Challengers go cold from the field to allow comeback by No. 5 Jefferson in Class 3A state tournament opener

Things couldn’t have looked more upbeat for the fourth-seeded Cascade Christian girls basketball team early on Thursday afternoon in its first Class 3A tournament game in 13 years.

The Challengers seemed to have a good offensive identity and, although loose with some turnovers, they also appeared to be proving themselves well to slow down No. 5-seeded Jefferson in building a 13-3 lead with just under 1 ½ minutes remaining in the first quarter.

After that, however, it all seemed to slip away as Cascade Christian endured lengthy scoring droughts, and the Lions found their legs in the second quarter to mount a comeback that led to a bit of a runaway win once all was said and done at North Bend High in Coos Bay.

Jefferson outscored the Challengers 25-7 over the second and third quarters, and led by as many as 16 points in the fourth quarter before landing a 44-34 victory in the 3A state quarterfinals.

Senior guard Isabel McCauley led Cascade Christian (22-5) with 10 points, but was hounded into a 2-for-14 effort from the field. She also had five rebounds and three steals, while senior forward Jordynn Jones pulled in 13 rebounds to go with eight points.

Junior guard Aziza Saad scored 19 points and senior leader Gretchen Orton finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, eight steals and four assists for Jefferson (22-6).

“It was a tough one,” said first-year Cascade Christian head coach Monte Coley. “We got off to a quick, fast start, but in the second quarter, we just kind of let our guard down and they stuck with it and just played us tough.”

Neither team really played to their best ability — with first-time nerves likely at play given a combined 45-year absence from tourney play between them — but it was a particularly off day for a Challengers team that had already set a school record for wins.

“We had far too many turnovers in the first half,” said Coley, whose team went into the break tied at 18-all with Jefferson but having committed 13 turnovers against three by the Lions. “In the second half, we looked really flat. It was uncharacteristic as a team, because we usually are not like that.”

Both teams shot 24% from the field in the first half — combining to go 3-for-25 from 3-point range — but it was anyone’s game to seize in the third quarter.

Isabel McCauley drained a 3-pointer to give her team a 21-20 edge and presumably kickstart a second-half uprising, but the Challengers were outscored 10-0 after that and didn’t register another point in the quarter.

Despite being saddled with three fouls in the first half, Orton answered McCauley with a three-point play and junior Saad knocked down a 3-pointer soon after to regain control.

“To their credit, they came out and they were able to make shots in the second half,” said Coley of the Lions. “And with us not making shots, we had to climb back into it, and it was just too big of a hill for us to climb.”

There was a moment of hope with 2 ½ minutes to go when Emma Coats drove in for a layup to make it 40-30, and Julia Brehm added a basket moments later to respond to a Jefferson score. Two free throws by Coats cut the lead to 42-34 with 1:11 to play, but the Challengers were unable to get a steal or force a turnover and Jefferson chewed a lot of clock off the scoreboard before the final buzzer.

“I was happy with the way that they finished,” said Coley, “and the response from the girls after the game. There was, of course, sadness, but it let us know that they still care, and we still have games to play in the tournament.”

Coats finished with nine points and four assists, while Grace McCauley had 11 rebounds and Julia Brehm pulled in seven boards to try and offset a 9-for-49 shooting performance (18.4%) by the Challengers.

“We missed a lot of shots that we normally make, and that’s the way that tournament basketball goes,” said Coley. “It’s a tough lesson to learn for the girls, but we have to get through it and we come right back and play again tomorrow at 8 a.m.”

“It doesn’t feel good that we have to learn it at the end of the year like this, but it’s a lesson that they can learn for life,” he added. “If we get knocked down, you’ve got to get back up.”

Cascade Christian will play a consolation semifinal at 8 a.m. Friday against No. 8-seeded Coquille at Marshfield High in Coos Bay. Top-seeded Amity stormed by Coquille for a 60-27 win in Thursday’s earlier quarterfinal.

JEFFERSON (22-6) 

Aziza Saad 8-26 0-0 19, Gretchen Orton 6-14 2-4 14, Bella Kunkel 2-6 1-2 5, Luella Campbell 2-7 0-0 4, Genevieve Orton 1-5 0-0 2, Aliya Saad 0-3 0-0 0. Totals: 19-61 3-6 44.

CASCADE CHRISTIAN (22-5)

Isabel McCauley 2-14 4-4 10, Emma Coats 2-9 5-8 9, Jordynn Jones 3-12 2-2 8, Julia Brehm 1-2 2-2 4, Angelica Arce 1-7 0-0 3, Grace McCauley 0-3 0-0 0, Morgan Samhammer 0-0 0-0 0, Sienna Wilcox 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 9-49 13-16 34.

Jefferson 5 13 12 14 — 44

Cascade Christian 14 4 3 13 — 34

3-point goals—Jefferson 3-23 (Aziza Saad 3-14, Gretchen Orton 0-4, Bella Kunkel 0-1, Genevieve Orton 0-2, Aliya Saad 0-2), Cascade Christian 3-22 (Isabel McCauley 2-8, Angelica Arce 1-4, Jordynn Jones 0-5, Sienna Wilcox 0-1, Emma Coats 0-4). Rebounds—Jefferson 36 (Gretchen Orton 13), Cascade Christian 47 (Jordynn Jones 13). Assists—Jefferson 14 (Genevieve Orton 6), Cascade Christian 7 (Emma Coats 4). Total fouls—Jefferson 12, Cascade Christian 14.

Reach sports editor Kris Henry at khenry@rv-times.com or 458-488-2035