Page 2B
SPORTS
East Oregonian
Saturday, April 2, 2016
SMITH: Buckaroo going the extra lengths to catch on at next level
Continued from 1B
his efforts Smith has been
named the All-EO boys
basketball Player of the Year.
Smith has played
basketball since his elemen-
tary school days, playing
on youth AAU teams
with several of his varsity
teammates from second
through eighth grades.
During that eighth grade
year is when Smith began to
realize that he had a special
talent and a real passion for
the game.
“I was always playing
up a grade and playing well
… but around eighth grade
the high school coaches
were always coming and
watching,” he said. “And I
started putting more of my
time into it and ever since
I’ve loved the game more
and more.”
His love for basketball
can be described as a
borderline obsession now,
as Smith recently decided
to give up playing baseball
to focus on elevating his
overall basketball game to
even bigger heights moving
forward.
“I’m trying to get the
most exposure I can get
for the next level and play
Division I college basketball,
which is a big dream of
mine,” he said. “It’s going
to take a lot more time than
what I’ve been putting in to
get where I want to be.”
Smith has recently joined
the Emerald City Basketball
Academy’s AAU team based
out of Seattle, Washington
for the spring and summer to
help him accomplish those
goals. Smith said he already
knows which areas of his
game he needs to focus
on over the next several
months.
“I need to improve on
the defensive end on getting
stops and not relying on the
offensive game so much,”
he said. “Better defense
will also make it easier for
my offense if the team gets
those stops. But I also need
to work on moving the ball
more and get more people
involved instead of watching
so much.”
The Buckaroos team has
already met about what’s
to come for next year, and
Smith has the bar set high for
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He wants to get his team
back to the state tournament
and make a run at the state
championship, but he knows
it won’t come easy.
“We’ve experienced
what it will take so we have
to do a lot of hard work in
the offseason and during
the season,” he said. “It
comes down to simple drills,
shoring up our game, and
a lot of weight lifting to
build up that strength. It all
depends on how hard we
will work.”
———
Contact Eric Singer at
esinger@eastoregonian.com
or (541) 966-0839. You can
also follow Eric on Twitter
@ByEricSinger.
All-EO Boys Second Team
James Bradt
Pendleton, sr.
Hunter Yensen
Mac-Hi, sr.
Ira Ashley
Nixyaawii, sr.
Fredy Campos
Nixyaawii, sr.
C.J. Kindle
Heppner, sr.
Austin Naillon
Hermiston, sr.
12 points per
game, 9 re-
bounds per
game, 2 steals
per game, CRC
1st team
15.5 points
per game, 9
rebounds per
game, 1.5 as-
sists per game,
GOL 1st team
14 points per
game, 4.8
rebounds per
game, 4.2
assists per
game, 3.2 steals
per game, 1A
All-Tournament
1st team, OOL
2nd team
14.9 points per
game, 4.2 steals
per game,
3.1 assists
per game, 2.7
rebounds per
game, OOL 1st
team
12 points per
game, 5 re-
bounds per
game, 3 assists
per game,
2.5 steals per
game, CBC 1st
team
CRC 1st team
Daniel Adams
Pendleton, sr.
Shaw Broncheau
Weston-McEwen, jr.
Logan Grieb
Heppner, jr.
Kaden Webb
Umatilla, soph.
Hunter McKay
Nixyaawii, sr.
12.5 points
per game, 37
percent 3-pt
shooting, CRC
2nd team
11 points per
game, 4.5
rebounds per
game, 5.8 as-
sists per game,
3.5 steals per
game, CBC 1st
team
13 points per
game, 5 re-
bounds per
game, 3.5 as-
sists per game,
CBC 1st team
14 points per
game, 4 re-
bounds per
game, 4 assists
per game,
2 steals per
game, EOL 1st
team
14.6 points
per game, 6.6
rebounds per
game, 2.5 as-
sists per game,
3.4 steals per
game, OOL 2nd
team
All-EO Boys Third Team
Michael
Thompson
Echo, sr.
13.5 points
per game, 9.4
rebounds per
game, OOL 1st
team
EDMISTON: Former swimmer gives up track as well, earns scholarship
All-EO Girls Second Team
Chelsea Quaempts
Weston-McEwen,
soph.
9.3 points
per game, 5.3
rebounds per
game, 4.9 steals
per game, 2.5
assists per
game, CBC
Player of the
Year
Continued from 1B
Jada Burns
Irrigon, soph.
Jessie Flynn
Ione, sr.
Kalan McGlothan
Pendleton, soph.
Sydney Richwine
Mac-Hi, jr.
Madison Dave
Pilot Rock, sr.
15.3 points
per game, 4.5
rebounds per
game, 3.5 steals
per game, 3.1
assists per
game, CBC 1st
team
15.8 points
per game, 5.1
rebounds per
game, 2.2 steals
per game, BSL
1st team
8.1 points
per game, 7.5
rebounds per
game, CRC 1st
team
12.3 points
per game, 8
rebounds per
game, 2 steals
per game, GOL
1st team
12.4 points
per game, 9.3
rebounds per
game, 2.2 steals
per game, 1.2
assists per
game, CBC 1st
team
All-EO Girls Third Team
Haley Greb
Pendleton, jr.
