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SPORTS FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2017 1B FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS HERMISTON Men’s College Basketball Rambo’s Rise Ducks dunk Bears Hermiston senior showing off big-time talent after transfer from small-school Irrigon By ERIC SINGER East Oregonian A s a wide-eyed, skinny sophomore, Xavier Rambo did something that only a few dozen high school athletes are able to do each year in Oregon — win a basketball state championship. Though Rambo wasn’t a major player for that Irrigon Knights squad that went 27-1 and won its second straight Class 2A championship, he was able to gain valuable experience as well as the chance to learn from all-state players such as Adrian Romero, Anthony Landeros and Fredy Vera — all three of whom now play basketball collegiately. “I learned so much, they taught me so much of my game,” Rambo said after practice Thursday. “Fredy Vera, he’s my favorite player to ever play with, he’s a great point guard and a great role model and still my role model to this day. And guys like Adrian and Anthony, they all taught me a lot as a young guard and made me a better player.” As a more-developed junior, Rambo took on a larger role with Irrigon last season and helped his Knights get back to the 2A playoffs, while also earning All-Co- lumbia Basin Conference honorable mention honors as well. But at the conclusion of that season, Rambo decided he wanted a change. He decided to transfer to AP Photo/Thomas Boyd Oregon forward Chris Boucher (25), dunks on California in an NCAA college basketball game Thursday in Eugene. No. 11 Oregon loses Brooks in win over California the scoring slack by shooting 11 of 12 from the fi eld to go with six rebounds and four blocked shots. EUGENE — Losing its best He was 7 of 7 in the second half player to injury left No. 11 Oregon and 4 of 5 at the free throw line for more somber than celebratory after 18 points. “That’s just a great line,” Altman it rewrote some school history said, looking at the stat sheet. “A with its 15th consecutive victory. “It takes a little wind out of few more rebounds and that would your sails,” coach Dana Altman have been a spectacular line.” Bell’s only miss was a desper- said of the Ducks’ reaction when ation 3-pointer early in Dillon Brooks didn’t join the game to avoid a shot- them for the second half. clock violation. Jordan Bell scored a “When we got it down career-high 26 points, California low to him, he scored Casey Benson had 15 every time,” Tyler Dorsey on fi ve 3-pointers and said. “He fi nishes and Oregon rolled to an 86-63 he’s very athletic.” victory over California on Jabari Bird had 21 Thursday night. points to lead the Golden The Ducks (17-2, 6-0 #11 Oregon Bears (13-6, 4-3), who Pac-12) hadn’t won 15 had won three straight straight games in 104 and eight of their last 10 years, but they lost their meetings with the Ducks. preseason All-America to a lower leg injury late in the fi rst After two quick fouls on starter half. Payton Pritchard, Benson came Brooks, who had offseason off the bench to hit four straight surgery on his left foot, limped off 3-pointers as Oregon connected the court as Oregon was building on 9 of 15 beyond the arc in the a 44-30 halftime lead. Oregon fi rst half. offi cials tweeted that Brooks had Dorsey, the Ducks’ best long- injured his lower left leg after he range shooter, turned playmaker did not appear with his teammates in the fi rst half with fi ve of his six for the second half. assists. “He’ll be evaluated the next “I was looking for him,” couple of days and we’ll see where Dorsey said of Benson. “I knew we’re at,” said Altman, who spoke he was going to make it and I was with Brooks but wouldn’t confi rm going to get an assist.” if he had re-injured his left foot. Dorsey scored 13 points in the In his absence, Bell took up second half to fi nish with 16. By RON RICHMOND Associated Press See RAMBO/2B MAIN: Hermiston senior Xavi- er Rambo shoots the ball over Dallas play- ers during a game this season in Hermiston. 63 86 INSET: Rambo shoots the ball over Kennedy’s Bishop Mitchell as a junior at 2A Irrigon during the 2015-16 season. EO fi le photos/ E.J. Harris Men’s College Basketball Humphrey leads Stanford past Oregon State By ANNE M. PETERSON Associated Press CORVALLIS — Michael Humphrey had 21 points and Marcus Allen added a career-high 12 to lead Stanford to a 62-46 victory Thursday night over Oregon State, keeping the Beavers winless in Pac-12 confer- ence play. It was the third straight win for the Cardinal (11-8, 3-4 Pac-12), coming off a pair of victories at home last week against the league’s Washington schools. Stephen Thompson Jr. led the Beavers (4-15, 0-6) with 15 points. Oregon State, which trailed by as many as 17 points late after jumping out to an early nine-point lead, has lost six straight games. The Cardinal were without Reid Travis, the team’s top scorer and rebounder with averages of 16.