ONE LITTLE VICTORY; THE GREATEST THAT CAN BE (apologies to the rock band Rush)

Led by Sydney Greene's 3 three pointers in the first half and an angry, tenacious defense, the Lady Falcons managed to hold off a plucky but over matched Siuslaw squad 36-34 at Elmira High School, Tuesday January 22.  The win broke an 11 game losing streak and raised the Falcons' record to a humble 3-13.

Lady Falcons senior Sydney Greene fires a three point shot from above the key in Elmira's 36-34 victory over Siuslaw, Tuesday January 22.  Photo by Kimberly Lillie.

However, Elmira almost let the Lady Vikings off the hook.  At one time holding a comfortable 8 point lead in the third quarter, the Lady Falcons found Siuslaw cutting into the lead with the help of a back court press and tenacious play by Brea Blankenship and 5-9 Gracie Freudenthal.  Both teams suffered from poor shooting and sloppy ball handling.

Elmira's Eden Blunt slashes to the basket in the Lady Falcons 36-34 victory over Siuslaw, Tuesday, January 22 at Elmira High School.  Photo by Kimberly Lillie.

The key to victory however was clear.  When Maranda Hanson was on the floor, the Lady Vikings simply didn't have easy lanes to the rack, with sophomore center collecting 4 blocked shots on the evening and redirecting the several more.

Falcons front line players Maranda Hanson and Alexis White battle Siuslaw's Mia Corrine for a rebound in Elmira's 36-34 victory over the Lady Vikings, Tuesday, January 22.  Photo by Kimberly Lillie.

The win over lowly Siuslaw doesn't reconcile a difficult, injury plagued season, but it does get them in the win column and end that treacherous 11 game string of futility.  The Lady Falcons need to covet the feeling because their next endeavor will be daunting as they travel to Coos Bay to play the #1 ranked team in the state, Marshfield on Friday night.

Lady Falcons Find True Grit; Come from Behind to Dump Sisters

Except for a sublime, impromptu moment, Elmira's girls basketball victory over Sisters was anything but a work of art.

"We have a long way to go in our execution, conditioning, and in a lot of our skill work," noted Falcon's head coach Ken Best in an email.  "But I was proud of how level-headed and focused we were."

Junior Maranda Hanson towers over three Sisters' defenders as well as Elmira's Megan Porter and Sydney Green to snatch a rebound in the Lady Falcons' 34-29 victory over the Lady Outlaws.  Photo by Kimberly Lillie

In a sluggish game where both teams shot horrendously, especially in the first half, Elmira's backcourt accounted for 61% of the Falcon's scoring, overcoming a first half deficit and pulling out a 34-29 victory in their season opener in the nightcap game, December 4 at Elmira High School.  Senior Sydney Green scored 11 points and Carly Grossmiller added 10 for the winners.

Second team 4A-Sky Em, all conference player Sydney Green goes up for an uncontested lay up in Elmira's 34-29 win over Sisters, Tuesday December 4.  Green led all Falcon scorers with 11 points.  Photo by Kimberly Lillie

Defense was the order of the day, especially in the second half where the Lady Outlaws were reduced to a meager 10 points in 16 minutes of play.  Led by defensive specialist Megan Porter, the Falcons regained the lead on the first possession of the second half and began to wear down the Sisters offense.

Elmira forward Megan Porter defends against Sisters' shooter Sydney Head in the Lady Falcons' opening night victory against the Lady Outlaws, Tuesday December 4.  Photo by Kimberly Lilly.

"Megan is the type of defender I can put on their point guard, their best shooter, or their best post," Best added.  "I trust her in every defensive situation."

The punctuation mark on the victory belonged to Cheyanne White, who provided the most scintillating, albeit inadvertent,  highlight of the night.  Breaking the Sisters press, White drove into the right side of the paint with the intention of scoring.  According to White, she realized that a defender was going to be in the way and chose to pass.  As the defender lunged, the pass bounced on a dime through the defender's legs and into the hands of the Falcons' Alexis White, who scored in one fluid motion.  It was one of three pivotal plays that sealed the victory for Elmira.

White got another assist to Porter who hit a transition lay-up.  With three minutes to play, White had a shot blocked but was able to tip it to Porter who found Green for an open baseline jumper.

"I liked our tenacity and effort," Best said.  "They kept their heads in the game and never panicked, and they seemed to having fun.  The part about having fun is important to me."