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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 2016)
Page 2B SPORTS East Oregonian Thursday, January 7, 2016 Ellie Logan led North- west Naza- rene to two wins, includ- ing an upset victory over Seattle Pacif- ic, pictured, last week to earn GNAC Women’s Bas- ketball Player of the Week honors. Logan GNAC Player of Week Former C/W standout going strong at collegiate level PORTLA1D — A pair of solid performances by 1orthwest 1azarene’s Ellie Logan in the return to conference play have been recognized with selections as the G1AC’s Players of the Week. Logan earned the Women’s Basketball Player of the Week honor after ¿nishing with 31 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Crusaders to home wins over Saint Martin’s and Seattle Paci¿c. She scored 12 points and had eight rebounds in the 86-58 win over the Saints. Logan came back to score 19 points, which included two game-win- ning free throws with 12 seconds left, in the 66-65 win over the league-leading Falcons. Logan enters the week ranked 10th in the G1AC in scoring, averaging 12.8 points per game. She leads the G1AC and is third in Division II in free throw percentage at 95.5 percent (42-44). Photo courtesy of GNAC CBC: Pilot Rock girls coming into league play battle tested Continued from 1B Senior guard Fredy Vera was the only starter to return to the squad but he hasn’t had to do it all for the Knights this season thanks to the matura- tion of junior guards Austin Rice and Xavier Rambo and junior post Hayden White. Irrigon is 25-1 in its last two league campaigns and averages 54.5 points for and 42.9 against this season. Heppner (10-1), 1o. 7: The Mustangs are poised to make a run at the CBC championship if they can stay healthy this season after returning the most talent in the league. That experience was paying off early in the preseason when Heppner started on a ¿ve-game winning streak despite just getting in four practices between its state title in foot- ball and its ¿rst game on the hardwood. Heppner’s only loss is to 2A 1o. 1 Imbler, a 47-45 nail-biter in Imbler that knocked the Mustangs from their cloud and helped refocus the team for the ¿ve- game winning streak it rides into league play. Forward Patrick Collins gives Heppner the best big man in the CBC — he aver- ages a double-double — but the team has already proven it’s not dependent on his scoring as guards C.J. Kindle and Logan Grieb and forward Weston Putman have all scored 20 points or more in a game at least once this season. The Mustangs are aver- aging 55.6 points for and 44 against this season. Stan¿eld (7-1), 1o. 16: If not for a two-point loss to 1o. 6 8nion, the Tigers would be undefeated headed into league play. Junior guard Dylan Grogan (6-foot-3) is a match-up nightmare at the 2A level and is a key reason ¿rst-year coach Victor Baros has rolled out an all-guard starting ¿ve to great success. But the Tigers are far from reliant on Grogan, and Ryan Bailey, Tony Flores, Thyler Monkus and Brody Woods have all scored 15 points or more in a game at least once this season. The Tigers have notable wins over 1A powers 1ixy- aawii, 75-65, and South Bekah Roe. If the Rockets can get more consistent production from their supporting cast they could run away with a second- straight CBC title and wash away the bitter taste left by last season’s early playoff exit. Pilot Rock averages 45 points for and 37.9 against. Wasco, 46-41, already and have beaten perennial playoff squad Horizon Christian (Hood River) twice. Those wins are a good indicator the Tigers will be one of the toughest squads in the CBC this season, but there’s still a little bit of an unknown element because Stan¿eld has only played three teams that are classi¿ed 2A or above (or the Wash- ington equivalent). Stan¿eld heads into its league opener on a four-game win streak and averages 60.3 points for and 47.9 against. Weston-McEwen (3-5), 1o. 33: The jury is still out on how good the TigerScots can be this season due to some inconsistent performances. Senior center Alex Finifrock (6-foot-7) has shown the ability to take over a game, but Weston- McEwen seems to thrive when it gets balanced scoring to arrive at its 47.9 points a game average. That’s been a key number this season as Weston- McEwen has only lost once when putting up at least 48 points. To compete for a playoff spot in the CBC, however, the TigerScots will have to ¿nd a way to give up fewer points and their 54.9 points allowed average ranks dead last in the conference. Even without factoring in an 87-57 loss to Kiona-Benton (WA), the TigerScots are giving up points at an unmatched rate. Weston-McEwen enters league play on a three-game skid and also is 0-3 on the road. It lost out on the chance to test itself against a pair of 2A’s best teams in December when games at Imbler and Burns were canceled due to weather. Pilot Rock (6-8), 1o. 29: The Rockets suffered a ¿ve-game losing streak in December but will enter league play having won ¿ve of their last eight and have shown enough during the preseason that their CBC opponents would be wise not to overlook this young squad. Like most of the teams in the CBC, the Rockets are driven by an excellent backcourt that can keep them