Page 2B
SPORTS
East Oregonian
Wednesday, March 1, 2017
Women’s College Basketball
Ducks’ Ionescu prefers to avoid the spotlight and just win
By ANNE M. PETERSON
Associated Press
EUGENE — Sabrina Ionescu
doesn’t have a lot of time for
hobbies right now.
Oregon’s star freshman guard
seemed a bit taken aback when
she was asked what she likes to do
when she’s not playing. It’s basket-
ball season, after all, and Ionescu is
all about basketball.
“Off the court?” she asked
almost rhetorically, laughing a bit.
Oregon’s 5-foot-10 guard is a
driving force behind the Ducks’
shot at making the NCAA Tourna-
ment for the first time since 2005.
Oregon (18-12, 8-10) looks to
bolster its chances by winning at
this week’s Pac-12 tournament.
Ionescu, named the Pac-12’s
Freshman of the Year on Tuesday,
has made a splash in the league
with four triple-doubles through
her first 26 college games. She
leads the nation in the category
and is just two shy of the NCAA
record.
Overall, she’s averaging 13.9
points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists
for the Ducks, who are making
distinct progress in coach Kelly
Graves’ third year as head coach.
She missed a handful of games
earlier this season because of a
broken thumb on her shooting hand.
Ionescu is about as humble
as they come about her success.
She deflects questions about the
triple-doubles, saying they’re just
not that important to her.
“Winning is what matters to
me,” she said. “Getting a triple-
double has never really been my
goal. I just try to do whatever I need
to do to help us win.”
Ionescu is one of three freshmen
Andy Nelson/The Register-Guard via AP
In this Jan. 29, 2017 photo, Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu yells as she
comes to the bench during an NCAA college basketball game
against Oregon State in Corvallis, Ore.
in Graves’ starting lineup, joining
forwards Ruthy Hebard and
Mallory McGwire. Hebard, who
hails from Fairbanks, Alaska,
leads the Ducks in scoring with
an average of 14.7 points and 8.4
rebounds.
“They’ve got a lot of really
talented young players. Ionescu,
Hebard, they’re just freshmen and
they’re doing awesome. We’ll have
our work cut out for us for years
up here,” Stanford coach Tara
VanDerveer said.
Hebard and Ionescu were
the only freshmen named to the
All-Pac-12 team Tuesday.
Ionescu was a standout at Mira-
monte High School in Orinda, Cali-
fornia, earning the Gatorade Player
of the Year honor in the state. She
averaged 25.3 points, 8.8 assists, 7.6
rebounds and 4.5 steals in leading
Miramonte to a 32-1 record her
senior season.
Considered one of the top pros-
pects in the nation, she patiently
watched as her peers across the
nation committed to colleges.
Signing day came and went,
EOU: Ah You, Van Belle
make all-conference cut
MLB
she cemented herself as the
premier defender in the CCC
season championship along this season.
with the tournament title. It
Rounding out the all-con-
is the fifth time that Weiss-
ference
selections is junior
enfluh has won the award in
Payton
Parrish who also
her 17-year tenure at EOU,
earned
honorable
mention
where she now holds a career
honors.
Parrish,
a
guard
from
record of 375-141
Grandview,
Wash-
(.727).
ington, became one
For the all-con-
of EOU’s biggest
ference team, EOU
offensive weapons
juniors Maya Ah
this year with her
You and Stormee
shooting accuracy
Van Belle earned
from outside as she
two of the 12
led the conference
coveted
spots.
with a 47 percent
Ah You, a guard
shooting
from
from Middleton,
3-point range and
Idaho, led the Weissenfluh
finished second in
Mountaineers in
made 3-pointers
scoring by aver-
(83) in the league.
aging 13.1 points
Overall, she aver-
per game and also
aged 10 points per
had a team-high 90
game in a team-
assists. Van Belle,
best 25.4 minutes
a forward from
per game.
