Sports
A9
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Union’s Audrey Wells (4) cuts the net as teammates watch. The Union Bobcats defeated the Salem Academy Crusaders 52-38 on Saturday, March 5, 2022, to win the Oregon School Activities Association
Class 2A State Basketball Tournament at the Pendleton Convention Center in Pendleton.
NO DOUBT
Union girls claim school’s first-ever girls basketball state championship
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
ENDLETON — As the final
seconds ticked off the clock Sat-
urday, March 5, the Union girls
basketball team secured its place in the
history books.
The Bobcats earned the school’s
first ever girls basketball state cham-
pionship, defeating Salem Academy
52-38 in front of a packed crowd at
the Pendleton Convention Center on
Saturday, March 5. Union’s core of
seniors rose to the occasion, over-
coming an early deficit to take top
marks in the state.
“I can’t even put it into words,”
Union head coach Jordan Kle-
baum-Johsnton said. “To be the first in
history means a lot to me personally. It
means even more to me that this group
of kids got to experience this moment.”
The Bobcats trailed early and had
P
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
Union’s Callie Glenn (22) puts up a shot for the Bobcats. The
Union Bobcats defeated the Salem Academy Crusaders 52-
38 on Saturday, March 5, 2022, to win the Oregon School
Activities Association Class 2A State Basketball Tourna-
ment at the Pendleton Convention Center in Pendleton.
difficulty running their offense, but a
persistent effort spurred a major run
that put Union in front for the final
three quarters. While Salem Academy
led 8-2 midway through the first
period, the Bobcats managed to cut
the lead to 8-5 at the end of the frame.
“Stick to the game plan,” Kle-
baum-Johnston said. “Keep it cool and
don’t do too much, don’t play outside
yourself. We just needed some kids to
start hitting some shots to build that
confidence.”
Union senior Callie Glenn came
into the state championship averaging
just under 20 points per state playoff
game. The Blue Mountain Confer-
ence first-team player went scoreless
in the first half on Saturday, utilizing
a heavy load of defensive attention to
find open teammates. Senior Audrey
Wells took advantage of a heightened
focus on Glenn, scoring seven of her
nine points in the first half.
“I have more confidence in that
kid than I think she knows,” Kle-
baum-Johnston said of Glenn. “The
way that she exudes her confidence,
her teammates trust her and it shows.
She’s able to calm the team down and
get everybody on the same page. That
says a lot about how much of a com-
petitor she is.”
Benefitting from Salem Academy’s
persistent focus on Glenn was senior
Kaylin Nowak, who converted four
three-pointers and scored 16 points in
the first half to help the Bobcats go on
a huge run before the half.
“Kaylin Novak stepped up huge,”
Klebaum-Johnston said.
After trailing 8-2, Union went on a
23-7 run to completely flip the script
and take a 25-15 lead into the locker
rooms at halftime. Nowak’s open
looks from beyond the arc spurred
See, Champions/Page A10
CLASS 4A STATE TOURNAMENT
Tigers’ season ends with
dramatic buzzer beater
La Grande rallies from
15-point fourth-quarter
deficit in 58-55 loss
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
LA GRANDE — In the game of bas-
ketball, wins and losses can be deter-
mined by just one shot.
This was the case in a round-one 4A
state playoff matchup, when La Grande
saw its season come to an end at the
hands of a heartbreaking buzzer beater,
58-55, by Banks. The Tigers had battled
back from a 15-point deficit in the fourth
quarter to tie the game late in regulation,
but Banks’ Cooper Gobel sealed the game
with a three-point basket as time expired.
“Tough one obviously, but at the end of
the day you have to tip your hat to a team
that plays well,” La Grande head coach
Mark Carollo said. “I’ll stand by my boys.
I’m super proud of their efforts. They
didn’t just throw in the towel, they battled
all the way until the end.”
The Tigers and Braves met for the first-
round playoff contest on Friday, March 4,
with La Grande earning the higher seed
and hosting the game.
See, Tigers/Page A10
La Grande falls to Cascade in 1st round
Tigers late rally comes up
short in 58-48 loss
By DAVIS CARBAUGH
The Observer
TURNER — After a hard-fought
season, the La Grande Tigers saw their
playoff hopes come to an end in the first
round of the 4A girls state playoffs.
The Tigers put together a late push in the
second half, but a large early deficit ulti-
mately made the difference as Cascade was
victorious 58-48 on Friday, March 4, at the
matchup at Cascade High School in Turner.
La Grande saw its season come to an end
with a 13-10 record after earning its spot in
the first round after a play-in victory over
Valley Catholic last week.
Cascade, whose roster consists of 10
seniors, was led by Ariel Tobiasson. The
guard scored 20 points on the night, 16 of
which came at the free-throw line.
The Tigers found themselves down early
on, as the Cougars built up a 17-11 first-
quarter lead. Cascade hit two three-pointers
in the first eight minutes of play and saw
six points from Meah Carley — the junior
finished with 12 points.
La Grande’s offense saw increased pro-
duction in the second quarter, but Cascade
managed to extend its lead with efficient
free-throw shooting. The Cougars con-
verted 15 out of 20 attempts to outscore
the Tigers 19-14 and build a 36-25 lead at
halftime.
La Grande put together a valiant come-
back effort, winning the second half by a 24-21
margin. Freshman Carlee Strand hit two three-
See, LHS/Page A10
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