Background
The Knights of Columbia Christian were looking to score their first league win over 2nd-place Mannahouse Christian. Columbia Christian was 5-5 on the season and an uncharacteristic 0-2 in league. The Knights are looking to bounce back from a tough loss on the road to Nestucca. The Mannahouse Christian Lions are off to a better start to their season at 10-2 overall and 4-0 in league play. The Lions are also coming off of a 52-point win against Gaston. The showdown was originally scheduled for Friday night, but was rescheduled to Saturday.
Summary
Saturday games are always weird for players. They usually take place during the middle of the day on a day without the normal structure of school. Some teams have no issues with these complications, but sometimes it is enough to throw off a team's rhythm. Columbia Christian responded well to the challenge, while the Saturday Sleepies seemed to catch Mannahouse in the first half. Mannahouse seemed confused by Columbia's 1-3-1 zone. After an 8-2 Columbia run to start the game, Mannahouse called a timeout and played the rest of the quarter evenly. At the end of the first it was 14-8 in favor of Columbia. Throughout the first half, Dawson Vensel created plays from Columbia through drives and taking defenders 1-on-1. Mannahouse put on a press in the second quarter, but the Knights handled the pressure well. Christian Chapman drained a couple of 3-pointers to help Columbia build the lead to 22-14 by the half. Mannahouse woke up in the third quarter. They forced turnovers and got their offense flowing by finding the gaps in Columbia's defense. Mannahouse scored at the end of the quarter to bring themselves within 7 points (35-28 Columbia). Mannahouse built on their momentum in the fourth quarter with a 4-0 run to start bringing the score to within 3 points with 6:45 to go before Columbia was forced to call a timeout. Out of the timeout, Columbia turned the ball over, but Mannahouse failed to capitalize on the opportunity to tie the game. However, the Lions got a second chance. A steal by senior captain Devin Johnson looked to be a breakaway layup, but a foul by Columbia gave the Lions the ball out of bounds. Mannahouse coach Ryan Bjornsgard argued that it should have been called an intentional foul, which would have given the Lions two free throws and the ball, but the officials disagreed. Mannahouse again failed to capitalize on their chance and Columbia did not look back. A quick 8-2 run stretched Columbia's lead to 9 points and was capped by a dagger 3-point shot by Jordan Tibbets with 2:27 to go. Mannahouse continued to fight, but it was not enough. Another 3-point shot by Tibbets ended the scoring with a minute to go. The game finished with a final score of 46-36 in favor of Columbia Christian.
Takeaways
The middle of the Northwest League just got a lot more crowded. With Mannahouse's first loss in league, they now sit at 4-1 in League, tied with Faith Bible. The showdown on Tuesday will hopefully add some clarity to the league, but it is likely that there will be a group of teams all jockeying for position as the district tournament approaches. Mannahouse has also done a good job this season of giving themselves breathing room. By winning their first 4 games in league, the Lions are still very much a contender.
Columbia Christian scored its first win in league. With three games next week, Columbia has a chance to win its way into the playoff conversation. Should they win all three games (or even 2/3), the Knights will find themselves in position to make a run at the district tournament. They are a tall team that has some good athletes capable of causing issues for many teams. It would be easy to feel down after opening 0-2 in league, but the team and coaching staff deserve credit for keeping their heads in the game and realizing that their season is far from over and that potentially great things await them.
Post Script
If you saw someone that deserves a shoutout for their play, please put it in the comments so others can appreciate the good work being done by these players. Additionally, if there are any pictures that you took of the game you feel comfortable sharing, please share them to my email, lincoln.james.miller@gmail.com, and I will give full picture credit.
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