

The Community School traveled Tuesday night for a Northside Conference battle with #5-ranked Richfield (4-2, 2-0 league). The defending state champ Tigers, averaging 53.4 ppg, took a tough 39-31 loss at Mackay Saturday night as the Miners outscored them 12-5 in the fourth.

Waterfield's team hosts Shoshone (3-3) Friday, Dec. 7 and Dietrich (4-2, 1-0) next Tuesday at The Fish Tank in games against Northside contenders. Dietrich hosts Richfield Thursday in a big one.




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