Mac girls cruise in first round

Rachel Thompson/News-Register##Ruby Riddle (45) celebrates a Grizzly 3-pointer from the bench with teammates — and the raucous home crown behind them — as the Grizzlies pulled away from their 6A playoffs first round matchup, Ida B. Wells, on Wednesday at McMinnville High School.

Rachel Thompson/News-Register##McMinnville junior Macie Arzner led the team in scoring with 23 points.

Rachel Thompson/News-Register##McMinnville senior Maya Altree came off the bench and scored nine points in the second half against Ida B. Wells, including two corner 3’s.

In front of raucous home crowd, McMinnville’s girls basketball team overpowered Ida B. Wells in the second half of its playoff matchup to win 62-32. The Grizzlies hosted the Guardians on Wednesday, Feb. 28 and put on a show, overcoming a one-point deficit at the half to outscore the visiting PIL team 41-10 in the final 16 minutes.

Junior guard Macie Arzner led her team with 23 points, and seniors Madison Gerhart and Maya Altree chipped in nine points. For Ida B. Wells, senior Sinclair Atkins and junior Claire Dixon led the way with seven points apiece.

The Grizzlies came storming out of the gates. Four seconds into the game, Arzner controlled the tip and drew a shooting foul. While she split the first pair, the 5-10 guard would make repeated trips to the free throw line over the course of the game, going 10-of-13. The team as a whole went 15-of-28 from the stripe.

McMinnville went on a 14-2 run to start the game and went into the second quarter 19-6.

“We made a really nice run at the start of the game, a lot of energy,” McMinnville head coach Sean Coste said. “Making shots, getting tips, our defense was really active, running the floors, getting easy shots.”

From there though, the Grizzlies encountered stiff resistance from the visitors.

The Guardians scored a trio of buckets to start the second stanza and cut its deficit to 19-14 by 4:37 of the quarter. The Mac squad, so good at drawing fouls in the first eight minutes, found itself at the mercy of the referees’ whistles in the second quarter. The Grizzlies were in foul trouble in the waning minutes of the half, and Ida B. Wells took a 22-21 lead into the break after sinking a free throw.

“In the second quarter, they started getting some fouls on us and that changed the whole momentum of the first half,” Coste continued. “I think Macie got three, Riley, Peyton and Maddix all had two. We just had a lot of kids in foul trouble … Getting in foul trouble can be tough and detrimental to what you’re trying to do.

Got to work on that and make sure that doesn’t happen again. But (Ida B. Wells) coming back in, had momentum as they’re leaving the court at halftime.”

The second quarter was frustrating for Arzner and company.

“We were getting a little flustered and we couldn’t quite get things to the hoop,” Arzner said. “Once we start getting a ton of fouls, we actually start fouling. Maybe things aren’t being called our way, we start playing like that. I think that was a big thing was just, making sure that we didn’t give into stuff. When the game doesn’t go your way, it’s a matter of making sure that you stay locked in mentally.”

And lock in they did. In the second half, McMinnville came out with renewed energy. The home team went on a 13-6 run to regain the lead, with breakaway buckets and trips to the foul line giving it an edge it lacked in the second quarter. Heading into the fourth quarter, McMinnville was up 41-28.

Part of that was switching up the attack, camping shooters in the corners. In the second half, corner 3’s from Altree and junior guard Rylie McManus helped create more space for the Grizzlies to work with and secure the win. Altree, who comes off the bench, also provided sparks on the defensive front.

“I really thought Maya, in the second half, hit some shots and took them with confidence and slowed down her shot,” Coste said. “She gave herself a little bit more time on the shot. She slowed down her shot and got her rhythm a little. I liked her confidence, and she did a good job in the top of our press and got some steals. We have a really good group up there with our guards, (senior) Peyton (Justice), Rylie, and Maya.”

The fourth quarter was all McMinnville; Ida B. Wells didn’t score a field goal in the final eight minutes. Mac is moving on.

The Grizzlies (22-3) face 14-seed Grants Pass (17-9) on Saturday, March 2 at 4 p.m. at McMinnville High School. Grants Pass advanced into the second round with a 59-27 win over Barlow on Feb. 28, and finished its regular season third in the Southwest Conference behind South Medford and Willamette.

Arzner and company are relishing the chance to defend home court one more time.

“The girls and I are beyond excited,” Arzner said. “It’s going to be a really fun, tough game, but our girls, we’re tenacious and ready for what’s to come. I think that when we have this momentum coming on our home court and we’re able to get the fans out, it’s awesome and makes it difficult for the other team to come in and play on our court.”