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| Published March 5, 2004 :: Home |
Toledo Eliminates
Zillah, 61-47 It is often talked about -- almost reverently -- in conversations pertaining to athletics. That most hallowed of adversaries has tripped up even the best team at some time.
Perhaps that proverbial obstacle should be enshrined -- perhaps with its jersey number retired -- in the Zillah High School Athletic Hall of Shame. The hump won its latest battle with the Leopards on Friday at the SunDome. Truth be told, it had considerable help in the presence of 6-foot-8 Toledo center Artem Wallace in Toledo’s 61-47 win at the Class 1A state basketball tournament. Zillah’s season is over 19-7. The Leopards finished in a second-place tie in the SCAC West during the regular season and won the SCAC District tournament. “When we got that lead early in the third quarter, I thought we’d get over the hump,” Zillah coach Doug Burge said, referring to his team’s second straight third-day loss. “We were working so hard on offense and on defense … I told our kids our legs were a little more tired than their were.” Part of that was from trying to deal with Wallace. The talented junior had 23 points and 16 rebounds -- seven of those offensive -- as he guided the Indians to the fourth-place game Saturday against University Prep at noon. Burge noted that after battling back from a 12-point second-period deficit, 25-13, the Leopards actually took the lead at 33-32 on the second of Duran Torrez’s free throws with 6:15 remaining in the third. But the Leopards managed just four points the rest of the quarter and found themselves trailing 43-37 headed into the fourth. “We haven’t found ways to score,” he said. “That’s been our nemesis all year.” It certainly was Friday. The Leopards shot just 22 percent in the second half, hitting six of 27 shots. For the game Zillah was 18 of 53 from the field, 34 percent. Toledo, meanwhile, hit 50 percent (10-20) in the second half after hitting 61 percent (14-23) in the opening 16 minutes. Even with the offensive difficulties, Zillah didn’t back down a bit. Even after Toledo stretched its lead to 10 with 5:35 remaining, the Leopards continued their defensive work -- Burge referred to it as biting Wallace’s leg -- shutting Toledo down for more than two minutes before fatigue became an issue.
Torrez led Zillah with 13 points, while reserve Nick
Collins had nine points and five rebounds in 17 minutes of action.
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