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Streak continues: Falcons no match for red-hot Huskies

North Marion boys drop La Salle with dominant second-half performance

• By: Garrett Rudolph  
• Published: 1/22/2010 5:43:29 PM

MILWAUKIE — North Marion put its defense on display Tuesday night at La Salle High School.
 
The North Marion boys basketball team held the Falcons to just 12 points in the second half, catapulting the Huskies to a 47-31 win and a 4-0 mark in Capital Conference play (9-7 overall).
 
“They’re really playing together as a team,” said North Marion coach Tony Merrill. “I don’t think guys are concerned about their minutes or who’s scoring. They’re just focused on what we need to do to be successful and it just shows in the way they play.”

La Salle’s 31 points was the lowest scoring output of any Class 4A opponent against the Huskies in Merrill’s three-year tenure.
 
Merrill credited North Marion’s ability to keep opponents out of the paint in recent games, while, on the flip side, the Huskies have taken a majority of their shots within 10 feet of the basket.
 
“Offensively, kind of our mantra here in league has been the team with the most lay-ins wins, and we’ve kind of taken that to heart,” said Merrill.
 
North Marion senior Josh Turner scored 12 of his team-high 20 points in the second half, as the Huskies turned a 19-19 tie at halftime into a 36-26 lead by the end of the third quarter.
 
Merrill said Turner did a great job of being aggressive in the post and sparking the Huskies’ offense.
 
“He got some offensive rebounds, some putbacks, and made some really phenomenal plays getting to the offensive glass, tipping the ball in and getting second and third shots. It was kind of his night to shine.”
 
Turner was followed by 11 points from Kelly Christensen and seven points from Adam Hayden, as the Huskies were able to take advantage of La Salle’s conservative offensive game plan, and control the pace of the game.
 
So far, balance has been one of North Marion’s primary strengths, with three different leading scorers during the team’s current four-game winning streak. Merrill said that balance is not just in the scoring, either, pointing out Jordan McCain’s performance as an example.
 
While McCain scored just three points, it was his passing and defense that gave the Huskies an edge. Also, North Marion’s depth, with nine Huskies seeing regular playing time, compared to just seven last year, has allowed the team to stay fresh late in ballgames.
 
Tuesday’s win kept the Huskies alone on top of the Capital Conference standings, ahead of Cascade (3-1 in league, 9-7 overall).
 
The Huskies had a bye on Friday, and will close out the first round of league play with a pair of games next week. North Marion will travel to Stayton on Tuesday, followed by a home game against Gladstone on Friday. Both games are scheduled for 7:15 p.m.

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