Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1968-current | View Entire Issue (March 8, 2022)
SPORTS A10 — THE OBSERVER TuESday, MaRcH 8, 2022 Badgers place 5th in state TIGERS Continued from Page A9 La Grande built a 5-2 lead out of the gates, but Banks battled back to tie the game at 6-6 and never trailed for the remainder of the contest. Banks senior Charlie White and La Grande senior Brady Hutchins led the way in scoring early on. White scored six of his 13 points in the first, while Hutchins had much more in store later in the game after tal- lying five points in the first eight minutes. The Braves went on a 10-0 run to end the quarter to take a 18-8 lead, putting the Tigers on their back heels early on. “I didn’t think our defense was great in the first quarter,” Car- ollo said. “We didn’t do a good enough job of really jumping out on some of the switches. We just fell asleep a couple times.” Facing an early deficit, La Grande did what it could to rally momentum in front of a packed house. The Tigers fought back to cut the lead to 25-19, but the Braves managed to hold a 27-19 lead at the half. Coming out of half- time, La Grande pushed the tempo and pounded the ball into the paint. Senior Devin Bell scored six of his 13 points in the third quarter as the Tigers scraped away at Banks’ lead. For Banks, Gobel pro- vided a consistent scoring option and helped hold off La Grande’s momentum. He scored seven points in the third quarter en route to a game-high 26 points on the night. In the fourth quarter, it appeared early on that Banks may cruise its way to a victory. The Braves built up a 48-33 lead with 5:20 remaining in regulation as La Grande looked for answers. Hutchins rose to the task for the Tigers, igniting from the three-point line. The senior hit three three- pointers in the final frame to help spearhead a major comeback attempt — Hutchins finished the game with six three-pointers. Junior Sam Tsiatsos also hit back-to-back three-pointers as La Grande erased a 15-point deficit. A three from Hutchins with 1:46 tied the game at 53-53 as momentum swung completely toward the Tigers. Banks later took over possession, up 55-53 with 30 seconds remaining, but an offensive foul flipped the possession back to the Tigers. Bell followed up with a basket inside to tie LHS Continued from Page A9 pointers in the fourth quarter en route to a team-high nine points on the night. Makenna Shorts (7), Kayle Collman (7), Maezie Wilcox (8) and Addy Dunlap (6) all contributed to a balanced scoring effort for La Grande. Six more points from Tobi- asson helped Cascade hold on to its lead, coming away with the 10-point victory. The loss ends the season for the Tigers, while the Cou- gars will advance to the 4A state quarterfinals. La Grande is set to lose two seniors, Wilcox and Isabelle Kump. The Tigers have 12 players on the official roster set to return next season. ON THE SLATE Friday, March 11 COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Eastern Oregon vs. Sterling college, Park city, Kansas, TBa COLLEGE WOMEN’S WRESTLING Eastern Oregon at NaIa National Invite, Jamestown, North dakota, TBa COLLEGE SOFTBALL British columbia at Eastern Oregon, 1 p.m. British columbia at Eastern Oregon, 3 p.m. By RONALD BOND and DAVIS CARBAUGH EO Media Group alex Wittwer/EO Media Group Devin Bell (5) checks his options during the OSAA 4A State Champi- onship playoff match between Banks and La Grande at La Grande High School on Friday, March 4, 2022. The La Grande Tigers fell to the Banks Braves 58-55 in the final seconds as the Braves sank a three- point buzzer beater. the game at 55-55 with just over 10 seconds left in the contest. With the game on the line, Gobel walked up court and faced an opportunity to make a big play. The senior did just that, hitting nothing but net on a leaning three- point jump shot from the top of the key to seal the game. “They were a physical team and got into some good spots to score,” Car- ollo said. “Definitely give a lot of credit to their efforts tonight, but I am proud of how our team battled back and kept with it.” In their final prep bas- ketball games, Hutchins and Bell finished with a combined 35 points for the Tigers. La Grande is set to graduate eight seniors from a team that finished 16-3 overall. “I’m just really proud of all those seniors,” Carollo said. “Obviously Devin and Brady both had great years, but all of them have such good attitudes and are great kids. It’s really a coach’s dream to have nice kids that will run through a wall for you.” The buzzer beater was a tough blow for La Grande, having fought back from a large deficit. The loss caps off the Tigers’ season in round one of the 4A state tournament, while Banks will advance to the quarterfinals. “Obviously disap- pointing to end it, but overall I’m super proud of the kids,” Carollo said. “I thought they played well all year and rose to the occasion.” BAKER CITY — For the second consecutive game, Powder Valley got off to a slow start, falling behind 23-10 after the first quarter in a 61-44 loss to Crosshill Christian on Saturday, March 5, in the third-place matchup of the OSAA Class 1A Boys State Basketball Tournament. Powder Valley finishes its season 24-4, tying a program record for second most wins in a single season, and a fifth-place finish at state. Junior Cole Martin, who was named to the all-tournament second team, had a quality showing for Powder Valley in the loss, leading the team with 14 points. The loss signals the end of an era in North Powder, with seven seniors on this year’s roster set to graduate. Seniors Reece Dixon, Kaden Krieger, Kaiden Dalke and Clay Martin all had solid con- tributions on offense for the Badgers. Freshman Landon Knox, an all-tournament first team performer, led Crossbill Christian with 31 points, finishing 6-for-15 from the floor and 14-for-18 from the free-throw line. Owen Spaulding was the only other Eagle in double fig- ures with 10 points. In the Badgers’ loss on Friday, March 4, Oscar Thomas couldn’t miss for South Wasco County. Thomas hit seven three-pointers and fin- ished with a game-high 25 points. Ian Ongers posted a double-double, and the Redsides reached the state title game with a wire-to-wire 59-40 win over Powder Valley to stay undefeated and send the Badgers to the March 5 third-place game