Cardinals cruise

~ Josey Long scored 35 points to lead Woodland past Meadow Heights in tourney opener

DELTA -- Any trepidation Woodland coach Robert Stein harbored about his girls basketball team responding to a long layoff was quickly put to rest Wednesday by senior guard Josie Long.

Facing Meadow Heights in the opening round of the Delta New Years Tournament, Woodland jumped out to a quick 15-2 lead over the Panthers -- with Long scoring the Cardinals' first 11 points -- on its way to a 70-42 victory.

Long finished with a game-high 35 points, scoring on an impressive array of 3-pointers, pull-up jumpers and driving layups, and the Cardinals (7-0) moved on to face Oran in a semifinal today at 8:30 p.m.

"Josie Long is a special-type player," Stein said. "A lot of that comes from what her teammates do around her -- moving the ball well, screening to get her open, understanding their roles. That's very important. This is another one of those games we played where, early, Josie's beaten the other team all by herself. Like I said, she's a special player."

Woodland’s Kat Cooper, left, and Meadow Heights’ Hayley Thorne battle for a rebound during the first quarter of their first-round game of the Delta New Years Tournament on Wednesday in Delta. (Fred Lynch)

After the Panthers' Hayley Thorne opened the game with a layup, Long sparked a 15-0 run with 11 straight points. She hit a pair of 3-pointers, scored on a baseline jumper following a steal by teammate Kat Cooper, then came up with consecutive steals of her own, the first leading to a layup and the second to Long hitting one of two free throws.

By the time Cooper drained a 3-pointer from the baseline, Woodland led 15-2 midway through the first quarter.

"I was just pumped because we haven't played a game for, like, a month," Long said. "We were so ready to go out there and play. I guess it was like a tournament rush. I scored, and we just went out there and relaxed."

Meadow Heights closed the gap to 20-10 after the first period, but that's as close as the Panthers would get. Woodland stretched it's lead to 31-15 at the half and never let off the gas in the second half. The Cardinals ended up putting up a whopping 69 shots in the game, connecting on 26 while holding Meadow Heights to just 12-of-42 shooting from the field.

"Once you get down at the beginning, it's hard to make a comeback," Meadow Heights coach Charlie Doublin said.

Also hurting the Panthers was the fact floor leader Kiana Hotop was under the weather, and Doublin had to give his junior point guard extended breaks throughout the game. As a result, the Panthers turned the ball over 30 times against the Cardinals' full-court pressure, including 11 times in the first quarter alone.

The Cardinals also are getting used to having Cooper, a senior guard, back in their lineup. Cooper, who contributed 14 points, was playing in her second game back after suffering whiplash from a basketball to the face in Woodland's first game of the season.

"It feels amaxing," Cooper said about being back on the court. "I really missed my teammates and just playing with them. It's not the same watching them play. I just really liked being out there with them again. It was great."

Long appreciated being back on the floor with her "partner."

"We work together pretty well," Long said. "She's a good teammate."

After allowing the Cardinals' early run, Meadow Heights (1-8) was able to remain within striking distance thanks to some timely 3-pointers and the play of Hayley Thorne, a senior guard who led the Panthers with 15 points, including hitting 9 of 10 free throws. Meadow Heights trailed by 13, 51-38, early in the fourth quarter before a 12-0 Woodland run put the game out of reach.

"We let our mental discipline lapse there in the middle two quarters," Stein said. "In the last probably six minutes, our girls decided to get up and play basketball again. Give Meadow Heights a lot of credit. They scrap, and they play really hard. Having said that, if we're going to win our next round, we're going to have to play better basketball."

Meadow Heights 10 5 14 13 -- 42

Woodland 20 11 17 22 -- 70

MEADOW HEIGHTS (42) -- Kylee Whitener 3, Abi Bristow 7, Kiana Hotop 8, Lauren Manning 1, Emma Cook 6, Hayley Thorne 15, Jacque Starkey 2. FG: 12. FT: 16-25. Total fouls: 16. (3-pointers: Whitener 1, Bristow 1. Fouled out: none)

WOODLAND (70) -- Whitney Lincoln 2, Josie Long 35, Kat Cooper 14, Taylor Toombs 3, Rachel Poole 3, Shelby Sawyer 9, Lindsey Craft 4. FG: 26. FT: 12-23. Total fouls: 20. (3-pointers: Long 3, Cooper 2, Toombs 1. Fouled out: none)