Saints run away from Riverhawks in victory

Last Saturday in Gresham, the Saints men’s basketball team ran away from the Umpqua Riverhawks in a much-needed 81-66 victory.

The first half of Saturday’s victory was a close one. Turnovers hindered the Saints from pulling away from the Riverhawks, and the score read only 32-31, Saints.

In the second half Mt. Hood exploded, putting up 49 points, with the team shooting an impressive 64 percent from the field. Even more impressive, the Saints played clean basketball, turning the ball over just twice.

Coach Geoff Gibor listed the keys to his team’s strong finish.

“We had a couple guys make big plays,” Gibor said. “Jamal (Muhammad) had a hot stretch there and scored a bunch. We played really good defense. (Umpqua) had a hard time scoring. They didn’t score a lot of points and we didn’t turn over the ball in the second half, just two (turnovers).”

Muhammad and Kody Kennedy, both freshmen, were vital in the runaway victory. Muhammad played a fine all-around game, finishing with 29 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds.

Kennedy provided a flawless game for the Saints, scoring 24 points and adding seven assists. He shot the ball well, connecting on four of five three-point attempts, and committed zero turnovers.

Muhammad gave his thoughts on the win. “Our team came together as a unit and we all wanted to win and we made it happen,” he said. “When we made mistakes we didn’t get down on each other – we stayed positive.”

Kennedy discussed the importance of the win. As for his own performance, “I just took what they gave me,” he said.

“Once I hit a couple shots, that boosted my confidence the whole game. The game was a must-win. I feel that will give us confidence going into the second half of league (play).”

Gibor was pleased with the pair’s play. “Kody hit some big shots, four-for-five from three (-point territory), and a couple of those at the end of shot clocks.

“Jamal just went through a stretch there, he was struggling in the first half and then in the second he scored on seven of eight possessions. Pretty amazing,” the coach said.

“What he and Kody did a good job at was the versatility of their game. Kody had 24 points, but nobody noticed his seven assists and zero turnovers. Jamal goes for 29 points, on 24 shots. He also adds six assists and six rebounds. When you start getting that type of productivity from guys like that it really makes a difference,” Gibor said.

Next, the Saints face off against the Southwestern Oregon Lakers, (4-16 overall, 1-6 in league play) who got the upper hand on the Saints last time they met (86-72, Lakers). Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. Saturday in the Mt. Hood main gym.

Muhammad is ready for the impending battle. “It’s time to get revenge; we went to their house earlier in the season and didn’t come out with a win like we should have.

“They’re coming to our house, we gotta protect our home.”