against Crosshill Christian. Badgers head coach Kyle Dixon said the 1-3-1 zone defense “they ran against us was pretty tough. We just missed some shots early, some easy shots, and our offense went down. I thought we had some good looks at the hoop and we just missed, and when you miss so many shots in the first quarter, it takes a little bit out of you.” The Badgers pulled within 13 early in the fourth on a layup and two free throws by Cole Martin before the Resides put the game on ice with a 13-0 run. Powder Valley was held to its lowest point total of the season, and nearly 25 points below is average of 64.6 points per game coming in. Just one player — Martin — reached double figures for the Badgers, finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Case Olson added seven points. The Badgers trailed for just 51 seconds in their quarterfinal win over Nixyaawii, while the Red- sides led for just 78 sec- onds in their come-from- behind win over Rogue Valley Adventist. CHAMPIONS Continued from Page A9 the momentum shift and put Union in the driv- er’s seat heading into the final 16 minutes. In the second half, Union took advan- tage of its momentum and heavy support in the stands to continue building its lead. In a low-scoring 11-6 third quarter, Glenn started to find her rhythm. She scored five points and helped the Bobcats take a 36-21 lead into the final frame. Just eight minutes away from championship glory, it was Glenn who put the game on ice for Union. The senior nailed a three-point basket and put away any come- back attempt from Salem Academy with a strong showing at the free-throw line. Glenn went 12-for-15 at the line en route to a game-high 20 points. As time expired, the Union bench stormed the court and the crowd erupted. The win for the Bobcats marked the first ever girls basketball championship in school history and the first bas- ketball title since the boys team did so in 1949. This year’s roster, which con- sisted of four seniors, fin- ished the season 25-3. “The kids deserve it,” Klebaum-Johnston said. “This group of girls has that quality. They do the little things and work their butts off. They get on the floor and play for each other.” FIELD TEST Candidates Wanted (GENERAL LOCATION HERE) and the W URGENT NOTICE: surrounding areas. You may be qualified to participate in a special Field Test of new hearing instrument technology being held at a local test site. (DATES HERE) Dates: An industry leader in digital hearing devices is sponsoring a product field test in your area next week and they have asked us to select up to 15 qualified candidates to participate. They are interested in Product Test Site: 4.0 determining the benefits of GENIUS™ 3.0 Technology in eliminating the difficulty hearing aid users experience in difficult environments, such as those with background noise or multiple talkers. Miracle-Ear Service Center Miracle-Ear Service Center so Miracle-Ear Service Center Candidates in other test areas have reported very positive feedback far. (ADDRESS HERE) (ADDRESS HERE) (ADDRESS HERE) We are looking for additional candidates in LA GRANDE and the surrounding areas. W (GENERAL LOCATION HERE) and the th, Miracle-Ear Service Center Miracle-Ear Service Center Miracle-Ear Service Center surrounding areas. (ADDRESS HERE) (ADDRESS HERE) (ADDRESS HERE) (DATES HERE) LA GRANDE Dates: BAKER CITY ENTERPRISE 111 Elm Street 2021 Washington Ave. 113-1/2 Front E. Main St. La Grande, OR 97850 Baker City, OR 97814 Enterprise, OR 97828 541-239-3877 541-605-2109 541-239-3782 Product Test Site: In an effort to accurately demonstrate the incredible performance of these devices, specially trained representatives will be conducting testing and demonstrations during this special event. Miracle-Ear Service Center Miracle-Ear Service Center Miracle-Ear Service Center HERE) (ADDRESS HERE) (ADDRESS HERE) In addition (ADDRESS to an audiometric hearing evaluation, candidates will receive a fiber-optic otoscope exam, a painless procedure that could reveal common hearing problems such as excessive wax or damage to as well as common of of hearing deficiencies. Miracle-Ear Service Center Miracle-Ear Service Center Miracle-Ear Service Center the eardrum, as other other common cause causes hearing deficiencies. (ADDRESS HERE) (ADDRESS HERE) (ADDRESS HERE) Qualified Field Test Candidates: • Live HERE)or area the surrounding area Live in in (GENERAL La Grande LOCATION or the surrounding • Are at least 55 years of age or older • Have experienced some level of hearing difficulty, or currently wear hearing aids • Don’t currently work for a market research company Expires: March 14 2022 We have a limited supply of the GENIUS™ 4.0 3.0 test product currently on hand and ready for testing. We have also been authorized to offer significant discounts if you decide to take the hearing instruments home. If you choose not to keep them, there’s no risk or obligation of any kind. † (GENERAL LOCATION HERE) FIELD TEST PARTICIPANTS Will be tested and selected same-day. TO PARTICIPATE: 1) You must be one of the first 15 people to call our office Mention Code: 22MarField 18AprField. 2) You will be required to have your hearing tested in our office, FREE OF CHARGE, to determine candidacy. 3) Report your results with the hearing instruments to the Hearing Care Specialist over a three week test period. Qualified candidates will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis so please call us TODAY to secure your spot in the Product Field Test. Participants who qualify and complete the product test will 1) receive a FREE $100 Restaurant.com Gift Card* as a token AprField of our thanks. 2) AVOID WAITING – CALL AND MENTION CODE: 22MarField 18AprField! *One per household. Must be 55 or older and bring loved one for familiar voice test. Must complete a hearing test. Not valid with prior test/purchase in last 6 months. While supplies last. Free gift card may be used toward the purchase of food at participating restaurants where a minimum purchase may also be required. See restaurant.com for details. Not redeemable for cash. Promotional offer available during special event dates only. † If you are not completely satisfied, the aids may be returned for a full refund within 30 days of the completion of fitting, in satisfactory condition. See store for details. 3)