Sunnyside, Wash-
Southern
ington, was a force
Oregon
senior
inside as she aver-
Autumn Durand
aged 9.5 points, 6.1 Webber
of
Onalaska,
rebounds per game
Washington
was
and also tallied a team-high
named the conference Player
28 blocked shots.
Senior Donneisha Webber of the Year after averaging
saw her name on the all-con- 16.8 points and 7.7 rebounds
ference list twice on Tuesday, per game while shooting 55
as the wing from Seattle, percent from the floor. Walla
Washington was voted as the Walla Warriors freshman
conference Defensive Player guard Alyssa Blankenship of
of the Year as well as an Washougal, Washington was
Honorable Mention selection the conference Freshman of
by the coaches. Webber 16 the Year after averaging a
blocked shots, 22 steals and team-high 15.5 points and
90 defensive rebounds as 5.7 rebounds per game.
M’s beat White Sox
Continued from 1B
Ionescu took her time.
When she did decide, it was
with little fanfare and no big
announcement at her school, fitting
of her unassuming character. She
just went to Eugene.
“I really just randomly showed
up,” she said. “I didn’t tell anyone.
They just knew why I was there.”
Ionescu and the rest of the Ducks
will be challenged this week when
the team heads to Seattle for the
conference tournament at Key
Arena. Oregon has not won a Pac-12
tournament game since 2008.
The Ducks, the sixth seed, will
play the No. 11 seed, Arizona,
in the late game Thursday night.
The Wildcats finished the regular
season 14-15 overall and 5-13 in
conference play.
Oregon defeated Arizona 79-65
earlier this season in Tucson. But in
last year’s tournament, the Wildcats
upset Oregon 74-68. The Ducks
were hurt when they lost top scorer
Jillian Alleyne to a knee injury late
in the season.
A win would boost Oregon’s
bid for a spot in the NCAA Tour-
nament. With losses in their final
three games, the Ducks may have
hurt their chances slightly, but
many believe that the strength of
schedule in the conference, along
with a key upset of UCLA, will
push Oregon into the Big Dance for
the first time in more than a decade.
Ionescu hopes it will be the start
of something big for the Ducks.
“I think it will show that we are
building something great here,”
she said. “We continue to believe
the vision the coaches have for
us and what we can achieve. So I
think it would be cool for us to get
that win and get farther than we
have since 2005.”
Beavers earn
Pac-12 honors
On Sunday the Oregon
State women’s team clinched
its third-straight regular-season
Pac-12 title, and on Tuesday
two Beavers claimed pres-
tigious accolades from the
conference.
Senior guard Gabriella
Hanson was named Pac-12
Defensive Player of the Year
and head coach Scott Rueck
won the John R. Wooden Pac-12
Coach of the Year honor for the
second time in three years.
Hanson is the third-straight
Beaver to win the defensive
award after former teammate
Ruth Hamblin claimed the
honor the previous two years.
Hanson ranks 13th in the Pac-12
in steals per game, averaging
1.40 thefts. With her leadership,
the Beavers have one of the best
defenses in the nation, ranking
seventh in the country in field
goal percentage defense (34.4)
and 11th in scoring defense
(54.5 ppg). Hanson has started
in all 30 games this season,
averaging 6.5 ppg.
Rueck becomes just the
fourth coach in Pac-12 history
to win the Wooden honor
multiple times. Oregon State
goes into the Pac-12 Tour-
nament ranked sixth in the
country in the Associated Press
poll after starting the season
ranked No. 25.
Sydney Weise and Marie
Gulich were named to the
All-Pac-12 team for the Beavers.
Hernandez focuses on fastball in spring debut
Associated Press
GLENDALE, Ariz. —
Felix Hernandez pitching in
February is an aberration.
But there was the Seattle
ace on Tuesday, making his
spring debut as the Mariners
beat the Chicago White Sox
split squad 8-1.
Hernandez gave up
one run and three hits in
two innings. He threw 33
pitches, walked one and
struck out none, and also got
a pair of groundball double
plays.