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per last 10 games. game. Reid injured At least at the his right shoulder in Stanford’s start, the Beavers had Stanford Oregon State spark, going up 16-7 76-69 victory over Washington last on three consecutive Saturday. He had 3-pointers — two by missed the previous Thompson and a third two games with a similar injury. by JaQuori McLaughlin. Thompson The Beavers have struggled hit another 3 to give Oregon State a without top scorer Tres Tinkle, who 19-11 lead. was averaging 20.2 points a game But Stanford closed the gap, before he broke his right wrist on pulling within 20-17 on Marcus Nov. 25 against Fresno State. Tinkle Sheffi eld’s jumper with a little more has missed 13 games. than fi ve minutes left before the But Oregon State did have break. forward Drew Eubanks, who was Humphrey’s dunk got Stanford a game-time decision because of a within 25-23, and Allen’s layup tied thigh injury. Eubanks was averaging it. Humphrey made two free throws 14.6 points going in. He fi nished to give the Cardinal a 27-25 halftime with eight points against Stanford. lead. Beavers coach Wayne Tinkle Sheffi eld’s 3-pointer made it tweaked his starting lineup, giving 37-32 with 12:35 left as the Cardinal sophomore Gligorije Ravocevic his began to pull away. Humphrey’s fi rst career start. Ravocevic replaced layup stretched the lead to 45-36 Matt Dahlen, who had started the with 8:20 left. 62 46 AP Photo/Timothy J. Gonzalez Oregon State’s Drew Eubanks (12) jumps past Stanford’s Grant Verhoeven (30) during fi rst half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday in Corvallis. Sports shorts Reds trade Dan Straily to Miami MIAMI (AP) — The Miami Marlins traded two of their top pitching prospects Thursday to acquire immediate rotation help. Miami obtained 14-game winner Dan Straily from the Cincinnati Reds for three minor leaguers, including right-handers Luis Castillo and Austin Brice, both highly regarded prospects in the Marlins’ thin system. Straily, 28, has a career record of 27-21 with a 4.24 ERA. The right-hander tied for the most homers allowed in the NL last year Straily with 31, but as a fl yball pitcher he’s a good fi t for spacious Marlins Park. Miami will be Straily’s fi fth team since he broke into the majors in 2012. He has also pitched for Oakland, the Cubs and Houston. Straily went 14-8 for the last-place Reds with a 3.76 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 34 games, leading the staff in wins innings and strikeouts. “It made me think a little more differently (about him). But LeGarrette’s doing his thing.“ — Le’Veon Bell Pittsburgh Steelers running back on the time then-teammate LaGarrette Blount left the fi eld be- fore the end of a win over Tenne- see on a Monday night in 2014. Blount was cut on Wednesday, signed by the New England Patriots and won a Super Bowl at the end of the season. The Steeler play at the Patriots Sunday in the AFC Championship. Raiders prep for Vegas move, fi le paperwork with county LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Oakland Raiders have fi led paperwork to move to Las Vegas. Clark County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak told The Associated Press on Thursday that he spoke with the Raiders. Sisolak is part of an 11-member panel that was appointed by Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval to study plans for a proposal backed by billionaire casino owner Sheldon Adelson’s company, Las Vegas Sands Corp., to build a domed stadium to lure the Raiders to town. The proposed 65,000-seat domed stadium is expected to cost $1.9 billion, including $750 million in hotel tax revenue, $650 million from Adelson, and $500 million from the Raiders and the NFL. Any relocation to Las Vegas must be approved by three-fourths of NFL team owners. THIS DATE IN SPORTS 1891 — The International YMCA in Springfi eld, Mass. is the site of the fi rst offi cial basketball game. Peach baskets were used, but it wasn’t until 1905 that someone removed the baskets’ bottoms. 1980 — President Carter announces the U.S. Olympic team will not participate in the Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan the previous month. 2002 — Steve Yzerman becomes the ninth player in NHL history to notch 1,000 assists as his Detroit Red Wings beat Ottawa 3-2 in overtime. Contact us at 541-966-0838 or sports@eastoregonian.com
