A10
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2019
CONTACT US
FOLLOW US
Gary Henley | Sports Reporter
ghenley@dailyastorian.com
facebook.com/
DailyAstorianSports
Astoria beats Banks with buzzer beater
Astoria, Banks tied for
fi rst in league standings
By GARY HENLEY
The Daily Astorian
A
s far as the Astoria girls basketball team
is concerned, the postseason began Tues-
day night at the Brick House.
That’s where the Lady Fishermen landed
their biggest victory in recent memory — at
least in the era of Mike Jacobson, Astoria’s
fi fth-year coach.
The Fishermen caught a whopper Tuesday
night, but then nearly threw it back, as they
gave up a late lead.
Banks rallied to tie the game, but Asto-
ria’s Halle Helmersen came to the rescue for
the Lady Fish, as the sophomore guard drained
a 3-pointer as time expired in regulation for a
thrilling 55-52 win over No. 2-ranked Banks,
in a showdown for fi rst place in the Cowapa
League standings.
It was a 22-point turnaround from the last
meeting (Jan. 18), when the Braves dominated
Astoria, 51-32.
The two teams are now tied with 5-1 league
records, with two games remaining in league
play. Astoria climbs to No. 8 in the OSAA
rankings, while the Braves drop to No. 3.
“Probably our biggest win,” Jacobson said,
trying to think of any wins bigger than Tues-
day’s. “Banks has won league fi ve years in a
row. But if we lose one of our last two games
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Kelsey Fausett, far left, dribbles down the court for Astoria.
(at Tillamook, at Valley Catholic), then this one
doesn’t mean anything. Those will be tough
games, because those are tough places to play.”
Had Tuesday’s contest gone into overtime,
“It would have been tough for us,” he said.
“(The Braves) had the momentum. But shoot,
the girls pulled it out. It was a big mental game.
They fi nally got over that hurdle, getting that
win.”
The victory wasn’t too surprising for the
Fishermen, who came in to the game with a
7-1 record on their home fl oor this season.
Still, in the previous meeting at Banks, the
Braves scored the fi rst 21 points of the game.
In Tuesday’s rematch, the Fishermen led
16-4 in the opening minutes of the second
quarter.
Banks’ all-state senior Aspen Slifka had
just seven points in the fi rst half, while Helm-
ersen and Hailey O’Brien were the only play-
ers to score for Astoria in the fi rst two quar-
ters, before a 3-pointer from Sophie Long in
the fi nal seconds of the half.
The Fishermen were scoring from inside
and outside throughout the second half, high-
lighted by 3-pointers from Helmersen, O’Brien
day at the Brick House.
On Senior Night in front of the home fans,
Astoria senior Ian Hunt scored a team-high 17
points to keep the Fishermen competitive.
But Banks countered with 24 points from
Jacob Slifka, followed by Blake Gobel with 12.
In all, 10 players scored for the Braves, who
remain one game behind Seaside in the league
standings.
For the Fishermen, Hunt was followed by
Marcus Soderstrom with fi ve points, while
eight other players fi nished with two points
each.
superstar Sabrina Ionescu, doing a little bit of
everything for the Warriors.
Bussert had 15 points and Ramsey had 14 in
the fi rst half, which ended with a long 3-pointer
from Ramsey.
Melia Kapua and Adriana Dejesus com-
bined for nine assists.
and Julia Norris, and drives to the hoop by
O’Brien.
Meanwhile, Slifka and the Braves heated
up. Slifka scored 19 of her game-high 26 points
in the second half, but Astoria still held a 49-45
lead with 2:04 remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Braves cut it to 50-49 on a layup by
Katie Grossnickle with one minute left.
Helmersen made two free throws with 30
seconds remaining for a three-point lead, but
Banks’ senior Gracie Nelson answered with a
3-pointer with just 12 seconds on the clock to
tie the game at 52-52.
The Lady Fishermen worked the ball into
their half of the court and called a time out with
four seconds left.
After the inbounds pass, Helmersen got the
ball, hesitated, then shot over a defender from
just outside the 3-point line. The ball went in as
time expired, setting off a major Brick House
celebration.
“We had a play designed, but we didn’t get it
in to where we needed it,” Jacobson said. “But
Halle knew how much time was left, and she
had an open shot. It worked out really well.”
He added, “Halle and Hailey (who com-
bined for 40 points) played really well tonight.
Halle’s money when she’s able to set and shoot
like that.”
Despite the late-game heroics, the match
turned into a free throw shooting contest down
the stretch. And not a very good free throw
shooting contest.
The Braves were just 11-of-25 from the
stripe, and Astoria fi nished 12-of-25.
HOOPS ROUNDUP
Januik’s long bomb highlights
Seaside win over Valiants
When you’re knocking ‘em down from 80
feet, it’s your season.