The Mariners normally
hold Hernandez out of early
spring training games. He
did not make his initial
appearance last year until
March 14. It was March 10
in 2015.
But with the World
Baseball Classic looming
and Hernandez joining the
Venezuelan team Monday,
there is a sense of urgency
to get him ready sooner.
“I feel real strong,”
Hernandez said after his
outing. “I feel real good. I
feel healthy and I’m happy.”
Hernandez is scheduled
to make one more start for
the Mariners on Sunday
against Oakland.
“The next one is going
to be different,” Hernandez
said. “I’ll probably throw
more pitches and just be
AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File
In this Feb. 15, 2017, file photo, Seattle Mariners pitch-
er Felix Hernandez participates in a drill during spring
training baseball practice in Peoria, Ariz. Hernandez
is beginning his climb back from one of his toughest
seasons, when he went 11-8 with a 3.82 ERA and his
lowest innings total since 2007.
ready for my first start in
Mexico.”
Venezuela’s first game
is March 10 against Puerto
Rico.
Hernandez focused on
fastball command against
the White Sox.
“I’ve got to command my
fastball a little bit more,” he
said. “I was throwing a four-
seamer and a two-seamer. I
was falling behind a couple
of times in the second inning
and I got hit.”
“I threw a lot of fastballs
today and it looks pretty
good. The results tell me
that it works fine. I was
100 percent. I was throwing
everything. The slider was
really good. It was sharp.
The curve was good, too.
The changeup I still have to
work on it.”
Hernandez, who turns 31
in April, missed six weeks
last season with a right calf
strain, his first time on the
disabled list since 2008. His
25 starts and 153 1/3 innings
were career lows, and he
went 11-8 with a 3.82 ERA.
Most
alarming
is
his diminishing fastball
velocity. His fastball average
was 90.54 last season. In
his 2010 Cy Young season,
it was 94.13 and in 2015 he
averaged 92.1.
He
intensified
his
offseason workout schedule
and added 17 pounds of
muscle. He said he was
happy with his velocity
against the White Sox.
“I thought Felix looked
good,” Mariners manager
Scott Servais said. “He
threw a lot of fastballs
today, which was good to
see. The velocity was good,
90 to 92.”
“I thought he was more
aggressive with the fastball
in trying to get that going.
We all know his secondary
stuff is really good. But I
was happy to see it. I think
he felt good about it. The
ball was coming out good,”
he said. “A step in the right
direction.”
Veteran catcher Carlos
Ruiz, acquired by the
Mariners in a November
trade with the Los Angeles
Dodgers, said he thinks
King Felix can return to be
a dominant force.
“He still has the stuff
there,” Ruiz said. “We’ve
got to mix it a little bit. He’s
going to be fine. The key is
he’s very aggressive. His
fastball is coming out real
good.”
“What was impressive
today
was
everything
was down late. He threw
everything. I know it’s his
first game, but for the most
part, he was making good
pitches. It was fun,” he said.
SCOREBOARD
Local Slate
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
Thursday
2A Tourney: Vernonia vs. Western Menno-
nite (at Pendleton HS), 1:30 p.m.
2A Tourney: Imbler vs. Santiam (at Pendle-
ton HS), 3:15 p.m.
2A Tourney: Life Christian vs. Columbia
Christian (at Pendleton HS), 6:30 p.m.
2A Tourney: Stanfield vs. Oakridge (at
Pendleton HS), 8:30 p.m.
Friday
2A Tourney: Vernonia/WM loser vs.
Imbler/Santiam loser (at Pendleton Conven-
tion Center), 9 a.m.
2A Tourney: LC/CC loser vs. Stanfield/
Oakridge loser (at Pendleton Convention
Center), 10:45 a.m.
2A Tourney: Vernonia/WM winner vs.
Imbler/Santiam winner (at Pendleton
Convention Center), 3:15 p.m.
2A Tourney: LC/CC winner vs. Stanfield/
Oakridge winner (at Pendleton Convention
Center), 8:15 p.m.
