Page 2B
SPORTS
East Oregonian
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Women’s College Basketball
Pac-12 making statement with 5 teams in the Sweet 16
By TIM BOOTH
Associated Press
SEATTLE — A year ago was
thought to be an anomaly for the
Pac-12 Conference, advancing
four teams to the regional semifi-
nals of the NCAA Tournament and
eventually seeing Washington and
Oregon State make the Final Four.
Based on what the Pac-12 did
in the first week of the NCAAs
this year, maybe last year’s perfor-
mance might become the norm.
“I think a lot of people wanted
to think that was a fluke,” Wash-
ington coach Mike Neighbors
said. “I heard that a lot during the
offseason. That it was a fluke year,
blah, blah, blah. I think five in the
Sweet 16 just backs it back up.”
Stanford, Oregon State, Wash-
ington, UCLA and Oregon will be
playing during the second weekend
of the tournament after advancing
to the Sweet 16, all with impres-
sive second-round victories.
Oregon won at Duke and Stanford
— despite being the higher seed —
won at Kansas State. Oregon State
handled Creighton, UCLA routed
Texas A&M and Washington put
up 108 points against Oklahoma
while Kelsey Plum set yet another
NCAA record, becoming the
AP Photo/Elaine Thompson
Washington players on the bench react to a 3-point score against
Oklahoma during the second half of a second-round game in the
NCAA women’s college basketball tournament Monday, March 20,
2017, in Seattle.
all-time single-season scoring
leader.
The NCAAs have been a
Pac-12 party thus far and it’s not
just Stanford leading the way
anymore.
“Going back to the days when it
was us and Stanford battling it out,
only two teams in the tournament,
maybe my life was a little easier
night to night, but it doesn’t make
you better, and I think this is what’s
good for the league,” California
coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.
Seven Pac-12 teams made the
NCAA Tournament and went
7-0 in the first round. Through
two rounds, the conference is a
combined 12-2, the only losses
coming by Arizona State and Cali-
fornia to No. 1 seeds. There were
a few close calls with No. 2 seeds
Stanford and Oregon State barely
avoiding upsets by No. 15 seeds.
All season long, the Pac-12
was rated as the top conference
in the country. Coaches lobbied
throughout the Pac-12 Tourna-
ment that the conference deserved
to have at least seven teams in the
NCAAs. The selection committee
agreed — and the performance
thus far has validated those beliefs.
“I remember having a conver-
sation with (Washington coach)
Mike Neighbors, my buddy in the
league, we talk about this stuff,
about getting the RPI and all that
kind of stuff,” Gottlieb recalled.
“We said early in the year, I don’t
know if we have a Final Four team.
I don’t know if there’s a legit top
five team, but we said we could
get five or six in the Sweet 16, and
maybe there is a Final Four team
or two, and I hope there will be.”
The five Pac-12 teams in the
Sweet 16 is a conference record.
The conference was on the verge
of having a sixth in the regional
semifinals but Arizona State was
unable to pull off the upset of No.
1 seed South Carolina, falling
71-68. The next closest conference
is the ACC, with three teams in the
regional semifinals.
“Our kids pull for each other.
They were texting me all night
last night about the Arizona State
game,” Neighbors said. “They
were so nervous, they were so
happy that Arizona State almost
knocked off South Carolina.”
The other piece helping the
conference is the arrival — or
return — of programs onto the
national scene. Two years ago
it was Oregon State bursting
into prominence, followed by
Washington last year. This year
that surge belongs to Oregon, who
under third-year head coach Kelly
Graves is in the Sweet 16 for the
first time.
“It’s funny, we never really put
a goal on how far we can go, just
because we didn’t know what we
had,” Graves said after upsetting
Duke. “We’ve kind of attacked
the entire season as a work in
progress.”
It will get tougher for all five
teams from here. UCLA has
the biggest challenge facing
Connecticut in the round of 16.
