Mt. Hood is never challenged after building a 49-33 halftime lead
The Mt. Hood CC mens basketball team pounded the ball inside over and over again Wednesday night for an 87-67 win over visiting Chemeketa marking the Storms first loss in league play.
We knew we had a size advantage on them, so we just stuck with our regular offense and it worked, Saints center Mac Johnson said.
He finished with a double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 12 rebounds.
After trading the lead a dozen times in the early stages, Mt. Hood pulled away with a 26-9 run to end the first half. Denzel Green beat the shot clock with a 3 to put the Saints in front, and the margin quickly expanded to double digits when Jalen Thomas swished a pair of free throws after Chemeketa coach David Abderhalden was hit with a technical foul.
A mix of crashing the boards and forcing turnovers allowed the Saints to attempt 40 shots in the first half 14 more than the Storm. Of that total more than two-thirds of the teams attempts came from in the paint often within five feet of the basket.
Mt. Hood carried a 49-33 lead into the locker room and maintained a comfortable margin throughout the second half.
The Saints (7-10) hit the halfway point of the league season Saturday when they travel to Linn-Benton (5-9) for a 4 p.m. start.
Look for extended game coverage in the Friday, Jan. 25, print edition.
View a photo gallery from the game at
http://daveball.exposuremanager.com/g/jan23mhccvchemeketa_hoops