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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2018
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Gary Henley | Sports Reporter
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Scappoose
boys win
in last trip
to Astoria
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SPORTS
IN BRIEF
Astoria girls
pound Scappoose
The Astoria Lady Fishermen
closed out the regular season with
a 56-39 win over Scappoose, in the
Indians’ last visit (maybe) to the
Brick House as a member of the
Cowapa League.
Astoria finishes third in the
league standings at 6-4, ahead of
Seaside (4-6) and Scappoose (2-8).
The Indians play a league play-
off Monday at Seaside, with the
winner advancing to play Tuesday
at Astoria. The 14th-ranked Fish-
ermen will qualify for the regional
play-in round, win or lose.
De La Salle girls
defeat Warrenton
WARRENTON — Warren-
ton’s state playoff hopes are still
alive, but the Warriors were unable
to help themselves Thursday night
in a Lewis & Clark League playoff
against De La Salle.
For the fourth-place Knights —
who lost to the Warriors twice in
the regular season — the third time
was the charm, as they rallied for
an improbable 58-53 overtime win
at Warrenton.
The Warriors held a four-point
lead with eight seconds left in
regulation.
The Knights connected on a
3-pointer and forced a turnover on
the inbounds pass. A Warrenton
foul resulted in the Knights mak-
ing 1-of-2 free throws to send the
game to overtime, where De La
Salle outscored Warrenton 11-6.
Foul trouble plagued the War-
riors, who lost Fernanda Alvarez,
Claire Bussert and Sagi Diego to
fouls late in the game.
Still, Warrenton senior Tyla Lit-
tle scored 23 points and “put the
team on her back,” said Warrenton
coach Robert Hoepfl. “She played
the best game of her career tonight.
You have to feel sorry for her, to
not win.”
Hoepfl said there is still a “50/50
chance” of the Warriors qualifying
for the state playoffs, should they
get help in a few games tonight.
Alvarez added 16 points in the
loss before fouling out, while De
La Salle’s May Brannon and Raven
Pearce scored 15 points apiece.
Neah-Kah-Nie
beats Knappa girls
ROCKAWAY — Knappa led
after every quarter except the last
one Thursday night at Neah-Kah-
Nie, where the host Pirates rallied
for a 41-36 win over the Loggers
in a Northwest League girls basket-
ball playoff.
The season comes to a close for
the Loggers, who finish 4-20 over-
all, but won two of their final three
games.
Paris Vanderburg led Knappa
with 11 points in her final game,
while Aiko Miller had nine points,
seven rebounds, two assists and
two steals. Sophia Carlson added
nine points for the Loggers, who led
27-24 heading into the final quarter.
Maddie Lambert had 22 points
for Neah-Kah-Nie.
“We led until 6:30 left in the
game,” said Knappa coach Marie
Green. “That’s when Maddie just
started lighting it up. She killed us
in the fourth quarter,” when Lam-
bert scored 12 of her 22.
— The Daily Astorian
Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Brayden Johnson drives to the basket for Seaside.
Gulls put on a show, as
Seaside beats No. 1 Banks
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
EASIDE — Thursday night’s 66-55 victory
over Banks was the very definition of a “state-
ment win” for the Seaside Gulls.
The No. 1-ranked Braves can be right proud of their
league championship — they were the best of the reg-
ular season. But the “defending state champions” label
still resides in Seaside.
And that was Seaside’s statement Thursday at the
Gulls’ Nest — Seaside is still the team to beat in the
world of Class 4A boys basketball.
The teams could very well meet in the state cham-
pionship game March 10 in Forest Grove, but the
No. 2-ranked Gulls certainly left no doubt about it
Thursday.
Trailing 9-1 just minutes into the game and outsized
at almost every position, Seaside found the heart, the
drive and the defensive tenacity to run circles around
the bigger Braves.
A 5-point play for the Gulls with 4:02 left in the
game didn’t hurt.
Behind 50-45 nearing the midway point of the
fourth quarter, Seaside’s Chase Januik made two free
throws to make it 50-47.
The Gulls made a defensive stop at the other end,
and seconds later, Brayden Johnson made the shot of
the night for Seaside.