Washington takes on No. 2 seed
Mississippi State; Oregon State
gets Florida State; Oregon faces
Maryland; and Stanford takes on
Texas.
“Our league has gotten so
rugged it prepares you for any
type of thing that you can see,”
Neighbors said.
BULLDOGS: Improve to 2-0 at home this season
Continued from 1B
there to back her up.”
Almaguer was giving
Bend trouble with her
change-ups the first time
through the lineup, but a hit
batter to lead off the third
inning gave the Lava Bears
an opening. A steal and sacri-
fice bunt then put a runner
on third with one out in the
scoreless tie.
The Bulldogs defense
snapped into action to erase
the threat when Cameron
fielded a grounder at second
and delivered a perfect throw
to Noland who made the tag
at the plate. Then when Bend
went looking for another
steal, Noland rifled the ball to
sophomore Sydney Stefani
for the third out.
With the score still 0-0,
the defense came through
again in the fourth when
Bend loaded the bases with
one out after an error, a walk
and a single by Brooke Berry
down the first-base line to
break up Almaguer’s no-hit
attempt.
Bend wouldn’t bring
them in. A hard grounder was
fielded by Atilano, relayed to
Noland for the force at the
plate, then zipped into the
glove of senior first baseman
Ellery Jones for the double
play.
Although
Stefani’s
lead-off double in the bottom
of the first was Hermiston’s
only hit off Lava Bears
starter Audrey Nelson, Bend
opted for a pitching change
to start the fourth inning.
Almaguer (2 for 3)
welcomed
new
hurler
Brooklyn Jensen with a
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Hermiston’s Julissa Almaguer throws from the pitch-
ing circle in the Bulldogs’ 4-1 win against Bend on
Wednesday in Hermiston.
single to center field, and
then Jones (1 for 2) doubled
to the wall in left field to give
them two runners in scoring
position with no outs.
“Right before that inning
started I said, ‘Let’s not
get comfortable. We’ve
got to fight,’” Greenough
said. “And (Almaguer) gets
up and drills the ball, and
(Jones) gets up and drills the
ball, and they just weren’t
going to stop. It was a turning
point.”
Jensen did get a strikeout
for the first out, but was
pulled for Allicitie Frost with
Cameron coming to the plate.
Cameron (2 for 3) saw her
pitch and smacked a triple to
the wall, just past the reach
of a diving center fielder, and
she would later score when
a pick-off attempt at third
bounced off her helmet.
Bend left runners stranded
on second and third in the
fifth as Hermiston got out of
the pinch with a ground-out
to first and line drive back
up the middle snagged by
Almaguer.
Hermiston then went up
4-0 in the fifth inning when
Stefani (2 for 3) reached on
an infield single, stole second
and went to third on a passed
ball before getting driven in
by Almaguer with a single to
center.
Jensen hit an RBI double
to the wall in left to drive in
Lacey Bunting for Bend’s
only run in the sixth inning.
Freshman Daisy Maddox
added a double in the score-
less bottom of the sixth for
Hermiston.
The win improved the
Bulldogs to 2-0 at home
this season, and Noland said
she felt like it was the type
of performance the team is
capable of repeating often.
“I feel like we’re doing
really good this season,”
she said. “We’ve got a lot of
freshmen on the team, but I
think we really came out and
showed them what we’ve
got.”
Hermiston will look for its
first road win of the season
on Friday when it plays at
Pasco (WA) with a start time
of 4 p.m.
———
R H E
BHS
000 001
0 — 1 5 1
HHS
000 310 X — 4 8 2
A. Nelson, B. Jensen (4), A. Frost (4) and
E. Mone. J. Almaguer and B. Noland. W —
Almaguer. L — Jensen.
2B — B. Jensen (BHS); S. Stefani, E.
Jones (HHS). 3B — A. Cameron 2 (HHS).
AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
United States’ Ian Kinsler, right, celebrates his two-
run home run with Jonathan Lucroy, left, and Adam
Jones during the third inning against Puerto Rico in
the final of the World Baseball Classic in Los Ange-
les, Wednesday, March 22, 2017.