Corvallis at Pendleton (5A first round),
TBD
Saturday
2A Tourney: 4th/6th place game (at Pend-
leton Convention Center), 10:45 a.m.
2A Tourney: 3rd/5th place game (at Pend-
leton Convention Center), 3:15 p.m.
2A Tourney: Championship game (at
Pendleton Convention Center), 8:30 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
Today
Sandy at Hermiston (5A play-in), 6 p.m.
Thursday
2A Tourney: Regis vs. Monroe (at Pendle-
ton Convention Center), 3:15 p.m.
2A Tourney: Weston-McEwen vs. Imbler
(at Pendleton Convention Center), 1:30
p.m.
2A Tourney: Grant Union vs. Kennedy (at
Pendleton Convention Center), 6:30 p.m.
2A Tourney: East Linn Christian vs. West-
ern Mennonite (at Convention Center),
8:15 p.m.
Nixyaawii vs. Powder Valley (at Baker HS,
1A Quarterfinals), 1:30 p.m.
Arlington vs. Damascus Christian (at
Baker HS, 1A Quarterfinals), 3:15 p.m.
Friday
2A Tourney: Regis/Monroe loser vs. W-M/
Imbler loser (at Pendleton HS), 9 a.m.
2A Tourney: GU/Kennedy loser vs. ELC/
WM loser (at Pendleton HS), 10:45 a.m.
2A Tourney: Regis/Monroe winner vs.
W-M/Imbler winner (at Pendleton Conven-
tion Center), 1:30 p.m.
2A Tourney: GU/Kennedy winner vs. ELC/
WM winner (at Pendleton Convention
Center), 6:30 p.m.
Nixyaawii vs. Arlington or Damascus
Christian (at Baker HS), 9 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.
Arlington vs. Nixyaawii or Powder Valley
(at Baker HS), 9 a.m. or 1:30 p.m.
Saturday
2A Tourney: 4th/6th place game (at Pend-
leton Convention Center), 9 a.m.
2A Tourney: 3rd/5th place game (at Pend-
leton Convention Center), 1:30 p.m.
2A Tourney: Championship game (at
Pendleton Convention Center), 6:30 p.m.
Nixyaawii vs. TBD (at Baker HS), 8 a.m. or
11:30 a.m. or 7 p.m.
Arlington vs. TBD (at Baker HS), 8 a.m. or
11:30 a.m. or 7 p.m.
Pendleton vs. TBD (5A first round), TBD
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Today
Spokane at Blue Mountain, 8 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Today
Spokane at Blue Mountain, 6 p.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Friday
Blue Mountain at Walla Walla (DH), 1/4 p.m.
Sunday
Mt. Hood at Blue Mountain (DH), 11
a.m./2 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Friday
Mt. Hood at Blue Mountain (DH), 1/3 p.m.
Saturday
Clackamas at Blue Mountain (DH), 2/4 p.m.
