Prep girls' basketball: Houston's comeback bid falls short

Jan. 14, 2006

By MATT TUNSETH/ Frontiersman

HOUSTON - By the time the Houston girls basketball team started playing their game Friday night, it was already too late.

The Hawks staged a gritty comeback bid in the second half, but fell 59-43 to Grace Christian in a tough, physical opening South Central Conference game for both squads.

&#8220We've always been a second half team,” Houston guard Jen Mason said following the game.

Houston trailed by 12 points at halftime, and saw the Grizzlies stretch that lead to 35-13 in the third quarter behind the inside game of Rosie Berg and outside shooting of Marjie Dupea.

Dupea finished with a game-high 17 points for Grace, while Berg added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who had four players in score double figures.

Mason was the top scorer for Houston, getting 10 points - all in the second half - before fouling out late in the fourth quarter. Caylee Redford, Anne Warner and Lynessa VanKirk each scored seven for the Hawks. Laura Herman added six, while Emily Hundley and Ariel Katzenberger each chipped in three.

Houston coach Jason Spakowski said his team came out tentative, which led to numerous turnovers and missed shots early on.

&#8220We did everything we wanted to do except put the ball in the basket,” Spakowski said.

Indeed, Houston was able to force 30 Grace turnovers, and held the Grizzlies to just 35 percent from the field. But Houston could only manage 29 percent shooting, and the Hawks made just nine of their 25 attempts from the free throw line.

Spakowski said he was pleased with how hard his team played - Houston players hit the floor with regularity throughout the contest - but said the Hawks couldn't overcome their inability to find the basket.

&#8220We just played jittery,” Spakowski said.

Houston's comeback bid began in the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run that cut the lead to 12. The Hawks eventually got within 46-37 after a 3-point play by Redford beneath the hoop. But every time Houston got close, Grace was able to get key scores to keep the Hawks at arm's length.

Mason said she felt like the team had more than enough firepower to play with Grace.

&#8220We felt like the whole game it was even,” she said.

Mason said that she believes if the Hawks can play the way they did down the stretch Friday night, they'll be just fine as the conference season wears on.

&#8220It will be different from here on out,” she said.

The loss dropped Houston to 0-1 in the conference. Next up for the Hawks is a clash with the Su-Valley Rams Tuesday night in Talkeetna.

Contact Matt Tunseth at 352-2265 or matt.tunseth@frontiersman.com