in any game when their shots are falling. However, shut- ting down sophomore guards Staff photo by E.J. Harris/file In this Dec. 18, 2015 ile photo Pilot Rock’s Madison Dave shoots the ball guarded by Enterprise’s Reagan Bedard in the Rockets’ 38-34 win against the Outlaws in Pilot Rock. Bryson Pierce and Chris Weinke has been an easy key to victory for opponents this season so the Rockets will need more from their supporting cast to have a shot at a state playoff berth. Pilot Rock is averaging 42.4 points for and 43.9 points against this season. Culver (4-7), 1o. 35: The Bulldogs have already eclipsed last season’s win total (2) but have been wildly inconsistent under ¿rst-year head coach Johnny Wilson. Sophomore guard Weston Basl and junior center Mike Davis have been their go-to scorers so far this season but the team has suffered from a reliance on the outside shot due to an overall lack of height. With an average height of 5-foot-9, Davis is their tallest player listed at just 6-2. That de¿ciency hurt them badly in a 65-18 loss to South Wasco on Tuesday that sends Culver into league play on a three-game losing streak. Culver averages 40.7 points for and 48.5 points against this season. CBC GIRLS 2014-15 order of ¿nish: Pilot Rock (9-1), Weston- McEwen (8-2), Heppner (4-6), Stan¿eld (4-6), Culver (3-7), Irrigon (2-8) Pilot Rock (9-5), 1o. 6: The Rockets took a few lumps during a very tough preseason but should be well-prepared for anything they’ll see in league play because of it. All of their losses came to squads that project as state playoff quali¿ers at their classi¿cations, and the Rockets have followed each of those up with a win. They enter CBC action having won ¿ve of their last six. Senior Madison Dave has been taking over in the lead-up to league play and is averaging 16.6 points in the Rockets’ last ¿ve games, but the team has been able to pull out wins even when the all-state performer is limited thanks to the continued maturation of talented sophomores Kayla Deist and Weston-McEwen (3-6), 1o. 26: The TigerScots had more holes to ¿ll in their starting lineup than any other CBC team this season and have fared better than their record indicates during a challenging preseason. Sophomore guard Chelsea Quaempts is poised for a breakout season and could be one of the league’s top scorers while all-state senior Ammarae Broncheau has continued her high level of guard play as well. Junior Bailey Hillmick adds another scoring guard to the mix, but the TigerScots’ season could hinge on the play of its posts, which started hot but have been struggling to make an impact on the score sheet of late. The most notable win of the preseason for the TigerScots was 44-27 over 1A 1o. 9 Helix, but that was their last win as well and they enter league play on a three- game losing streak. Weston-McEwen aver- ages 42 points for and 41.7 against. Heppner (2-9), 1o. 30: The lone bright spot in a long preseason full of losses has been the emergence of freshman guard Jacee Currin. Her 14 points a game average is by far the best on the team as Mustangs 1o. 2 scorers — a group that has primarily included senior Jessica Kempken, sopho- more Morgan Correa and freshman Madison Combe — are putting up just around seven points a night. That’s a number that has to come up if the Mustangs have any hope of competing in an improved CBC ¿eld. Heppner comes into league play on a six-game losing streak and is averaging a CBC-low 27.8 points for and a CBC-high 42.2 against. Stan¿eld (4-3), 1o. 19: The Tigers are a tough team to ¿gure out based on their preseason performances. Their wins have come over teams that are a combined 13-19 with not a winning record among them, while their losses have been to teams combining for a 27-11 mark. What can be gleaned from their non-league games, however, is that Stan¿eld is de¿nitely a better team than they were this time last year. Junior guard 1atalia Esquivel has been their most consistent producer on offense, but several Tigers have taken turns leading the team on the score sheet this season. The team has fallen off of late, however, and after putting up 180 points in its ¿rst three games scored just 119 in its next four. Stan¿eld averages 42.7 points for and 34.9 against. Culver (7-4), 1o. 28: Like the Tigers, the Bulldogs are a team hoping to make the leap from perennial doormat to contender this season. Also like the Tigers, Culver may have to settle for more incremental success based on preseason results. The Bulldogs have fared well against lower competi- tion but still struggle to beat teams with winning records. They’re de¿nitely no pushover, though, and the senior-led group is averaging a CBC-best 30.8 points against average while scoring 39.9 per game. Irrigon (3-7), 1o. 27: The Knights have suffered a pair of three-game losing streaks during the preseason but have been competitive and are coming off a one-point defeat at the hands of 1ixyaawii in their last tune-up. However, their wins come against teams that are a combined 9-21. Irrigon has one of the best players in the conference in sophomore guard Jada Burns, but has struggled to ¿nd a consistent 1o. 2 scorer and has been forced to rely on a basket or two from several players to ¿ll out the score sheet. Those