CENTRAL POINT — The Roseburg boys basketball team held the lead against Crater for nearly the entirety of Tuesday’s nonconference game, but a string of missed opportunities down the stretch left the door open for a Comets’ comeback.
“We definitely lost it. They didn’t win it,” Roseburg head coach Jordan Humphreys said following Roseburg’s 55-54 loss at Crater High School.
“Obviously give them credit, because they still battled back and got key stops when they needed them, hit big shots when they needed them and got big rebounds when they needed them, and we didn’t.”
Class 5A Crater (6-0) led for all of one minute and 14 seconds in the matchup, but finished the game on an 11-2 run to rally and defeat 6A Roseburg (1-2).
The Indians led 52-44 with 4:11 left to play, but a series of blocked shots and turnovers led to Roseburg going scoreless for more than two-and-a-half minutes.
Crater went on a 9-0 run during that span, capped by a pair of free throws from Julien Grant that gave the Comets a 53-52 advantage with 1:50 remaining. It was the first lead for Crater since it went up 2-0 at the start of the game.
Mykah Mendoza gave Roseburg the lead back with 1:37 to go and the Indians remained ahead of the Comets as the clock ticked down to just 20 seconds to play.
Roseburg was attempting to play keep away from Crater’s zone defense, but an ill-advised pass to the middle of the floor was poked away and led to a breakaway lay-in for Ben Higginson to give the Comets the lead for good.
The Indians still had time to play for the win, but a 3-point attempt by Owen Bentea at the horn was off the mark.
The loss was reminiscent of last year’s game against Crater, when the Comets stole a one-point victory at RHS in the final 10 seconds.
Humphreys said his team lacked composure down the stretch.
“Some young guys in new positions, getting big minutes. In tight games a lot of guys tense up,” he said.
Mendoza and Asher Vredenburg led Roseburg with 14 points each. Vredenburg added seven rebounds.
Junior Kyle Bittle led three Crater players in double figures with a game-high 16 points.
Roseburg will look to get back in the win column on Friday when the Indians host Caldera for a nonconference game at 6:45 p.m.
ROSEBURG (54) — Asher Vredenburg 14, Mykah Mendoza 14, Bentea 12, Lopez 7, Fanugao 3, Ash 2, Luther 2, Bingham, Bosley. Totals 24 3-6 54.
CRATER (55) — Kyle Bittle 16, Dutkiewicz 13, Grant 11, Higginson 8, Bryant 4, Acrey 3. Totals 19 13-17 55.
Roseburg;18;12;15;9;—;54
Crater;11;11;17;16;—;55
3-Point Goals — Rose. 3 (Bentea 2, Lopez 1), Crater 4 (Dutkiewicz 1, Acrey 1, Bittle 1, Grant 1). Total Fouls — Rose. 21, Crater 13. Technical Fouls — Bentea.
JV Score — Crater 60, Roseburg 53.