His 3-pointer at the 4:02 mark went in, and the
Gulls simultaneously drew a foul underneath. Ryan
Hague sank both free throws, and Seaside never trailed
again.
In less than a minute, the Braves’ 50-45 lead turned
into a 56-50 advantage for the Gulls. Game over.
“We haven’t had that many kids engaged in our
defensive scheme in a game this year,” said Seaside
coach Bill Westerholm, who picked up career win No.
256. “When everybody is on the same page, and every-
body is engaged in the scheme and flying around and
playing with a lot of heart … we can get a lot done.
These kids tonight were all flying around.”
Which is exactly what you want from a bunch of
Seagulls.
Seaside spent much of the night trying to deal with
Banks’ senior Dalton Renne, who finished with a
game-high 26 points, 17 in the second half.
The Gulls trailed 24-20 midway through the sec-
ond quarter, when Beau Johnson hit a 3-pointer and
Brayden Johnson followed with another trey for a
25-24 lead. Hague scored on a layup and Brayden
Johnson drained another 3-pointer, helping Seaside
post a 30-26 lead at the half.
“We did a better job in the second quarter and sec-
ond half of attacking and kicking the ball out, and tak-
ing the open looks,” Westerholm said. “And it’s tough
to shoot those shots against those long arms.”
Defensively, “we were trying to create opportuni-
ties to trap, get the ball out of Renne’s hands and force
other kids to beat us,” he said. “Renne still had 26, but
they were a hard 26. He had to make some difficult
shots.”
That Brayden Johnson 3-pointer at the 4:02 mark
completely turned everything in Seaside’s favor. The
Braves lost their composure, and the Seaside crowd
took over.
“Home court is pretty big in our league,” said
Westerholm, whose team lost three games on the road
in league this season. “Banks has a good crowd, we’ve
got a good crowd, Tillamook’s got a good crowd …
we’ve got a young group, and sometimes playing on
the road is hard.
“But we didn’t have all of our kids the last time (in
a 60-33 loss at Banks Jan. 30),” he said. “We had a lot
S
The Astoria boys basketball
team took their lumps this sea-
son in the outstanding Cowapa
League, but the future is bright,
said Fishermen coach Kevin
Goin, following his team’s sea-
son-ending 49-43 loss Thursday
to Scappoose.
Astoria finishes 0-10 in league
play, 3-21 overall. Playing top five
competition on a nightly basis in
the Cowapa League did not make
it easy, Goin said.
“It’s a rough, competitive
league,” he said. “I wouldn’t be
surprised to see four teams there
(in the final eight at the state tour-
nament). But we gave it all we
had. The kids really made big
improvements from nonleague to
league, and the future looks bright.
This is probably the best group of
kids I’ve ever had to work with.
No problems all year. They were
great.”
Josh Olson had 15 points and
senior Karsten Johnson added 13
for the Fishermen in Thursday’s
loss, while Chris Bendle had 25
points for the Indians, in their last
visit to Astoria as a member of the
Cowapa League.
The Fishermen trailed 31-22
entering the fourth quarter, but
rallied and pulled to within two
points with three minutes remain-
ing. The Indians made 9-of-12
free throws in the fourth quarter to
secure the win.
SCOREBOARD
PREP SPORTS SCHEDULE
Ruby Davis, right, goes up for a rebound for
Seaside.
of young kids up there. We had more of our seasoned
kids tonight.”
Most of whom are sophomores and juniors. That
list includes Brayden Johnson, the sophomore who fin-
ished with a team-high 18 points off the bench. Januik,
Hague and Payton Westerholm all scored 13 points
apiece.
“Brayden Johnson was completely frantic in the
last game,” coach Westerholm said. “He calmed down
and hit some big shots for us.”
Seaside also made 20-of-31 free throws (13-of-20
in the fourth quarter alone), to the Braves’ 7-for-10.
Another spark for the Gulls was just the fear of
losing.
“We knew the scenarios of what was going to hap-
pen if we lost,” Westerholm said. “We might have had
to travel for a play-in game, and I told them we’d be
practicing (today) and Monday. That might have lit a
fire under ‘em.”
The Braves “tried to be physical with us, and it
bothered us at times,” he said. “But we kept battling,
and things started going our way. Now we have Fri-
day and Monday off, and we’ll condition the heck out
of ‘em.”