Seaside’s Chase Januik was at it again, and
the Gulls are already in state championship
mode, as they scored another win over Valley
Catholic in a rematch of last year’s state cham-
pionship game, 43-29.
Tuesday’s win at the Gulls’ Nest was high-
lighted by Januik’s shot just before halftime,
when the senior turned and tossed a Hail Mary-
type throw from almost 80 feet away, with the
ball going in as the buzzer sounded.
Other than that, the Gulls tied their lowest
point total of the season, while giving up a sea-
son-low 29 to the Valiants.
Januik scored 14 and Ryan Hague added 13
for Seaside, which hosts a nonleague game Fri-
day with Knappa.
Valiants top Seaside girls in OT
Seaside rallied from a 17-6 defi cit after one
quarter and was seconds away from a win in
regulation, but a pair of 3-pointers by Valley
Catholic’s Katelyn Shook helped the Valiants
score an eventual 43-40 overtime win Tuesday
night at the Gulls’ Nest.
Shook drained a 3-pointer in the fi nal sec-
onds of regulation to send the game to an extra
period, then banked in a trey in overtime for the
fi nal margin of victory.
Seaside coach Mike Hawes called it, “an
overtime agonizer.”
He added, “Valley jumped out early, and
then something clicked (for the Gulls) in the
second quarter. And from there it was tight the
whole game.”
Emy Kiser and Lilli Taylor both scored nine
points to lead Seaside, which went on a 15-6
run in the second quarter and trailed by just
23-21 at halftime.
Banks defeats Astoria, 67-38
Astoria was within three points after one
quarter, and even looked good through the fi rst
four minutes of the third period, trailing No.
2-ranked Banks by just 13 points, 37-24.
But the Braves are ranked No. 2 for a rea-
son, as they showed following a timeout in the
third period.
Banks took the fl oor and went on a 16-2 run,
on its way to a 67-38 win over the Fishermen in
Cowapa League boys basketball action Tues-
Willamina defeats Warrenton,
Warriors clinch playoff spot
It was a bittersweet night for the Warrenton
boys basketball team Tuesday at Warrenton.
The Warriors lost their fourth straight, a
48-37 decision to Willamina. But on the bright
side, Clatskanie defeated Taft, clinching a spot
for Warrenton in the Coastal Range League
playoffs, which begin next Wednesday.
Willamina’s win gave the Bulldogs a little
revenge, following a pair of one-point losses to
the Warriors earlier in the season.
Warrenton was playing without Ayden Ste-
phens, who suffered an ankle sprain and is
expected to miss a week, said Warrior coach
Nate McBride.
Dalton Knight had a team-high 14 points for
the Warriors, while sophomore Kaleb Floyd led
Willamina with 14 points, followed by Chance
Kalawa with 12.
Warrenton hosts Rainier Friday.
Warrenton girls run past
Willamina in ‘complete game’
Warrenton girls basketball coach Robert
Hoepfl described it as “probably our most com-
plete game of the season.” A good sign, as the
Warriors close in on the post-season.
With one league game remaining, Warren-
ton tuned up with a 72-37 win over Willam-
ina, in a Coastal Range League game Tuesday
at Warrenton.
“For the fi rst time, Claire (Bussert), Kenzie
(Ramsey) and Fernanda (Alvarez) all had big
nights offensively,” Hoepfl said. Bussert scored
24 points with six assists, followed by Ramsey
with 17 and Alvarez with 16 and 11 rebounds.
Avyree Miethe tossed in 11, as Warren-
ton’s top four scorers combined for 68 of the
72 points.
Bussert is Warrenton’s version of Oregon
SCOREBOARD
PREP SPORTS SCHEDULE
THURSDAY
Girls basketball — Astoria at Tillamook,
6 p.m.; Open Door at Knappa, 6:30 p.m.;
Livingstone Adventist at Jewell, 5:30 p.m.
Boys basketball — Astoria at Tillamook,
7:30 p.m.; Livingstone Adventist at Jew-
ell, 7 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Astoria 55, Banks 52
BAN (52): Aspen Slifka 26, Nelson 12,
Grossnickle 5, Kind 4, Hernandez 2, Buliga
2, Streblow 1.
AST (55): Halle Helmersen 22, O’Brien 18,
Norris 8, Long 3, Fausett 2, Hankwitz 2,
Jackson, Lyngstad.
Banks
4
11
15
21 — 52
Astoria
15
6
17
17 — 55
Valley Catholic 43, Seaside 40
SEA (40): Emy Kiser 9, Lilli Taylor 9, Doug-
las 7, Blodgett 6, VanDusen 4, Garhofer 3,
Turner 2, Goin, Zagata, Angulo.