WBC: Title game
draws 51,000 fans
Continued from 1B
The right-hander won
his first two starts of the
tournament, including in
the second round against
Stroman and the U.S.
In that game, Stroman
gave up six consecutive
singles in a four-run first
inning and took the loss
against Puerto Rico last
Friday in San Diego.
The Americans made
it 4-0 in the fifth on RBI
singles by Christian Yelich
and Andrew McCutchen.
Fans wore flags of
both countries as capes
and decorated their faces
in team colors. Puerto
Rico boosters pounded
cowbells, tooted horns
and blew whistles early
on before their team fell
behind 4-0.
Fans were on their feet
chanting “U-S-A” when
the Americans loaded
the bases in the seventh
with two outs. They were
rewarded with Crawford’s
two-run single that chased
J.C. Romero, extending the
lead to 6-0.
The U.S. tacked on
another run on Giancarlo
Stanton’s RBI single off
Hiram Burgos past diving
shortstop Francisco Lindor.
Burgos’ wild pitch
moved runners to second
and third before he walked
Lucroy to load the bases a
second time. Kinsler flied
out to end the inning.
The Americans led 8-0
in the eighth on McCutch-
en’s RBI single with two
outs.
SCOREBOARD
Local Slate
PREP BASEBALL
Today
Wilsonville at Hermiston, 4 p.m.
Heppner at Umatilla, 4 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Stanfield, 4:30 p.m.
Walla Walla (WA) at Pendleton, 4:30 p.m.
Friday
Riverside at Columbia (WA), 3:30 p.m.
Pendleton at Walla Walla (WA), 4 p.m.
McCall (ID) at Mac-Hi, 6 p.m.
Saturday
Orofino (ID) at Mac-Hi (2), 11 a.m./1 p.m.
Irrigon at Heppner (2), 11 a.m./1 p.m.
Weston-McEwen at Stanfield (2), 1/3 p.m.
PREP SOFTBALL
Today
Irrigon at Heppner (2), 2/4 p.m.
Pendleton at Southridge (WA), 4 p.m.
Friday
Weston-McEwen vs Enterprise (at Pilot
Rock), 9 a.m.
Scio at Pilot Rock, 11 a.m.
Columbia (WA) at Riverside (2), 2/4 p.m.
Weston-McEwen vs Gaston (at Pilot
Rock), 3 p.m.
Hermiston at Pasco (WA), 4 p.m.
Gaston at Pilot Rock, 5 p.m.
Saturday
Weston-McEwen at Pilot Rock, 11 a.m.
Mac-Hi at Yamhill-Carlton, 11 a.m.
Pendleton at Walla Walla (2), Noon/2 p.m.
Weston-McEwen vs Scio (at Pilot Rock),
3 p.m.
Enterprise at Pilot Rock, 5 p.m.
Mac-Hi vs Banks (at Yamhill-Carlton), TBD
PREP TENNIS
Today
Baker at Pendleton, 4 p.m.
Friday
Pasco (WA) at Hermiston, 4 p.m.
PREP TRACK & FIELD
Today
Hermiston, Mac-Hi, Helix, Irrigon,
Pilot Rock, Riverside, Stanfield, Umatilla,
Weston-McEwen at Pendleton, 11 a.m.
PREP GOLF
Today
Pendleton, Hermiston, Mac-Hi at Big
River Golf Course (Umatilla), 10 a.m.
PREP LACROSSE
Friday
Hood River at Hermiston, 7 p.m.
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Saturday
Grays Harbor at Blue Mountain (2), 11
a.m./2 p.m.
Sunday
Southwestern Oregon at Blue Mountain
(2), 11 a.m./2 p.m.
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Friday
Eastern Oregon at College of Idaho (2),
1/3 p.m.
Blue Mountain at Columbia Basin (2),
2/4 p.m.