Seaside will not play again until March 2 or 3, a
home game in the Sweet 16 playoffs.
League champion
Banks tops Seaside girls
SEASIDE — The Seaside girls basketball team
tuned up for the postseason with a solid effort against
the No. 4-ranked Banks Braves in a Cowapa League
season finale Thursday at the Gulls’ Nest.
Seaside was within nine points of the league cham-
pion Braves midway through the fourth quarter, before
Banks made 4-of-6 free throws in the final 1:17 on its
way to a 45-34 win. The Braves also clinched an unde-
feated (10-0) league season.
Seaside finishes 4-6, and will host Scappoose in a
league playoff at 6 p.m. Monday.
The Braves literally limped to the finish line with a
22-2 record, as Banks is without several players lost to
injuries over the second half of the season.
Junior Aspen Slifka scored 17 points to lead the
Braves, who were just 16-of-60 from the field in
Thursday’s win.
Bryre Babbitt celebrated Senior Night by scoring
12 points for the Gulls, who were 4-of-24 in the first
half. Gretchen Hoekstre added six points off the bench.
TODAY
Girls basketball — Crosshill Christian
vs. Jewell, at Corban University, 6 p.m.
Swimming — OSAA state meet, Mt.
Hood CC, all day
Wrestling — OSAA state tournament,
Portland Memorial Coliseum, all day
SATURDAY
Girls basketball — SW District 2B
Championship: Napavine vs. Ilwaco, 6
p.m., at WF West HS
Boys basketball — Columbia Chris-
tian vs. Knappa, at Forest Grove, TBA;
SW District 1B Championship: TBA vs.
Naselle, 6 p.m., at Montesano, Wash.
Swimming — OSAA state meet, Mt.
Hood CC, all day
Wrestling — OSAA state tournament,
Portland Memorial Coliseum, all day
BOYS BASKETBALL
Seaside 66, Banks 55
Banks
15 11 19 10—55
Seaside
11 19 11 25—66
BAN (55): Dalton Renne 26, Gobel 11,
Hiestand 6, Streblow 3, Geraci 3, Van-
dehey 2, Slifka 2, Cameron 2.
SEA (66): Brayden Johnson 18, Januik
13, Westerholm 13, Hague 13, Thomp-
son 6, Be.Johnson 3, Sibony, Carter,
Meyer, Ritterby, Landwehr, Boyd.
Scappoose 49, Astoria 43
Scappoose
13 7 11 18—49
Astoria
8 6 8 21—43
SCA (49): Chris Bendle 25, Wagenk-
necht 11, Toman 5, Travis 4, Verbout 2,
McNabb 2.
AST (43): Josh Olson 15, K.Johnson
13, Hunt 7, Brockman 6, P.Johnson,
Ploghoft, Stenblom, Long, Tice, Miller,
Matlock, Palmberg.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Banks 45, Seaside 34
Banks
14 8 11 12—45
Seaside
5 7 10 12—34
BAN (45): Aspen Slifka 17, Kind 9, Jor-
dan 7, Nelson 6, Shook 4, Hailey 2.
SEA (34): Bryre Babbitt 12, Hoekstre
6, Kiser 4, Ideue 4, Garhofer 3, Davis
3, Smart 2.
JV: Seaside 45, Banks 30
De La Salle 58, Warrenton 53
DeLaSalle
8 11 10 18 11—58
Warrenton 16 8 9 14 6—53
DLS (58): May Brannon 15, Raven
Pearce 15, Miller 10, Fesser 8, Dalton 5,
Boyd 4, Imes 1.
WAR (53): Tyla Little 23, Alvarez 16,
Ramsey 7, Heyen 4, Kapua 2, Bussert
2, Diego.
Neah-Kah-Nie 41, Knappa 36
Knappa
10 10 7 9—36
NeahKahNie
6 11 7 17—41
KNA (36): Paris Vanderburg 11, Miller
9, Carlson 9, Weaver 6, Tischer 2, Ram-
vick 1, Strain.
NKN (41): Maddie Lambert 22,
Ramirez 6, Smith 5, Huntley 4, Wood-
ward 2, Soans 1, Farris 1.