Valley
17
6
6
7
7 — 43
Seaside
6
15
9
6
4 — 40
Warrenton 72, Willamina 37
WIL (37): Kaya McLean 16, France 8, Hughes
6, Ki.Rankin 3, Scranton 3, E.Shrabel 1.
WAR (72): Claire Bussert 24, Ramsey 17,
Alvarez 16, Miethe 11, A.Heyen 2, Diego
2, Mossman 2, Bennett, Fritz, Kelly, Kapua,
Dejesus, Schiewe, M.Heyen, Marchello.
Willamina
3
12
9
13 — 37
Warrenton
16
21
16
19 — 72
Nestucca 56, Knappa 39
KNA (39): Sophia Carlson 13, Dietrichs 8,
Weaver 7, Tischer 5, Nicholson 4, Corcoran
2, McCall, Rilatos.
NES (56): Jocelyn Moreno 17, Leslie 14,
Chatelain 11, Webber 8, Ozuna 3, Johnson
2, Houck 1.
Knappa
11
11
10
7 — 39
Nestucca
14
17
10
15 — 56
BOYS BASKETBALL
Banks 67, Astoria 38
BAN (67): Jacob Slifka 24, Gobel 12, Bunn 8,
Exline 5, Evans 4, Vandehey 4, Hiestand 4,
Buliga 3, Cameron 2, Klein 1.
AST (38): Ian Hunt 17, Soderstrom 5, Olson
2, Stenblom 2, Ploghoft 2, Marincovich 2,
Brockman 2, Johnson 2, Palmberg 2, Junes
2.
Banks
13
18
22
14 — 67
Astoria
10
8
9
11 — 38
Seaside 43, Valley Catholic 29
VC (29): Peter Boileau 8, Jack Tetzloff 8,
Johnson 5, Flemmer 5, Miller 3.
SEA (43): Chase Januik 14, Hague 13, Br.
Johnson 8, Westerholm 4, Thompson 4, Be.
Johnson, Meyer.
Valley
6
5
11
7 — 29
Seaside
13
12
11
7 — 43
Willamina 48, Warrenton 37
WIL (48): Kaleb Floyd 14, Kalawa 12, Bri-
ant 7, Colton 6, Watkins 4, Schoenbachler
3, Doane 2.
WAR (37): Dalton Knight 14, Morrow 7,
Jackson 6, Little 4, Green 4, Schenbeck 2,
Kapua.
Willamina
13
13
8
14 — 48
Warrenton
6
8
14
9 — 37
Nestucca knocks off Knappa
Nestucca had three players in double fi g-
ures in a 56-39 win over Knappa in a North-
west League girls basketball game Tuesday in
Cloverdale.
Jocelyn Moreno led the Bobcats with 17
points, with support from Olivia Leslie (14)
and Shamilee Chatelain (11).
Sophia Carlson scored a team-high 13
points for the Loggers, who closed out the
league season with a 4-12 mark in league play.
Knappa fi nishes the season with a nonleague
contest Friday at Seaside.
— The Daily Astorian
2018-19 | 29TH SEASON
COLUMBIAFORUM
February 12, 2019 • 6 pm
The natural evolution
of the electric grid
Community Choice Aggregation
Technology and community needs have evolved and it is time
for the next stage in the electric grid. Enter Community Choice
Aggregation, CCA for short. Under the CCA model, these public
entities allow communities to take control of their energy decisions
and implement locally driven energy projects — everything
from community solar, to EV adoption to disaster resilient micro-
grids. CCA members are seeing lower power bills and more rapid
adoption of carbon-free energy sources along with innovative
locally driven projects.
Alan Hickenbottom
Alan Hickenbottom is the Oregon Project Manager for LEAN Energy US,
the national education and advocacy organization for Community Choice
Aggregation. A native Oregonian, Alan has been an Oregon renewable
energy and clean tech entrepreneur for more than 15 years. He is a
current or former board member of Clean Energy Works Oregon,
NW Environmental Business Council, Oregon Business Association,
Build Local Alliance and the Oregon Natural Desert
Association.
Columbia Forum Sponsors:
• The Daily Astorian
• OSU Seafood Laboratory
• Cannery Pier Hotel & Spa
• Craft 3
• KMUN-FM
COLUMBIAFORUM 2018-19
RSVP by: February 8 at 5 p.m.
For reservations, to become a
member or be added to contact list:
Contact Kari Borgen
at 503-325-3211 x 1201
or forum@dailyastorian.com
Forum to be held at
(new location):
Chef Chris Holen’s
NEKST EVENT
175 14th St., Ste 100,
Astoria
Foot of 12th St.
Use back-in parking
To Attend:
Members: Dinner & Lecture $25 each; Lecture only free.
Non-Members: Dinner & Lecture $35 each; Lecture only $15 each
Appetizers available at 6pm. Dinner will be served at 6:30pm. Lecture will begin after dinner.