Sherwood Shoots The Lights Out in 67-64 Win at Nelson

No. 9 Sherwood (2-1) defeated No. 8 Nelson in a 67-64 nonleague nail-biter on Tuesday night. The Bowmen shot the lights out as a team — 46% from the field, including 14 of 31 from three-point range.   "A complete team effort and a real commitment to the boards" is what it took to beat Nelson, said Sherwood coach Matt Sanders. Five Bowmen scored in double-digits, each contributing points from behind the arc.   Freshman point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1208220' first='Zoe' last='Sanders'] facilitated through four quarters and led the Bowmen in scoring with 15 points, 8 of Sherwood's 15 assists, and 6 rebounds.   “I'm really proud of Zoe's leadership,” said Coach Sanders, also [player_tooltip player_id='1208220' first='Zoe' last='Sanders']' dad. “She took great care of the ball, knew when to attack, and knew when to find teammates."   Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1223907' first='Tenley' last='Bozeman'] put in the work inside on both ends with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks.   “Tenley had a very balanced game. I thought she defended at a high level, provided great rim protection, and was relentless on the boards. She crashed every single possession and played thirty-one tough minutes,” said Coach.    Sherwood started the game hot on offense behind the shooting hand of [player_tooltip player_id='1311144' first='Natalie' last='Romig'], who went 3-of-3 on catch-and-shoots from behind the arc in the first quarter. Romig had 12 points and 3 rebounds.   The Bowmen never trailed in the first half.   Nelson (0-3) thawed out from a cold start to the winter season and patched together some elite individual efforts to stay within striking distance.   Power forward [player_tooltip player_id='832046' first='Love' last='Forde'], who stayed out of foul trouble, led all scorers with 19 points (shooting 53% from the field), 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id='832544' first='Nylah' last='Webster'] wasn't as efficient, but added 13 points and 6 rebounds. Webster, committed to Utah, and Forde are top-ranked players in Oregon's class of 2027.   "Defensively, Zoe was tasked with guarding Webster, who is a very talented player. That is an extremely tough matchup,” said Coach Sanders.   The Hawks came from 8 points behind to take the lead for the first time in the game at the end of the third quarter (57-55).   Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1223909' first='Simone' last='Sideris'] drilled a pull-up jumper off the bounce to start the third frame and finished an athletic coast-to-coast layup to end it. Sideris had 8 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals for the Hawks.   With the help of a pull-up middy from Forde, Nelson built a game-high lead (65-60) with 5:15 remaining in the fourth quarter.   But Sherwood responded.   “There was still a lot of game left," said Coach Sanders. "The message to the team was to keep competing and stay together.”   [player_tooltip player_id='1208220' first='Zoe' last='Sanders'] hit a big-time pull-up three early in the shot clock to narrow Nelson's lead to 2 points.    [player_tooltip player_id='1264944' first='Ela' last='Keliiheleua'], who had 12 points off the bench, picked the dribbler, dove to the floor to win the ball, and passed ahead to Bozeman running the floor. Bozeman got the whistle on the fastbreak take and went 1-of-2 from the free-throw line to get within 1.   Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1264956' first='Audrey' last='Poulivaati'] contained the perimeter and earned a 5-second closely guarded call to force the turnover and get a big defensive stop for Sherwood.   Then [player_tooltip player_id='1208220' first='Zoe' last='Sanders'] hit a catch-and-shoot logo three to put the Bowmen back on top, 62-60 with 3:29 remaining. The shot was created from an inbound play drawn up by Coach Sanders in the preceding timeout.   It was still a 2-point game with 15 seconds left in the fourth frame. Webster fouled sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1262990' first='Jeslyn' last='Armas'] to stop the clock. Armas, who had 12 points and 4 rebounds, hit the first bonus free throw and rimmed the second. Forde rebounded and passed to Webster.   Nelson had one last chance to level the score.   Webster advanced on the bounce and found her sister, freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1264933' first='Payton' last='Webster'], open for a corner three, but the ball was fumbled out of bounds.   Sherwood called a timeout, inbounded, and ran out the clock.   “I'm really proud of our group. We faced three extremely talented teams with a lot of experience, and our kids competed," said Coach Sanders. "I could not ask for more from them.”   