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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 2019
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B1
BOYS HOOPS
Bucks
shake
Tigers
in OT
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Hermiston Ryne Andreason splits Kamiakin’s
Steven Westermeyer and Trey Arland (33) in the
Bulldogs’ 67-64 win against the Braves on Tues-
day in Hermiston.
Bulldogs
post huge
win over
Kamiakin
Andreason hits 4 key free
throws in fi nal 23 seconds
to seal the victory
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Pendleton’s Josie Wilson (10) goes up for a shot during Tuesday’s game against La Grande at Warberg Court.
Hoisington’s free throws
save Pendleton from
nonleague loss
By BRETT KANE
East Oregonian
Although she’s only a freshman,
Muriel Hoisington is proving to be one of
Pendleton’s premier players.
The visiting La Grande Tigers pushed
past the Bucks and were well on their way
to claiming Tuesday night’s nonleague
contest. With Pendleton down 40-38
with 12 seconds left in the fi nal quarter,
Hoisington took to the free-throw line,
and she knew it was up to her whether her
team won or lost.
The 5-foot-8 point guard sank both
free throws to send the game into over-
time, and the Bucks went on to take the
game 53-47.
“I just told myself, ‘You got this. You
gotta do this. Your team needs this. Just
shoot it like you’re at practice,’” Hoising-
ton said of her game’s defi ning moment.
“I had to motivate myself.”
Hoisington posted 10 points, six
rebounds, and six assists for the night, and
sophomore Natalie Neveau led the Bucks
with 16 points.
“We came out really well today and
maintained it through the fi rst quarter,”
said coach Kevin Porter. “I’d love to think
we’re going to come in here and blow
teams out every game, but sometimes,
real basketball happens.”
The Bucks ran out to a 17-7 lead at the
end of the fi rst quarter, but La Grande
came to life in the second. Tigers sopho-
more guard Camryn Collman rang off 14
points for the quarter, including a trio of
3-pointers, to steal the game away. It was
thanks to Pendleton junior Sami Spriet’s
bucket at the buzzer that the score was
tied 23-23 at the half.
“We came out strong, and were
fast-breaking. We moved the fl oor,”
Hoisington said of the fi rst half. “But (La
Grande is) a really aggressive team in the
paint.”
Hoisington shot a point from the line
to tie the game again at 26-26 in the third
See Pendleton, Page B2
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Pendleton’s Muriel Hoisington (34) drives
to the basket during Tuesday’s game
against La Grande at Warberg Court.
When there’s something you want, you have
to go out and get it.
The Hermiston boys did just that Tues-
day night, knocking off Kamiakin 67-64 in
Mid-Columbia Conference action to keep pace
with the Braves for the top seed to the regional
tournament.
“Coming off two straight losses, it was
senior night and we have been playing together
for so many years,” Ryne Andreason said of the
urgency to win. “This is the biggest win this
season.”
Hermiston and Kamiakin both are 9-6 in
conference play. The Bulldogs play at Walla
Walla on Friday, while the Braves host Pasco.
If both teams should win Friday, the top seed to
regionals will be decided on RPI rankings.
“We are still battling for 1-2,” Hermis-
ton coach Casey Arstein said. “Beating Walla
Walla at their place will be tough. We will have
our hands full Friday.”
The Bulldogs (13-6 overall) also had their
hands full Tuesday with Kamiakin, who handed
Hermiston a 67-51 loss the fi rst time around.
Cole Smith, in his fi rst start this season,
scored 10 of his 13 points in the third quarter
as the Bulldogs held a 50-47 lead going into the
fourth.
“He can play,” Arstein said of Smith. “He
picked his spots. He was very crafty.”
In the fourth, the Braves tied the scored
quickly at 50-50, and the teams were tied at
58-all with less than 2 minutes to play.
Jordan Ramirez hit a big 3-pointer with 1:39
to play to give the Bulldogs a 61-58 lead.
“That 3 was huge,” said Ramirez, who fi n-
ished with a career-high 19 points. “I told them
See Hermiston, Page B2
COLLEGE SIGNING
Lexie Cox is fi rst Echo player to compete in college volleyball
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
The years all run together
for Janice Scott, who has
been coaching volleyball at
Echo High School for “nine
or 10 years.” But there is one
thing she is sure of — Lexie
Cox is the fi rst Echo player
to move on to the college
level since she took over the
program.
Cox, a 5-foot-10 out-
side hitter, signed a letter of
intent Monday to play vol-
leyball at Wenatchee Valley
College.
“We are so thrilled for
her,” Scott said. “Some of
the girls don’t have the pas-
sion to continue, but Lexie
has wanted to play college
volleyball since she was a
sophomore.”
The Big Sky League
Player of the Year, Cox said
WVC was one of her pri-
mary choices.
“It’s a very familiar
place for me,” Cox said of
Wenatchee. “I have family
that lives there. Last fall,
I went and did their tour,
met with the director of the
nursing program, and did a
practice with the team. The
coach (Ana Vazquez) asked
if I would come there. They
are excited to have me play
there.”
Cox, who would like
to be an emergency room
nurse, said she will receive
scholarship money for the
fall and winter quarters.
While at WVC, Cox will
live with her grandparents
Kay and Phil Blakney.
Cox had 114 kills and
a hitting percentage of
.225 last season. She serve
received at 92 percent, and
served at 89 percent, includ-
ing 33 aces.
The Cougars (21-9 over-
all, 10-2 BSL) advanced
to the fi rst round of state,
where they dropped a 3-1
match to Joseph.
“We made it to state
three of my four years,” Cox
said. “We had a pretty suc-
cessful season. We won the
Riverside Tournament and
we were second at the Prai-
rie City Tournament.”
Cox also was named to
See Lexie, Page B2
Lexie Cox