Murphy tops Kamiak in opener

Published 11:05 pm Wednesday, December 1, 2010

MUKILTEO — The full-court press can be a powerful, disruptive weapon for any basketball team.

But the catch with a press is that you’ve got to make shots in order to get into it. And therein lay the difference in Wednesday’s nonconference girls basketball game between Kamiak and Archbishop Murphy.

Kamiak made just two field goals in the final six minutes, preventing the home team from getting into its harassing press and allowing Archbishop Murphy just enough room to pull out a 57-54 victory in the season opener for both schools at Kamiak High School.

For the game, the Knights missed 23 shots from 5 feet or closer, none more important than in the fourth quarter when Kamiak’s cold streak allowed the Wildcats to rally from a 49-42 deficit with 51/2 minutes to play.

“We just missed so many easy shots,” Kamiak coach Jody Schauer said. “We have a really young team with not a lot of experience and I think that played a part, but you’ve got to make shots, especially the ones that we missed.”

It was a game of runs, with Murphy using a 13-0 streak at the start of the second half to turn a 30-25 deficit into a 38-30 lead on back-to-back Alix Ericksen 3-pointers. Kamiak answered with a 19-4 run between the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth to lead 49-42 with 5:31 to play. The key was the Knights’ press, which forced 23 Murphy turnovers, including 16 between the second and third quarters. But after Erika Larson made a 3-pointer with six minutes to play, Kamiak managed just two more field goals, keeping it from setting up the press.

“They have a good ability to get up and deflect a lot of passes,” Murphy coach John Barhanovich said. “What’s funny is, we worked on our press break more this preseason than we ever have. But we were rushing things and people weren’t closing to receive the pass. But I said at the end of the third quarter that if we don’t turn the ball over, we’re going to win.”

That’s just what happened. The Wildcats had just two turnovers in the fourth quarter. Still, the game wasn’t decided until late. The lead changed hands five times in the last 2:52, and a Kate Blackwell jump shot gave Kamiak a 54-53 lead with 1:37 to play. Wildcat forward Beth Carlson answered by scoring a layup off an outstanding entry pass from Kelsy Rasmussen with 41 seconds to play. The Wildcats got the ball back but Rasmussen was called for a travel when she was trapped on the left sideline. But Larson missed a shot and Rasmussen got the loose-ball rebound and was fouled. The senior guard buried both foul shots and Kamiak missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds.

“I’ve been in that position a lot and I love the challenge,” said Rasmussen, who had 15 points. “I love being in close games and having the ball. I was just thinking, ‘Shoot it like you do in practice.’ After the second shot went in, it was a big feeling of relief.”

“She’s probably the one we’d want at the line at the end of the game,” Barhanovich said. “She’s a confident player with a lot of experience.”

Kamiak was breaking in seven new varsity players and at times it showed, as the Knights turned it over 22 times and were outrebounded in the second half 22-8.

“We played with great effort and didn’t give up, which is sometimes a problem with a young team,” Schauer said. “I was happy with the hustle and effort, and I think we’ll learn from this game.”

Carlson, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, had 17 points and nine rebounds and Ericksen had 12 points — all on second-half 3-pointers — for Murphy. Lexi Burns had 14 points and six steals, Blackwell scored 11, Larson scored 10 and Laurenna Plourd had seven points, seven rebounds and four blocks for Kamiak.

At Kamiak H.S.

A. Murphy11141715 — 57

Kamiak 13171113— 54

Archbishop Murphy: Beth Carlson 17, Jenni Farrell 2, Alix Ericksen 12, MaireMichael Carroll 3, Manon Begert 0, Sarah Vincent 0, Kelsy Rasmussen 15, Anna Maher 7, Kylie Rebich 1, Molly Meehan 0. Record: 1-0.

Kamiak: Lexi Burns 14, Erika Larson 10, Carrie Barnes 0, Jessica Keller 5, Danielle Smullin 7, Katia Brown 0, Salena Taylor 0, Laurenna Plourd 7, Kate Blackwell 11. Record: 0-1.