Diggers force another title game tonight

Diggers force another title game tonight

Published: Thursday, February 26, 2009 11:28 PM MST
IDAHO FALLS -- The Sugar-Salem offense and defense sizzled Wednesday night in a 57-42 victory over Shelley, setting up a winner-take-all district championship game against the Russets tonight at 7 p.m. at Skyline High School in Idaho Falls.

The Diggers' offense shot 52 percent from the floor on Wednesday, while defensively Sugar-Salem held Shelley's top scorer, Tanner Higham, to just 12 points on the night. Mostly the Diggers employed a double team as soon as Higham touched the ball over half court.

"We did better job to not let him get so many 3-point shots off on us," Sugar-Salem coach Jay Miller said of the defense on Higham. "Everybody played some really good defense, and we're proud of that."

The Diggers also had the full-court press on, creating turnovers.

On offense, Brennan Bean lad the Diggers with 17 points, including a dagger of an old-fashioned three-point play in the fourth to give the Diggers their biggest lead of the night, 55-36 with about four minutes remaining in the game.

Kevin Walker also hit a big 3-pointer as time was winding down at the end of the third quarter. Walker finished with eight points.

Sugar-Salem (21-3) held the lead throughout most of the game as the inside and outside players were hitting shots.

Inside Bryden Morris had 10 points and Cameron Hastings finished with 8.

In today's game, Miller said he will look for any adjustments Shelley will make, but it will be anyone's game.

"It's hard to say. Who knows what kind of adjustments they're going to make?" he said. "We're going to worry about what we're going to (do)."

Shelley (13-10) is the five-time defending district champions. The winner has an automatic berth in the state tournament, while the loser must play a play-in game to get to state.

Sugar-Salem 57, Shelley 42

SS 17 19 12 9 -- 57

Shelley 12 16 7 7 --42

Sugar-Salem -- Brett Miyasaki 1, Kyle Andrews 5, Brennan Bean 17, Kevin Walker 8, Jordan Ostermiller 5, Bryden Morris 10, Cameron Hastings 8, Fletcher Rydalch 1, Caleb Brown 2 Totals: 21 11-16 57

3-pointers: Andrews 1, Walker 2, Ostermiller 1.

Shelley -- Kabe Call 2, Jason Christensen 4, Lakota Stammel 2, Tanner Higham 12, Nathan Higham 9, Tommy Higham 11, Cody Anderson 2. Totals 15 8-12 42

3-pointers: Ta. Higham 1, To. Higham 3.