Saturday
Eastern Oregon at College of Idaho (2),
10 a.m./Noon
Blue Mountain at Walla Walla (2), Noon/2
p.m.
Basketball
NBA
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
W
L Pct GB
x-Boston
46 26 .639 —
Toronto
42 29 .592 3½
New York
27 44 .380 18½
Philadelphia
26 45 .366 19½
Brooklyn
14 56 .200 31
Southeast Division
W
L Pct GB
Washington
43 28 .606 —
Atlanta
37 34 .521
6
Miami
35 36 .493
8
Charlotte
32 39 .451 11
Orlando
26 46 .361 17½
Central Division
W
L Pct GB
x-Cleveland
46 24 .657 —
Milwaukee
36 35 .507 10½
Indiana
36 35 .507 10½
Chicago
34 38 .472 13
Detroit
34 38 .472 13
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Southwest Division
W
L Pct GB
x-San Antonio
54 16 .771 —
x-Houston
49 22 .690 5½
Memphis
40 31 .563 14½
Dallas
30 40 .429 24
New Orleans
30 41 .423 24½
Northwest Division
W
L Pct GB
Utah
44 28 .611 —
Oklahoma City
41 30 .577 2½
Denver
34 37 .479 9½
Portland
32 38 .457 11
Minnesota
28 42 .400 15
Pacific Division
W
L Pct GB
z-Golden State
57 14 .803 —
L.A. Clippers
43 29 .597 14½
Sacramento
27 44 .380 30
Phoenix
22 49 .310 35
L.A. Lakers
20 51 .282 37
x-clinched playoff spot
z-clinched division
———
Wednesday’s Games
Charlotte 109, Orlando 102
Boston 109, Indiana 100
Chicago 117, Detroit 95
Oklahoma City 122, Philadelphia 97
Washington 104, Atlanta 100
Denver 126, Cleveland 113
Milwaukee 116, Sacramento 98
Utah 108, New York 101
Thursday’s Games
Phoenix at Brooklyn, 4:30 p.m.
Toronto at Miami, 4:30 p.m.
L.A. Clippers at Dallas, 5:30 p.m.
Memphis at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m.
New York at Portland, 7 p.m.
NCAA
Men’s NCAA Tournament
EAST REGIONAL
Regional Semifinals
Friday
South Carolina (24-10) vs. Baylor (27-7),
4:29 p.m.
Wisconsin (27-9) vs. Florida (26-8), 7 p.m.
Regional Championship
Sunday, March 26
———
SOUTH REGIONAL
Regional Semifinals
Friday
Butler (25-8) vs. North Carolina (29-7),
4:09 p.m.
Kentucky (31-5) vs. UCLA (31-4), 6:40 p.m.
Regional Championship
Sunday, March 26
———
MIDWEST REGIONAL
Regional Semifinals
Today
Michigan (26-11) vs. Oregon (31-5), 4:09
p.m. (TV: CBS)
Purdue (27-7) vs. Kansas (30-4), 6:40 p.m.
(TV: CBS)
Regional Championship
Saturday, March 25
———
WEST REGIONAL
Regional Semifinals
Today
Gonzaga (34-1) vs. West Virginia (28-8),
4:39 p.m. (TV: TBS)
Xavier (23-13) vs. Arizona (32-4), 7:10 p.m.
(TV: TBS)
Regional Championship
Saturday, March 25
———
FINAL FOUR
At University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale, Ariz.
National Semifinals
Saturday, April 1
East champion vs. West champion
South champion vs. Midwest champion
National Championship
Monday, April 3
NCAA Women’s Tournament
BRIDGEPORT REGIONAL
Regional Semifinals
Saturday
At Bridgeport, Conn.
UConn (34-0) vs. UCLA (25-8), 10:30 a.m.
Maryland (32-2) vs. Oregon (22-13), 8:36
a.m.
Regional Championship
Monday, March 27
———
STOCKTON REGIONAL
Regional Semifinals
At Stockton, Calif.
