|
This page is part of the
Tourneytown.com archives and is no longer updated. |
| Published January 20, 2003 :: Home |
Brewster Blasts Granger Boys By DAVE THOMAS YAKIMA HERALD-REPUBLIC Not a bad test run for a team that's planning a return trip to the SunDome in a couple of months. Starting with a guy who didn't even get to play in last year's state Class 1A Tournament in the SunDome, and including some reserve players who got valuable playing time with two starters missing. David Pendergraft, the reigning Class 1A state player of the year, showed the full range of his abilities, posting 28 points, 11 rebounds and three assists in leading the top-ranked Bears to a convincing 72-38 victory over Granger, another team with postseason aspirations. "We wanted to get our feet wet playing in the big building," Brewster coach Tim Taylor said. "This gives us a chance to get familar with the surroundings." Not that the Bears need much help in that regard. Brewster finished fourth in the SunDome last March. A higher finish may have been in the cards had Pendergraft been available. But the 6-foot-5 player missed last year's state tournament with a broken hand. "We came here (today) with great expectations for March," Pendergraft said. "Granger is a tough team. This was a valuable opportunity. There's nothing better than playing like this against a team that also hopes to be back in March." Brewster was in control essentially from the start, despite missing two starters currently on suspension. In their places, Ryne Phillips, Andy Hill and freshman Michael Taylor, the coach's son, stepped up to provide a strong supporting cast. That helped the Bears shoot 54 percent for the game (30 of 56) and outrebound Granger 41-16. Phillips ran the point in place of Mac Gebbers and produced eight points and three assists, including a nifty behind-the-back pass to Pendegraft to finish a fast break. Hill, filling in for center Tyler Evans, added eight points and nine rebounds, and Michael Taylor, also a forward had four rebounds, six assists and five steals. "This team is really deep," Pendergraft said. "There are no scrubs. Today, it didn't look like a team that was missing two starters." "These kids are capable of playing and they're showing it," said Taylor, adding that he was pleased -- and a bit surprised -- by his team's effort. "I thought we played extremely good defense and weathered a couple of their runs." Granger actually had very few runs in a game in which the Spartans were taken out by a 26-5 run that spanned the first and second quarters. The Spartans shot 33 percent in the first half and 30 percent (16 of 53) for the game in losing their fourth straight since a 9-0 start. Still, coach Dave Gibb wasn't overly concerned by the one-sided defeat. "We came off two tough league games and this was a little like an exhibition for us," he said. "Maybe that wasn't the best way to approach it ... but the main thing was making sure we played hard to the end."
ADVERTISEMENT
Copyright 2002-2010 All photos, content and design |
:: GAME STATS |
