Comets girls lose in fourth quarter to Gulls

Courtesy of The Chinook Observer
RAYMOND - The Naselle Comets stayed right with the Pacific League-leading Raymond Seagulls for three quarters of a girls' basketball game played in Raymond Tuesday, Jan. 16. However, the Gulls used a 21-8 fourth quarter to pull away from the Comets for a 46-30 win. The Comets record dropped to 3-3 in league and 6-6 overall. League leading Raymond improved to 6-1 in league and 9-4 overall.The Comets, with Ashley Ahlstrom (11 points) and Cheryl Steppe (nine points) leading the way, kept pace with the Gulls through most of the early game. Naselle trailed 13-7 after one, but used a 9-6 second period to only trail 19-16 at the half. A 6-6 standoff in the third period brought the two teams into the crucial fourth quarter with Raymond holding a three-point lead.That was when the Gulls were able to take advantage of their margin of free throw attempts (26-17) to pull away from the Comets. Tammy McGough made eight of nine free throws in the quarter to give her a game-high 13 points. The Gulls made 20 of 26 free throws in the game. Teammate Lisa Kongbouakhay added 10 to the Raymond point production.The Comets are now entering a crucial series of games which may very well determine their post season playoff hopes. Naselle is currently in fourth place in the league (as of Jan. 15) with upcoming games against Northwest Christian, (which has a nearly identical record as the Comets' record), two games against Ocosta, (which has yet to win a league game), and a return match-up with South Bend, (which lost to the Comets the first time around). A winning record in those four games would do much to set up the Comets for their stretch drive when they close the league season against three of the stronger league teams.

NASELLE (30) - Ashley Ahlstrom 11, Cheryl Steppe 9, Keightley 4, Saari 2, Beaulaurier 2, Landis 1, Klinger 1, Pakenen, Fletcher, Green;

FG -11-39 (.282).
FT - 8-17.

RAYMOND (46) - Tammy McGough 13, Lisa Kongbouakhay 10, Rutherford 7, Webber 4, Khammala 4, Miller 4, Montgomery 2, Stepp 2, Buck, Settlemyre:
FG - 13-51 (.255).
FT -20-26.