South Carolina (29-4) vs. Quinnipiac (29-
6), 1:06 p.m.
Florida State (27-6) vs. Oregon State
(31-4), 3 p.m.
Regional Championship
Monday, March 27
Hockey
NHL
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
GP W
L OT Pts
Montreal
73 41 23
9 91
Ottawa
72 40 24
8 88
Toronto
72 34 23 15 83
Boston
73 38 29
6 82
Tampa Bay 72 34 29
9 77
Florida
72 31 30 11 73
Buffalo
74 30 32 12 72
Detroit
72 29 32 11 69
Metropolitan Division
GP W
L OT Pts
x-Washington 72 47 17
8 102
x-Pittsburgh 72 46 17
9 101
x-Columbus 72 47 19
6 100
N.Y. Rangers 74 45 25
4 94
N.Y. Islanders 72 34 26 12 80
Carolina
71 31 27 13 75
Philadelphia 72 33 31
8 74
New Jersey 72 27 33 12 66
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division
GP W
L OT Pts
x-Chicago 73 47 20
6 100
Minnesota 72 44 22
6 94
St. Louis
72 39 28
5 83
Nashville
72 36 25 11 83
Winnipeg 73 33 33
7 73
Dallas
72 29 33 10 68
Colorado
72 20 49
3 43
Pacific Division
GP W
L OT Pts
San Jose
73 42 24
7 91
Edmonton 72 39 24
9 87
Anaheim
72 38 23 11 87
Calgary
73 41 28
4 86
Los Angeles 72 34 31
7 75
Vancouver 72 29 34
9 67
Arizona
73 27 37
9 63
x-clinched playoff spot
Philadelphia at Minnesota, 5 p.m.
Dallas at Chicago, 5:30 p.m.
Edmonton at Colorado, 6 p.m.
Winnipeg at Los Angeles, 7:30 p.m.
Baseball
World Baseball Classic
Championship
Wednesday
United States 8, Puerto Rico 0
GF GA
200 182
191 187
221 212
209 195
197 202
183 208
183 214
180 213
GF GA
232 161
252 199
230 169
235 195
213 220
186 206
188 216
167 211
GF GA
222 183
235 180
201 195
212 202
220 232
196 233
140 238
GF GA
198 169
209 186
186 178
203 197
175 181
166 211
178 233
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point
for overtime loss. Top three teams in each
division and two wild cards per conference
advance to playoffs.
————
Wednesday’s Games
Toronto 5, Columbus 2
N.Y. Islanders 3, N.Y. Rangers 2
Edmonton at Anaheim, 7 p.m.
Thursday’s Games
Columbus at Washington, 4 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Boston, 4 p.m.
Arizona at Florida, 4:30 p.m.
New Jersey at Toronto, 4:30 p.m.
Carolina at Montreal, 4:30 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Ottawa, 4:30 p.m.
Vancouver at St. Louis, 5 p.m.
Calgary at Nashville, 5 p.m.
Motorsports
NASCAR Monster Energy Cup
Points Leaders
Through March 20
1. Kyle Larson
184.
2. Brad Keselowski
178
3. Chase Elliott
171
4. Martin Truex Jr
153
5. Joey Logano
135
6. Ryan Blaney
127
7. Kevin Harvick
123
8. Jamie McMurray
119
9. Kurt Busch
105
10. Kasey Kahne
105
11. Ryan Newman
101
12. Trevor Bayne
100
13. Kyle Busch
97
14. Clint Bowyer
97
15. Denny Hamlin
97
16. Jimmie Johnson
93
17. Aric Almirola
90
18. Erik Jones
82
19. Paul Menard
78
20.Matt Kenseth
72
21. Daniel Suarez
72
22. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. 71
23. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
70
24. Ty Dillon
68
25. Austin Dillon
66
26. Michael McDowell 62
27. Matt DiBenedetto
56
28. Landon Cassill
55
29. Danica Patrick
52
30. Cole Whitt
50
Upcoming Schedule
Sunday — Auto Club 400, Fontana, Calif.,
12:30 p.m. (TV: FOX)
April 2 — STP 500, Martinsville, Va., 11
a.m. (TV: FS1)
April 9 — O’Reilly Auto Parts 500, Fort
Worth, Texas, 10:30 a.m. (TV: FOX)
Golf
PGA
Dell Match Play
At Austin Country Club
Austin, Texas
Yardage: 7,108. Par: 71
First Round
Wednesday
(Seedings in parentheses)
Branden Grace (15), South Africa, def.