Aleesha Watson
Umatilla, jr.
Kynzee Padilla
Hermiston, jr.
Bekah Roe
Pilot Rock, jr.
Yazzmin Chavez
Stanfield, sr.
Sunshine Fuentes
Nixyaawii, jr.
10.1 points per
game, 3.1 as-
sists per game,
1.7 steals per
game, CRC 2nd
team
12.1 points
per game, 5.5
rebounds per
game, 3.1 steals
per game, 3A
All-State 2nd
team, EOL 1st
team
5.5 points
per game, 5.5
rebounds per
game, 1.6 steals
per game, 2.1
assists per
game, CRC 2nd
team
8.6 points
per game, 6.6
rebounds per
game, 4.3 steals
per game, 3.4
assists per
game, CBC 1st
team
10 points per
game, 3 re-
bounds per
game, 3 steals
per game, CBC
1st team
6.8 points
per game,
5.6 rebounds
per game, 3.9
blocks per
game, OOL 1st
team
her love. In sixth grade,
she began to consider this,
and understood then she
would have to stop doing
something she enjoys. Part
of her pulled her toward
basketball, the sport she
most enjoyed and the one
she was best at. In the other
direction was swimming,
with the family connection
of her coach mother.
“I loved basketball,”
Edmiston said. “Even with
track, I was good at track,
but I loved basketball.
That’s what I wanted to do
when I was older, and that’s
the only thing that I feel
like would keep me going
into college. I kinda got
nervous or scared when I
did other sports, but I knew
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Edmiston set the goal
early to be on the varsity
basketball team as a
freshman. To accomplish
that feat, a relative rarity,
she knew she would have
to concentrate on one
thing. Unfortunately for
swimming, it meant that
had to cease.
This time it was
Edmiston’s mother’s turn to
cry, and although tears were
shed, Edmiston made sure
they weren’t in vain.
Not only would
Edmiston make the varsity
her freshman season, the
day before the season
opener she found out she
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“I didn’t really believe
(the coaches),” Edmiston
said. “I was super nervous.
I remember I didn’t go
shake the other coach’s
hand (during introductions)
because I was so nervous.”
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her high school career,
Edmiston was still a
two-sport standout at
Hermiston and competed
in track during the spring.
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State Championships as
a sprinter her sophomore
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the 100-meters and third in
the 400. But she declined
to try to improve on those
medals.
“With track, I was
contemplating or months
if I needed to do it,” she
said. “Back then, I can’t
really remember, but (I
just decided to) focus on
basketball.”
Her focus was rewarded
when prior to her senior
season she signed a letter
of intent to attend Lewis-
Clark State University
in Lewiston, Idaho on a
basketball scholarship.
She went on to earn her
second-straight Columbia
River Conference co-Player
of the Year award,
and was named to the
All-Tournament second
team during Hermiston’s
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state championships.
“I think it all turned out
in the end,” she said.
SCOREBOARD
Local Slate
PREP BASEBALL
Monday
Walla Walla at Pendleton, 4 p.m.
Heppner at Pilot Rock, 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday
Stanfield at Riverside (DH), 1/3 p.m.
Umatilla at Sherman, 4 p.m.
Mac-Hi at Elgin, 4 p.m.
Weston-McEwen at Dufur, 4:30 p.m.
La Grande at Hermiston, 4:30 p.m.
PREP SOFTBALL
Saturday
Mac-Hi vs. Yamhill-Carlton, Noon
Mac-Hi vs. Banks, 2:30 p.m.
Monday
Walla Walla at Pendleton (DH), 3/5 p.m.
Tuesday
Echo at Riverside (DH), 1/3 p.m.
Umatilla at Irrigon (DH), 3/5 p.m.
Mac-Hi at The Dalles, 4:30 p.m.
PREP TRACK & FIELD
Saturday
Ione, Stanfield at Sherman, 11 a.m.
Tuesday
The Dalles at Hermiston, 4 p.m.
PREP GOLF
Monday
Pendleton. Hermiston, Mac-Hi boys/girls
at Wildhorse Resort, Noon
PREP TENNIS
Monday
Umatilla at Mac-Hi 3 p.m.
La Grande at Pendleton, 4 p.m.
Riverside at Condon/Wheeler, 4 p.m.
Tuesday
Weston-McEwen, Helix, Riverside at
Mac-Hi, 4 p.m.
Ione at Stanfield, 4:30 p.m.
PREP LACROSSE
Saturday
Hermiston at Mt. Spokane (WA), 1 p.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Saturday
Blue Mountain at Walla Walla (DH), 1/4
p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Saturday
Eastern Oregon at Oregon Tech (DH), 11
a.m./1 p.m.
Blue Mountain at Big Bend (DH), Noon/2
p.m.
Tuesday
Blue Mountain at Treasure Valley (DH),
2/4 p.m.
