Girls Basketball: Morgan Township can’t keep the pace against Oregon-Davis

Updated: February 18, 2012 9:50PM

FULTON — Good teams, like the Oregon-Davis Bobcats, usually find a way to win over the long haul.

Young, athletic teams like Morgan Township can do a lot with hustle and desire. But in the long run, talent and experience usually win out, especially when you’re playing against the fourth-ranked team in the state.

That was the way it was Saturday morning at the Class 1A Caston Regional. The Cherokees put up a good fight, but in the end, the Bobcats won it going away, 43-29.

Morgan Township gave its all for virtually the entire first half. In fact, the Cherokees actually led 16-14 after a Trina Coleman basket with three minutes to play in the first quarter. Unfortunately, the Bobcats’ own outstanding sophomore point guard, Ashley Campbell, closed out the second quarter with six straight points to give Oregon-Davis at 20-16 at halftime.

Coleman and the Cherokees just couldn’t get it going in the third quarter, as the Bobcats ran off 18 straight points, and had the game tucked away, 34-16 going into the final period.

Morgan did well in first half against the Bobcats’ full-court pressure, but foul trouble really hurt the Cherokees, and they had trouble beating the press and their shooting went south in the third quarter.

Bobcats coach Terry Minix couldn’t have praised the Cherokees more after the game.

“Morgan wanted it more the first half,” Minix said. “They played on guts, and they had nothing to lose. They outrebounded us, and they were determined. … They played extremely well, and got most of the 50-50 balls. Coleman is an excellent guard.”

In fact, Coleman played virtually the entire second half with four fouls.

“Trina didn’t let the foul problems bother her,” said Morgan coach Kevin Krieger. “She keeps getting better and better every day,” the coach said of his sophomore, who ran the team both offensively and defensively, and finished with 12 points. Courtney Osby added eight points.

“This team played better as a team than any that I’ve had in my 20 years of coaching. The girls learned some great life lessons … perseverance, camaraderie.”

Oregon-Davis was led by Campbell with 19 points, and Hailey Collings grabbed 10 rebounds, all defensive.

Morgan closes its season at 13-11, O-D moved on to the regional final at 21-4

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