Andy Sullivan (52), England, 4 and 2.
William McGirt (48), United States, def.
Brandt Snedeker (19), United States, 2 up.
Soren Kjeldsen (62), Denmark, def. Rory
McIlroy (2), Northern Ireland, 2 and 1.
Gary Woodland (33), United States, def.
Emiliano Grillo (26), Argentina, 3 and 2.
Paul Casey (12), England, def. Joost
Luiten (60), Netherlands, 2 and 1.
Charl Schwartzel (24), South Africa, def.
Byeong Hun An (45), South Korea, 6 and 5.
Hideto Tanihara (54), Japan, def. Jordan
Spieth (5), United States, 4 and 2.
Ryan Moore (32), United States, halved
with Yuta Ikeda (37), Japan.
Bubba Watson (13), United States, def.
Jhonattan Vegas (55), Venezuela, 1 up.
Thomas Pieters (30), Belgium, def. Scott
Piercy (39), United States, 3 and 2.
Hideki Matsuyama (4), Japan, halved with
Jim Furyk (51), United States.
Louis Oosthuizen (23), South Africa, def.
Ross Fisher (47), England, 4 and 3.
Patrick Reed (9), United States, halved
with Jason Dufner (59), United States.
Brooks Koepka (20), United States, def.
Kevin Kisner (34), United States, 6 and 5.
Alex Noren (8), Sweden, def. Thongchai
Jaidee (57), Thailand, 3 and 2.
Bernd Wiesberger (36), Austria, def.
Francesco Molinari (25), Italy, 2 up.
Matt Kuchar (16), United States, halved
with Brendan Steele (50), United States.
Tommy Fleetwood (29), England, def.
Zach Johnson (44), United States, 1 up.
Dustin Johnson (1), United States, def.
Webb Simpson (58), United States, 5
and 3.
Martin Kaymer (41), Germany, def. Jimmy
Walker (18), United States, 3 and 2.
K.T. Kim (64), South Korea, def. Danny
Willett (11), England, 4 and 2.
Russell Knox (17), Scotland, def. Bill Haas
(42), Unites States, 3 and 2.
Justin Thomas (6), United States, def.
Chris Wood (49), England, 2 and 1.
Kevin Na, United States, def. Matt Fitzpat-
rick (27), England, 5 and 4.
Phil Mickelson (14), United States, def. Si
Woo Kim (63), South Korea, 5 and 3.
Daniel Berger (35), United States, def.
J.B. Holmes (31), 7 and 5.
Pat Perez (56), United States, def. Jason
Day (3), Australia, match conceded after
6 holes.
Marc Leishman (28), Australia, def. Lee
Westwood (43), England, 3 and 2.
Tyrrell Hatton (10), England, def. Charles
Howell III (61), United States, 2 and 1.
Rafa Cabrera Bello (22), Spain, def. Jeung-
hun Wang (40), South Korea, 4 and 3.
Sergio Garcia (7), Spain, halved with
Shane Lowry (53), Ireland.
Jon Rahm (21), Spain, def. Kevin Chappell
(38), United States, 3 and 2.
LPGA
Upcoming Schedule
March 23-26 — Kia Classic, Park Hyatt
Aviara Resort Golf Club and Spa, Carlsbad,
Calif.
March 30-April 2 — ANA Inspiration,
Mission Hill CC, Rancho Mirage, Calif.