Basketball
NCAA Men’s Tournament
FINAL FOUR
At NRG Stadium
Houston
Saturday
Villanova (33-5) vs. Oklahoma (29-7), 3:09
p.m. (TBS)
North Carolina (32-6) vs. Syracuse (23-13),
5:49 p.m. (TBS)
NCAA Women’s Tournament
FINAL FOUR
At Indianapolis
Sunday
UConn (36-0) vs. Oregon State (32-4), 3
p.m. (ESPN)
Washington (26-10) vs. Syracuse (29-7),
5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
NBA
Friday’s Games
Charlotte 100, Philadelphia 91
Dallas 98, Detroit 89
New York 105, Brooklyn 91
Milwaukee 113, Orlando 110
Toronto 99, Memphis 95
Cleveland 110, Atlanta 108, OT
Utah 98, Minnesota 85
Miami 112, Sacramento 106
Boston 109, Golden State 106
Washington 106, Phoenix 99
Saturday’s Games
Indiana at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m.
Detroit at Chicago, 5 p.m.
Toronto at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m.
Sacramento at Denver, 6 p.m.
Miami at Portland, 7 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
New Orleans at Brooklyn, 10 a.m.
Washington at L.A. Clippers, 12:30 p.m.
Dallas at Minnesota, 12:30 p.m.
Oklahoma City at Houston, 12:30 p.m.
Charlotte at Cleveland, 12:30 p.m.
Utah at Phoenix, 3 p.m.
Memphis at Orlando, 3 p.m.
Chicago at Milwaukee, 4 p.m.
Indiana at New York, 4:30 p.m.
Portland at Golden State, 5 p.m.
Boston at L.A. Lakers, 6:30 p.m.
Hockey
NHL
Friday’s Games
Detroit 3, Minnesota 2
Boston 6, St. Louis 5
Chicago 5, Winnipeg 4, OT
Washington 4, Colorado 2
Vancouver 3, Anaheim 2
Saturday’s Games
Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders, 10 a.m.
Ottawa at Philadelphia, 10 a.m.
Dallas at Los Angeles, 1 p.m.
Detroit at Toronto, 4 p.m.
New Jersey at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m.
Montreal at Florida, 4 p.m.
Buffalo at N.Y. Rangers, 4 p.m.
Columbus at Carolina, 4 p.m.
San Jose at Nashville, 5 p.m.
Calgary at Edmonton, 7 p.m.
Washington at Arizona, 7 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Boston at Chicago, 9:30 a.m.
Philadelphia at Pittsburgh, 2 p.m.
Minnesota at Winnipeg, 5 p.m.
St. Louis at Colorado, 5 p.m.
Dallas at Anaheim, 6 p.m.
Scott Pinckney
Whee Kim
Henrik Stenson
Jordan Spieth
Luke List
Patrick Reed
David Hearn
Si Woo Kim
Justin Hicks
Steve Marino
Phil Mickelson
David Toms
Stuart Appleby
Boo Weekley
Brian Harman
66-73—139
67-73—140
69-71—140
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Charl Schwartzel
Sean O’Hair
Tennis
Miami Open
Friday
At The Tennis Center at Crandon Park
Key Biscayne, Fla.
Purse: Men, $6.13 million (Masters 1000);
Women, $6.13 million (Premier)
Surface: Hard-Outdoor
Singles
Men
Semifinals
MLS
Today’s Games
New England 1, New York 0
Saturday’s Games
Philadelphia at Chicago, 2 p.m.
Toronto FC at Colorado, 5 p.m.
Real Salt Lake at Sporting Kansas City,
5:30 p.m.
Columbus at FC Dallas, 6 p.m.
Montreal at Seattle, 7 p.m.
Los Angeles at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
D.C. United at San Jose, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday’s Games
Portland at Orlando City, 5 p.m.
PGA
Shell Houston Open
Thursday
At Golf Club of Houston
Humble, Texas
Purse: $6.8 million
Yardage: 7,441; Par 72 (36-36)
Partial Second Round
Charley Hoffman
64-70—134
Jamie Lovemark
67-68—135
Chez Reavie
66-70—136
Will MacKenzie
69-68—137
Russell Henley
70-68—138
Charles Howell III
69-69—138
Harris English
68-70—138
Scott Brown
65-74—139
Bernd Wiesberger
68-71—139
Rickie Fowler
69-70—139
Lucas Glover
71-68—139
Andrew Loupe
67-72—139
Novak Djokovic (1), Serbia, def. David
Goffin (15), Belgium, 7-6 (5), 6-4.
Kei Nishikori (6), Japan, def. Nick Kyrgios
(24), Australia, 6-3, 7-5.
Doubles
Women
Semifinals
Timea Babos, Hungary, and Yaroslava
Shvedova (4), Kazakhstan, def. Margarita
Gasparyan, Russia, and Monica Niculescu,
Romania, 7-5, 4-6, 10-8.
Bethanie Mattek-Sands, United States,
and Lucie Safarova (3), Czech Republic,
def. Yi-Fan Xu, China, and Zheng Saisai (8),
China, 6-2, 6-1.
for providing the
funds to update
the shower rooms
at the Pendleton
Convention Center.
Soccer
Golf
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