» Boys move into tie for fourth

By Steve McCasland
Sports editor
Monday, February 08, 2010 | No comments posted. Bandon’s boys varsity roundball team picked up a pair of wins in Sunset Conference play last week, improving to 5-4 in league.

Going into Tuesday’s home matchup against Cascade Christian, the Tigers were tied with Coquille for fourth place in the conference, trailing Cascade Christian (9-0), Glide (7-2) and Rogue River (6-3).

Bandon is scheduled to play at Rogue River tomorrow (Feb. 5), then will host Reedsport on Feb. 9. Junior varsity action begins at 4:15, followed by the varsity at 7:30.

Only two league games — against Coquille and Glide — will remain after Bandon hosts Reedsport next week.

Prior to Tuesday’s home game against Cascade Christian, interim coach James Freitag said, “It’s still mathematically possible for us to get second place in league, so we’ll aim for that. We just have to play these last five games trying to get a victory in every one. The more victories, the better our playoff position. It would be real nice to get a home playoff game.”

The league playoffs are scheduled on Feb. 18 and 20 and will result in three boys teams moving on to the state playoffs. The state tournament is scheduled March 4-6 at Willamette University in Salem. Freitag admitted Tuesday that it would be a challenge to defeat Cascade Christian, but said the Tigers could compete if they were prepared.

“I believe we can play with them,” he said. “It’s just a matter of realizing that and being prepared to come out and battle. Our biggest hurdle might be accepting mentally that we can play with them.

“Rogue River is going to be tough, too. They have a very talented team and we’ll be playing in a hostile place. But I think the boys want to go down there and show them that their seven-point win up here was one that we should have had.

“Reedsport won’t be a breeze either. We won handily up there (at Reedsport), but we’re not going to take them for granted. They just played Myrtle Point very tough, and we’re going to prepare for them like they’re Cascade Christian.”

Defeat Myrtle Point

Bandon scored a hard-fought 66-56 road win at Myrtle Point on Jan. 29. A close game throughout, the Tigers only led by two with two minutes left in the fourth quarter before winning it at the free throw stripe. Garth Gant and Connor Jackson each hit a pair of charity tosses down the stretch, while Jimmy Mack (9-for-10) and Josh Freitag (9-for-11) each had great nights overall at the line.

“Myrtle Point played very hard,” James Freitag said. “They’re a very aggressive team that was ready to come out and go blow-for-blow with us.”

Bandon looked like it might pull away a couple of times during the game, but the Bobcats responded and kept it close.

“I was proud of the boys for winning a tight one,” the coach added. “This could have gone either way, but they kept their heads, maintained their composure and knocked down their free throws down the stretch.”

Bandon led 25-20 at halftime and outscored the home team 41-36 after the break.

Tiger scoring: Garth Gant 15, Mack 13, Josh Freitag 13, Andy Santos 13, Jackson 9, Michael Bennett 2, Gage Gant 1 and Brandon Lemerande.

Win at Gold Beach

After a lackadaisical first half at Gold Beach on Jan. 26, the Tigers blitzed the Panthers 32-7 in the final two quarters to earn a 53-27 win.

“We didn’t play with intensity in the first half,” said James Freitag. “We let them do things they shouldn’t have been able to do.

“But we came out in the second half and played more up to our capabilities. I was proud of how aggressive we were at both ends of the court in the second half.”

The Tiger defense forced numerous turnovers, while the offense clicked from the perimeter and at the post. Bandon also hit the offensive boards hard as the Tigers pulled away after halftime.

Tiger scoring: Jackson 12, Garth Gant 9, Bennett 8, Mack 6, Santos 6, Josh Freitag 5, Gage Gant 4 and Davin Winchell 3.

Noting the importance of each remaining game as the conference schedule winds down, the coach added, “I think we’re getting more and more comfortable with each other and just trying to build momentum so we’re at our peak going into the league playoffs.”

Late score: C.C. 51, Bandon 29.