Comets top Gulls in league opener

12/27/2007 12:01:00 AM
By PHIL RAISTAKKAObserver corespondent

NASELLE - The Naselle Comets boys basketball team gave their fans a perfect Christmas gift Tuesday, Dec. 18 - a win in a Pacific League basketball game after losing four games in succession, including two league contests. The Comets' 62-45 win was earned in Lyle Patterson Gymnasium at the expense of the Raymond Seagulls. NHS's league record climbed to 1-2 and 2-4 overall. The Gulls dropped to 1-2 in league and 1-3 overall. Kyle Burkhalter led Naselle with 12 points and three steals. Nathan Sultemeier added 11 points, Austin Burkhalter had 10 points, 10 rebounds and three steals, Conor Smith had 10 points and seven rebounds, and Nick Hines scored 10 points. Naselle's defense held Raymond to single-digit scoring in each of the first three quarters as the Comets led 48-24 entering the final period. The results of this contest appeared to be never in doubt as the Comets got balanced scoring with five players in double figures. Conor Smith scored on a lay-up, plus a free throw, off the opening tip and the Comets were off and running against the out-manned Gulls. With Naselle employing a five-man-motion half-court offense and a pressure defense leading to fast break opportunities, the Comets front court players were able to get free for high percentage shots and, what shots they missed their backboard domination of the offensive boards allowed the Comets plenty of scoring opportunities. NHS pulled down 33 rebounds, with 15 of them off the offensive board with Austin Burkhalter yanking down 10 and Smith 7 boards. The Comets' strong board work enabled them to put up 11 more shots (55 to 44) than the Gulls where they made 44 percent of their attemptsThe biggest contributor of NHS's early scoring was Smith who tallied eight points in the first quarter. Nick Hines chipped in with four points as four of the Comets starters shot Naselle out to a 16-8 first quarter lead. Kyle Burkhalter, who was to lead the balanced Naselle scoring with 12 points, didn't take or make a shot until only 1:35 was left in the first period when he put back in a rebound on a fast break. The motion offense was giving all of the Comets good looks at the hoop and Kyle played the early game roll of point guard. On the defensive end, the Comets' half-court pressing defense was not giving the Gulls many open looks at the hoop as Naselle held Raymond to only eight points in each of the first three quarters. Several "games within the game" kept the Gulls on the perimeter for much of the night. NHS opened the second period on an 8-0 run to earn a 24-8 lead only three minutes into the second quarter. Kyle Burkhalter picked up six points in the quarter and four of his teammates chipped in with eight points as the Comets nearly duplicated the first quarter scoring with a 14-8 advantage and a 30-16 lead at the intermission. Most questions about the outcome of this contest were answered early in the third period when NHS opened with a 7-0 run to earn a 21-point lead. Two successive steals by Sultemeier led to five of those points. Sultemeier also added Naselle's only three-point shot of the game as the Comets simply did not take many shots of over 15 feet in length. Sultemeier and Austin Burkhalter each scored six points in the period in the Comets best scoring period of the game. Their 18-8 burst gave the Comets a 48-24 lead entering the final eight minutes. The one negative for the Comets was the number of fouls being called in the second half. The short Comets bench, which only went about two deep beyond the starters, was being tested as the Comets quickly picked up six second half fouls. The Naselle bench, in the persons of Gabe See and Alan Erickson, responded with some excellent relief work in giving the foul- plagued home team some respite. The Gulls were not able to respond to their foul shooting bonus as they were only able to make 6-of-13 free throw tries in the fourth quarter and the Gulls out-scored the Comets 21-14 in the final eight minutes. NHS, with eight different players providing points in the final period, was able to maintain a comfortable lead. The Comets next play on Dec. 27, the first game of the Astoria Christmas Tournament.

Naselle (62) - Kyle Burkhalter 12, Nathan Sultemeier 11, Conor Smith 10, Austin Burkhalter 10, Nick Hines 10, Erickson 4, See 4

Raymond (45) - Ethan Gusdal 12 Danny Xaysy 10, Schneider 6, El 6, Newman 5, Guthrie 4, Montgomery 2