The Bowmen started the season with three games against ranked opponents — Benson, Wilsonville, and Nelson. Up next is a road game at North Medford on Thursday.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Meet the Bowmen's Top Performers</h2>    [player_tooltip player_id='1223907' first='Tenley' last='Bozeman'] is a three-level scorer who put together a set of big performances against three ranked opponents. Bozeman has great footwork to finish around the rim and can knock down perimeter shots. She is a disciplined defender, strong rebounder, and record-breaking rim protector. Bozeman signed with the Colorado School of Mines in November and is looking to go out strong in her senior season.   12 PTS / 7 REB / 3 AST / 2 BLK vs 6A No. 8 Nelson   15 PTS / 7 REB / 2 STL / 1 BLK vs 5A No. 7 Wilsonville   13 PTS / 4 REB / 4 BLK vs 6A No. 3 Benson     Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1208220' first='Zoe' last='Sanders'] is coming off three big performances against ranked teams early in her high school career. Sanders is a true point guard with nice length and excellent ball security for an underclassman. She consistently creates for others and makes great reads downhill. She hit two big-time threes to come back against Nelson in the fourth quarter. She finished at the rim multiple times after beating her defender on the perimeter. One especially high-IQ finish was a kiss high off the glass over the outstretched arms of a 6-foot-2 defender. Sanders is proving to be a top point guard in Oregon's class of 2029.   15 PTS / 8 AST / 6 REB vs. 6A No. 8 Nelson   10 PTS / 7 AST / 5 REB vs 5A No. 7 Wilsonville   6 PTS / 5 AST / 2 STL vs 6A No. 3 Benson     Do not leave [player_tooltip player_id='1311144' first='Natalie' last='Romig'] open on the perimeter; she is an efficient three-point shooter. Romig also puts in work on defense, containing the perimeter, hunting down passing lanes, and snagging boards. That 3&D role is proving to be a big contributor to the Bowmen's success early in the season.   12 PTS / 4 3PM / 3 REB vs 6A No. 8 Nelson   16 PTS / 3 3PM / 2 STL vs 5A No. 7 Wilsonville   9 PTS / 3 3PM / 2 REB vs 6A No. 3 Benson     [player_tooltip player_id='1262990' first='Jeslyn' last='Armas'] is a high-IQ guard and utility player who flat-out competes. Armas is a tenacious defender who disrupts handlers and knows how to help off the ball. She drew two big charges against a top-ranked point guard at Wilsonville and helped get stops in the paint against a top-ranked forward at Nelson. Armas also showcased her ability to knock down catch-and-shoot three-pointers and finish fast drives to the rim after selling pump fakes on the perimeter. Armas knows what needs to get done, and she helps do it.   12 PTS / 4 REB / 1 STL vs 6A No. 8 Nelson   6 PTS / 5 REB / 3 STL vs 5A No. 7 Wilsonville     Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1264956' first='Audrey' last='Poulivaati'] is an athletic two-way hooper who is just getting started. She is a top prospect in her class and might have one of the highest ceilings on the Sherwood squad. Poulivaati had a standout performance against Benson in her freshman debut. She's an excellent defender, and she's been strong on the drive. She had a quiet offensive game against Nelson, but she had the maturity and game IQ to find other ways to contribute. Poulivaati has a bright future.   2 PTS / 3 REB / 2 STL / 1 AST vs 6A No. 8 Nelson   4 PTS / 5 AST / 4 REB / 2 BLK vs 5A No. 7 Wilsonville   11 PTS / 3 REB vs 6A No. 3 Benson     [player_tooltip player_id='837905' first='Delaney' last='Meiser'] is a smart and reliable player on both ends. She was a glue player who did the little things that tipped the game in Sherwood's favor against Nelson. She quickly kept the ball moving around the perimeter to find the hot hand. She knew where to be on both ends of the floor and was a plus rebounder. Role players like Meiser are valuable.   2 PTS / 7 REB / 2 AST / 2 STL vs 6A No. 8 Nelson     Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1264944' first='Ela' last='Keliiheleua'] was a spark off the bench, scoring 12 points for Sherwood against No. 8-ranked Nelson. Keliiheleua has great handles and reads. She knocked down three three-pointers, finished the floater off the bounce after selling the pump fake on the perimeter, drew a foul at the rim from an off-ball cut at the right time, and dove to the floor for the steal after picking the dribbler. Keliiheleua is on the 2029 watchlist and will be one to follow over the years at Sherwood alongside fellow freshmen Sanders and Poulivaati.    <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/DSYGZScjvzh/?img_index=1 </div></figure>

No. 9 Sherwood (2-1) defeated No. 8 Nelson in a 67-64 nonleague nail-biter on Tuesday night. The Bowmen shot the lights out as a team — 46% from the field, including 14 of 31 from three-point range.