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Pirates finish season with dramatic win Pirates finish season with dramatic win By Cody Hockema, Sports Assistant, The World Monday, February 25, 2008 The Marshfield girls basketball team earned an emotional 45-42 win against Thurston on Saturday in Ali Worthen’s final prep game. “It couldn’t have ended better,” said Worthen, who made the game-sealing shot in the dwindling seconds of the fourth quarter. Worthen ended on a tremendous note with one of her best performances all year, scoring 12 points and playing a huge defensive role with some clutch steals toward the end of the game. “I couldn’t be prouder of this team and Ali,” said Marshfield coach Debbie Dunbar. “She had steals and layins when we needed them.” While Worthen delivered a great game herself, she impacted the rest of the team’s game in how her teammates felt they owed their lone senior the win. She was said to be a motivating factor in Marshfield’s comeback from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter. “We came back for Ali and ourselves,” said Marshfield’s Moriah Roberge, who had a strong night as well with 14 points and seven steals. “We just thought about Ali and dug deep.” Neither team took a big lead in the opening quarter. Mel Stout scored first for Marshfield when she sank two free throws after being fouled attempting a layin. McKenzie Gorman gave Thurston the lead with the first of her two 3-pointers during the game. Gorman was Thurston’s leading scorer on the night with 10 points. The game remained close the entire quarter, with the Colts ending with a 10-9 lead after a technical foul on Coach George. Marshfield’s Brianna George and Roberge had 3-pointers in the second quarter, but the Colts made a run in the final two minutes of the quarter to take a 21-16 halftime lead. Stout began the second half as she did the first half with two free throws to start Marshfield’s initial comeback. She was nearly flawless from the line, making seven of 10 shots by the end of the game and finished with 11 points. Worthen nailed a smooth turn-around jumper at the baseline and then scored on a layin, which gave Marshfield its first lead of the half. But the Colts rattled off 14 straight points and took a 39-26 lead into the fourth quarter. Dunbar looked at the 13-point deficit with optimism, reminding her team that it was possible to get it back if they believed they could win. “We just said this is it, eight minutes left in the last game,” said Worthen. “We had to leave it all out on the court.” The Pirates turned the inspirational words into a rally that hit the Colts with 13 unanswered points, tying the game at 39. Elise Nelson put Thurston back in front by hitting a free throw. Roberge, who led the comeback with seven points and several steals in the final quarter, gave the Pirates their first lead since early in the third quarter when she drained two foul shots with 1:39 left on the clock. Miranda Phelps then hit a long jumper to put Thurston up by one. Then, in what was perhaps the most important of her many steals that night, Roberge yanked the ball away from Thurston’s point guard near half court and nailed a crossover layin, giving Marshfield the lead with nearly 50 seconds left. After a timeout from the Colts, the ball was inbounded at the top of the court. Marshfield began to pressure relentlessly and in the final play of her high school career, Worthen tipped the ball away and dribbled down court for an easy layin, sealing the game for Marshfield at 45-42. “We went crazy for a minute, we pressured them and they panicked,” said Worthen. Thurston coach Michelle Tuma was disappointed in her team’s performance in the fourth quarter. “We only played for three quarters, we had it but just didn’t respond at the end,” said Tuma. The Colts scored just three points in the fourth quarter. With the win, Marshfield tied Thurston for fourth place at 6-9 in the final league standings, one game behind North Eugene, which opens the Class 5A playoffs at home against Crescent Valley on Tuesday. Dunbar was elated by the intensity that surfaced in the fourth quarter. “I appreciate all of the fans and support tonight,” said Dunbar. “It’s a shame these girls aren’t going to the playoffs. They deserve to be in the state tournament.

Pirates finish season with dramatic win

Pirates finish season with dramatic win
By Cody Hockema, Sports Assistant, The World
Monday, February 25, 2008

The Marshfield girls basketball team earned an emotional 45-42 win against Thurston on Saturday in Ali Worthen’s final prep game.

“It couldn’t have ended better,” said Worthen, who made the game-sealing shot in the dwindling seconds of the fourth quarter.

Worthen ended on a tremendous note with one of her best performances all year, scoring 12 points and playing a huge defensive role with some clutch steals toward the end of the game.

“I couldn’t be prouder of this team and Ali,” said Marshfield coach Debbie Dunbar. “She had steals and layins when we needed them.”

While Worthen delivered a great game herself, she impacted the rest of the team’s game in how her teammates felt they owed their lone senior the win. She was said to be a motivating factor in Marshfield’s comeback from a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

“We came back for Ali and ourselves,” said Marshfield’s Moriah Roberge, who had a strong night as well with 14 points and seven steals. “We just thought about Ali and dug deep.”

Neither team took a big lead in the opening quarter.

Mel Stout goes to the basket against Thurston defender Brittney Boroughs Mel Stout scored first for Marshfield when she sank two free throws after being fouled attempting a layin.

McKenzie Gorman gave Thurston the lead with the first of her two 3-pointers during the game. Gorman was Thurston’s leading scorer on the night with 10 points.

The game remained close the entire quarter, with the Colts ending with a 10-9 lead after a technical foul on Coach George.

Marshfield’s Brianna George and Roberge had 3-pointers in the second quarter, but the Colts made a run in the final two minutes of the quarter to take a 21-16 halftime lead.

Stout began the second half as she did the first half with two free throws to start Marshfield’s initial comeback. She was nearly flawless from the line, making seven of 10 shots by the end of the game and finished with 11 points.

Worthen nailed a smooth turn-around jumper at the baseline and then scored on a layin, which gave Marshfield its first lead of the half.

But the Colts rattled off 14 straight points and took a 39-26 lead into the fourth quarter.

Dunbar looked at the 13-point deficit with optimism, reminding her team that it was possible to get it back if they believed they could win.

“We just said this is it, eight minutes left in the last game,” said Worthen. “We had to leave it all out on the court.”

The Pirates turned the inspirational words into a rally that hit the Colts with 13 unanswered points, tying the game at 39.

Elise Nelson put Thurston back in front by hitting a free throw.

Roberge, who led the comeback with seven points and several steals in the final quarter, gave the Pirates their first lead since early in the third quarter when she drained two foul shots with 1:39 left on the clock.

Miranda Phelps then hit a long jumper to put Thurston up by one.

Then, in what was perhaps the most important of her many steals that night, Roberge yanked the ball away from Thurston’s point guard near half court and nailed a crossover layin, giving Marshfield the lead with nearly 50 seconds left.

After a timeout from the Colts, the ball was inbounded at the top of the court. Marshfield began to pressure relentlessly and in the final play of her high school career, Worthen tipped the ball away and dribbled down court for an easy layin, sealing the game for Marshfield at 45-42.

“We went crazy for a minute, we pressured them and they panicked,” said Worthen.

Thurston coach Michelle Tuma was disappointed in her team’s performance in the fourth quarter.

“We only played for three quarters, we had it but just didn’t respond at the end,” said Tuma.

The Colts scored just three points in the fourth quarter.

With the win, Marshfield tied Thurston for fourth place at 6-9 in the final league standings, one game behind North Eugene, which opens the Class 5A playoffs at home against Crescent Valley on Tuesday.

Dunbar was elated by the intensity that surfaced in the fourth quarter.

“I appreciate all of the fans and support tonight,” said Dunbar. “It’s a shame these girls aren’t going to the playoffs. They deserve to be in the state tournament.