JUNCTION CITY, Ore. — Kaden Schafer finished with 25 points as the Junction City Tigers (13–6) cruised to an 82–41 victory over the Cottage Grove Lions (4–14) at Craig Rothenberger Court on Friday night.
The combination of offensive execution, as well as full-court press defense for the majority of the game, proved to be a massive difference maker compared to the first time these two teams met earlier this month. A game that Cottage Grove won 49–47.
“I thought we started out with urgency on defense and got after it and tried to set the tempo,” Junction City head coach Bart Rothenberger said. “When you come out hard on defense, it helps the offense.”
Schafer, a senior forward, helped the Tigers pull away early with 16 first-half points. At 6-foot-3, he impacted the game on defense, in the paint, and from beyond the arc.
“He performed for us, and more importantly, he played hard on the defensive end,” Rothenberger said of Schafer. “You've got to remember something, [Cottage Grove] didn’t have their best player tonight, and that changes things.”
Tai Lam led Cottage Grove in scoring with 10 points, but the Tigers’ relentless brand of defense that they brought to the table was too hard for the Lions to overcome.
“We were a step slow, and we didn’t bring our best,” Cottage Grove head coach Seth Hutchinson said. “They beat us on the offensive rebounds. Knocked shots down. We were just a step slow tonight.”
Cottage Grove’s Trevor Cooper missed his second straight game for the Lions after suffering a right ankle sprain in the team’s 48–41 loss to Marist Catholic last Friday. The junior forward is expected to be out through the bye week.
“[Trevor] will probably be out next week and back next week after our bye,” Hutchison said. Hoping that’s what it's for, but we’re going to do what’s best for the kid. We want to make sure he’s healthy and 100% and at his best.”Tigers’ senior guard Carter Franks exited the game with 3:35 remaining in the first quarter after taking a hard fall while high-pointing an errant pass from Cottage Grove’s Tai Lam. Franks returned to the game and finished with 12 points.
Junction City extended its winning streak to four games with the victory, while Cottage Grove has now dropped three straight.
Cottage Grove will make the two-hour journey to North Bend, where they will take on the Bulldogs (5–13). Hutchison outlined what it will take for the Lions to snap their losing streak.
“It all starts in practice. That’s where the results come from,” Hutchison said. “We've got to get back in the gym on Monday and some shots up on Sunday, and we've got to be ready for Tuesday.”
Junction City prepares for a tough task ahead, as they hit the road to take on the Marist Catholic Spartans (11–4).
“It’s always a war,” Rothenberger said. “It always comes down to the last couple of minutes of war. [Marist] plays well on defense. They play well at home, and there’s nobody I’d rather see on a Tuesday night than the old Holy Dome.”
What’s Next:
Cottage Grove: @ North Bend Tuesday 2/3
Junction City: @ Marist Catholic Tuesday 2/3