Prep Scores
BOYS BASKETBALL
Tuesday
Class 5A play-in round
Putnam 88, The Dalles 43
Parkrose 65, Hermiston 50
Mountain View 57, Hillsboro 55
Silverton 74, Marist Catholic 45
South Albany 52, Ashland 40
Sandy 66, Bend 47
Thurston 74, Woodburn 59
Central 65, Eagle Point 50
Class 6A First round
No. 1 Jefferson 77, No. 32 Willamette 39
No. 2 West Linn 98, No. 31 Madison 45
No. 3 Clackamas 67, No. 30 Century 42
No. 4 Beaverton 92, No. 29 Barlow 56
No. 5 Westview 74, No. 28 Roosevelt 58
No. 6 West Salem 71, No. 27 Sheldon 59
No. 7 North Medford 59, No. 26 Oregon
City 46
No. 8 Sprague 74, No. 25 Centennial 69
No. 9 Grant 84, No. 24 McMinnville 57
No. 10 McNary 77, No. 23 Wilson 65
No. 13 Southridge 66, No. 20 Forest
Grove 55
No. 14 David Douglas 71, No. 19 South
Eugene 64
No. 18 Lincoln 56, No. 15 Lake Oswego 54
No. 16 Jesuit 81, No. 17 Lakeridge 75
No. 22 Central Catholic 62, No. 11 Tualatin
53
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Tuesday
Class 5A play-in round
Putnam 37, The Dalles 25
Basketball
NBA
EASTERN CONFERENCE
W
L
1. Cleveland
41
17
2. Boston
38
22
3. Washington
35
23
4. Toronto
36
24
5. Atlanta
33
26
6. Indiana
31
29
7. Chicago
30
30
8. Detroit
29
31
——
Miami
27
33
Milwaukee
26
32
Charlotte
26
34
New York
24
36
Philadelphia
22
37
Orlando
22
38
Brooklyn
9
49
WESTERN CONFERENCE
W
L
1. x-Golden State 50
10
2. San Antonio
45
13
3. Houston
42
19
4. Utah
37
23
5. L.A. Clippers 36
23
6. Memphis
36
25
7. Oklahoma City 35
25
8. Denver
27
33
——
Sacramento
25
35
Portland
24
35 .407 25½
Dallas
24
35 .407 25½
Minnesota
24
36 .400
26
New Orleans
23
37 .383
27
L.A. Lakers
19
42 .311 31½
Phoenix
18
42 .300
32
x-clinched playoff spot
———
Tuesday’s Games
Washington 112, Golden State 108
Detroit 120, Portland 113, OT
Denver 125, Chicago 107
Memphis 130, Phoenix 112
Oklahoma City 109, Utah 106
Charlotte 109, L.A. Lakers 104
Wednesday’s Games
New York at Orlando, 4 p.m.
Dallas at Atlanta, 4:30 p.m.
Philadelphia at Miami, 4:30 p.m.
Washington at Toronto, 4:30 p.m.
Cleveland at Boston, 5 p.m.
Denver at Milwaukee, 5 p.m.
Detroit at New Orleans, 5 p.m.
Indiana at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m.
Minnesota at Utah, 6 p.m.
Brooklyn at Sacramento, 7:30 p.m.
Houston at L.A. Clippers, 7:30 p.m.
NCAA
Pct
.707
.633
.603
.600
.559
.517
.500
.483
GB
—
4
6
6
8½
11
12
13
.450
.448
.433
.400
.373
.367
.155
15
15
16
18
19½
20
32
Pct
.833
.776
.689
.617
.610
.590
.583
.450
GB
—
4
8½
13
13½
14½
15
23
.417
25
Men’s Top 25
Tuesday’s Games
No. 9 Kentucky 73, Vanderbilt 67
No. 17 Duke 75, No. 15 Florida State 70
No. 16 Purdue 86, Indiana 75
No. 24 Iowa State 86, Oklahoma State 83
Today’s Games
No. 3 UCLA vs. Washington, 8 p.m.
No. 8 Louisville at Wake Forest, 6 p.m.
No. 12 Florida vs. Arkansas, 4 p.m.
No. 19 Notre Dame vs. Boston College,
5 p.m.
Women’s Top 25
Record
28-0
27-2
27-3
27-2
24-4
27-3
27-3
25-5
25-5
25-5
27-4
21-7
25-4
25-6
1. UConn (33)
2. Baylor
3. Notre Dame
4. Maryland
5. South Carolina
6. Mississippi State
6. Oregon State
8. Florida State
9. Ohio State
10. Stanford
11. Washington
12. Texas
13. Duke
14. Louisville
Pts Prv
825
1
784
4
755
5
699
2
690
7
619
3
619 10
561
8
550 12
539
8
534
11
472
6
470 13
411 14
15. UCLA
22-7
369 15
16. Miami
21-7
293 17
17. N.C. State
22-7
265 18
18. DePaul
24-6
237 19
19. Oklahoma
22-7
230 16
20. Kentucky
20-9
177 22
21. Syracuse
20-9
170 20
22. Drake
23-4
128 21
23. Missouri
21-9
98 24
24. Kansas State
21-8
66 —
25. Temple
22-6
49 23
Others receiving votes: Creighton 41,
Tennessee 31, Michigan 15, South Florida
12, Belmont 7, Green Bay 5, Arizona State
3, Colorado State 1.
