Colusa cuts down Weed

After a close first half, the Colusa High girls basketball team blew open its Northern Section Div. V encounter with visiting Weed, rolling to a 54-41 win in the first round of the playoffs on Tuesday.

The fifth-seeded Redskins (21-6) advance to Thursday's quarterfinal contest at No. 4 Portola.

The Cougars end their season at 13-15.

"I thought we had good looks at the basket in the first half," Colusa coach Dak Kalisuch said. "It's just the shots didn't fall."

The Redskins hit just 9-of-32 shots in the first half, but still managed to lead the No. 12 Cougars at intermission, 26-21.

The difference in the second half, Kalisuch said, was the Redskins' half-court trap, which forced Weed to turn the ball over seven times in the third quarter alone, and the fact more of the Redskins shots started falling.

Colusa held the Cougars to just two baskets in the third stanza to open a 38-25 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Katie Kittle, Colusa's leading scorer and rebounder on the season, also took charge. Kittle hit a pair of 3-pointers, including an off-balance shot just before the 30-second shot clock expired, and two free throws during Colusa's surge in the third period.

In the fourth quarter, Kittle added 10 more points, including eight off free throws, before retiring to the bench with more than three minutes remaining in the game. At one point, Colusa enjoyed a 52-30 advantage.

Kittle finished with 30 points and 11 rebounds.

"Katie was on fire tonight," said the Redskins' Meghan Foster, who also scored in double figures with 13. "Normally I don't score a lot."

Against Weed, however, Foster hit three 3-pointers.

"Katie is tough to stop and when they sagged on Katie, that left the rest of us open," Foster said.

Kittle said last year she was the shooter on her summer-league team so she spent a lot of time practicing three-point shots. That effort paid off as she canned five treys.

But her presence also was felt in the key with rebounds.

"I just make sure I box out when they first put up a shot," Kittle said.

While Kittle and Foster provided the one-two punch on offense, Foster also was a key factor for the Redskins on defense.

Kalisuch said Weed's Nicolette Neel had a free reign in the first half, hitting three 3-pointers.

"But after we put Meghan on her, she didn't score again," Kalisuch said.

Contact sports reporter Richard Myers at 749-4714 or rmyers@appealdemocrat.com.