results haven’t been stellar as Irrigon averages just 35.4 points a night while allowing 39.9. ——— Contact Matt Entrup at mentrup@eastoregonian. com or (541) 966-0838. GRIFFEY: First 1o. 1 overall draft pick to make the Hall of Fame Continued from 1B not been active for 10 years were eliminated under a rules change by the Hall’s board of directors. With a younger average electorate, Roger Clemens rose to 45 percent and Barry Bonds to 44 percent, both up from about 37 percent last year. Clemens has denied using perfor- mance-enhancing drugs, and Bonds said he never knowingly took any banned substances. “They were Hall of Famers before all this stuff started,” Griffey said. Mark McGwire, who admitted using steroids, received 12 percent in his 10th and ¿nal ballot appear- ance. Half of baseball’s top 10 home run hitters are not in the Hall: Bonds (762), Alex Rodriguez (654), Jim Thome (612), Sammy Sosa (609) and McGwire (583). Rodriguez, who served a yearlong drug suspension in 2014, remains active. Thome’s ¿rst appearance on the ballot will be in 2018. Griffey believes drug-testing, which began in baseball in 2003, should eliminate the possibility of stigma for the current generation of players. “There won’t be any questions and you’ll know from here on out,” he said. Some players who admitted using steroids claimed they chose the needle because of pressure to (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File) FILE - In this Oct. 8, 1995, ile photo, Seattle Mariners’ Ken Griffey Jr. smiles from beneath a pile of teammates who mobbed him after he scored the winning run in the bottom of the 11th inning of a baseball game against the New York Yankees in Seattle. compete. Griffey said he never was tempted. “I also had a dad that said you’re never going to be the biggest, you’re never going to be the strongest and you’re never going to be the fastest,” he said. “There’s always going to be someone in each of those categories, but the one thing they can’t do is outwork you.” “I never really worried about what somebody else was doing, because it was out of my control,” he added. “I was already popular. It wasn’t that I needed to jump out and surprise people.” Griffey and Piazza had contrasting treks to stardom. Griffey was selected ¿rst in the 1987 amateur draft and became the ¿rst 1o. 1 to make the Hall. Piazza was taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 1,390th pick on the 62nd round in 1988; since the draft started in 1965, the lowest draft pick elected to the Hall had been John Smoltz, taken with selec- tion 574 on the 22nd round in 1985. “It crystalizes how special this game is,” Piazza said. “It separates it from other sports. Athletic talent de¿nitely helps, but it’s not the only thing that can make you successful.” Griffey was known simply as “Junior” by many as a contrast to his father, three-time All-Star out¿elder Ken Griffey, who played alongside him in Seattle during 1990 and ‘91. The younger Griffey became a 13-time All-Star out¿elder and ¿nished with 630 homers, sixth on the career list. After reaching the major leagues in 1989, he was selected for 11 consecutive All-Star Games in 1990. Wanting to play closer to his home in Florida, he pushed for a trade to Cincinnati — his father’s old team and the area he grew up in— after the 1999 season. But slowed by injuries, he never reached 100 RBIs again after his ¿rst season with the Reds, and he moved on to the Chicago White Sox in 2008 before spending his last season-plus with the Mariners. Griffey is likely to become the ¿rst player in the Hall with a Mari- ners cap. He wouldn’t say whether his bronze plaque should portray the look he’s most known for. “I haven’t really thought about the hat backwards,” he said. Piazza said he was directed not to speak about the hat on his plaque, which ultimately is decided by the Hall. After reaching the major leagues with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1992, Piazza was dealt to Florida in May 1998 before he could become a free agent, then traded eight days later to the Mets. He played for the Mets’ 2000 1ational League champions and remained with 1ew <ork through 2005, hitting a memorable go-ahead home run in the ¿rst game in the city following the 2001 terrorist attacks. During a career that ended with San Diego in 2006 and Oakland the following year, he hit better than .300 in nine straight seasons and ¿nishing with 427 home runs, including a record 396 when he was in the game behind the plate. A 12-time All-Star, Piazza had a .308 career batting average. While 6-foot-3, Piazza claims to not have a distinctive athletic body. “When you see a basketball guy out there or a football guy, you kind of know it,” he said. “And baseball guys, I think that’s why the public relates to us.” 1OTES: Alan Trammell received 41 percent in his ¿nal ballot appearance. ... Curt Schilling rose from 39 percent to 52, Edgar Martinez from 27 percent to 43 and Mike Mussina from 25 percent to 43. ... There were two write-in votes for Pete Rose, who never was allowed on any Hall ballot because of his lifetime ban from baseball. SALE IN PROGRESS SAVINGS UP TO 50% 8 AM-6 PM Mon.-Sat. • 12 PM-4 PM Sun. 613 N Main St., Milton Freewater, OR 541-938-5162 • www.saagershoeshop.com