———
Tuesday-Wednesday
No games scheduled
Hockey
NHL
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
GP W
L OT
Montreal
64 35 21
8
Ottawa
61 33 22
6
Boston
63 33 24
6
Toronto
62 28 21 13
Florida
62 29 23 10
Tampa Bay 61 28 25
8
Buffalo
63 26 26 11
Detroit
61 25 26 10
Metropolitan Division
GP W
L OT
Washington 62 42 13
7
Columbus 61 39 16
6
Pittsburgh 61 38 15
8
N.Y. Rangers 63 40 21
2
N.Y. Islanders 61 29 22 10
Philadelphia 62 29 26
7
New Jersey 62 25 25 12
Carolina
59 25 25
9
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division
GP W
L OT
Minnesota 61 41 14
6
Chicago
62 39 18
5
Nashville
63 32 22
9
St. Louis
62 31 26
5
Winnipeg 64 28 30
6
Dallas
63 25 28 10
Colorado
61 17 41
3
Pacific Division
GP W
L OT
San Jose
62 37 18
7
Edmonton 64 34 22
8
Anaheim
63 32 21 10
Pts
78
72
72
69
68
64
63
60
GF GA
177 163
161 162
176 166
190 185
158 174
171 171
156 181
153 180
Pts
91
84
84
82
68
65
62
59
GF GA
207 134
199 146
213 171
207 168
180 182
161 187
145 180
148 171
Pts
88
83
73
67
62
60
37
GF GA
209 147
187 159
188 177
173 179
189 205
176 203
121 203
Pts
81
76
74
GF GA
173 146
183 167
162 161
Calgary
64
Los Angeles 63
Vancouver 62
Arizona
62
34
30
26
22
26
27
29
33
4
6
7
7
72
66
59
51
171 178
155 158
145 179
149 200
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for
overtime loss.
———
Tuesday’s Games
Boston 4, Arizona 1
Philadelphia 4, Colorado 0
Nashville 5, Buffalo 4, OT
Washington 4, N.Y. Rangers 1
Montreal 1, Columbus 0, OT
Florida 3, Carolina 2, SO
Edmonton 2, St. Louis 1
Minnesota 6, Winnipeg 5
Dallas 3, Pittsburgh 2
Calgary 2, Los Angeles 1, OT
Detroit 3, Vancouver 2, OT
San Jose 3, Toronto 1
Wednesday’s Games
Carolina at Tampa Bay, 4 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Chicago, 5 p.m.
Golf
World Golf Rankings
Through Feb. 26
1. Dustin Johnson
2. Jason Day
3. Rory McIlroy
4. Hideki Matsuyama
5. Henrik Stenson
6. Jordan Spieth
7. Adam Scott
8. Justin Thomas
9. Rickie Fowler
10. Sergio Garcia
11. Alex Noren
12. Patrick Reed
13. Justin Rose
14. Danny Willett
15. Bubba Watson
16. Paul Casey
17. Tyrrell Hatton
18. Branden Grace
19. Russell Knox
20. Matt Kuchar
USA
AUS
NIR
JPN
SWE
USA
AUS
USA
USA
ESP
SWE
USA
ENG
ENG
USA
ENG
ENG
SAF
SCO
USA
10.33
9.57
8.95
8.49
8.49
8.28
5.68
5.46
5.38
5.20
5.00
4.99
4.73
4.42
4.34
4.16
4.00
3.94
3.85
3.78
Transactions
Tuesday
BASKETBALL
National Basketball Association
NBA — Suspended New Orleans F-C
DeMarcus Cousins one game for receiving
his 18th technical foul this season.