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About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (March 21, 2019)
E AST O REGONIAN THURSDAY, MARCH 21, 2019 FOLLOW US ON TWITTER @EOSPORTS | FACEBOOK.COM/EOSPORTS A8 PLAYER OF THE YEAR Thomas rises above the competition 6-foot-4 Hermiston senior center leaves a lasting impression on the basketball court By ANNIE FOWLER East Oregonian While Hermiston was a wel- comed addition to the Mid-Co- lumbia Conference this season, the girls basketball coaches were a little unsure of the challenges that would come with the Bull- dogs and their 6-foot-4 senior center Jordan Thomas. “She was very diffi cult for us,” said Kamiakin coach Lane Schumacher, whose team won the MCC title. “Not only does she have the height to make things diffi cult for us with her defense, but she also has a good touch on the offensive end. We tried to pressure the guards so they couldn’t get her the ball.” Thomas was a cut above the competition this season, earning her the East Oregonian Player of the Year honor. “It’s a well-deserved honor for her,” Schumacher said. “She is going to keep developing. Her best basketball is still ahead of her.” Thomas is joined on the fi rst team by teammate Jaz- lyn Romero, Pendleton fresh- man Muriel Hoisington, Sydney Wilson and Jacee Currin from Heppner’s 2A state champion- ship team, and Ana Zacarias of Irrigon. Heppner’s Robert Wilson is the Coach of the Year. Thomas averaged 15.5 points, 13.2 rebounds, 3.8 blocked shots and 1.2 steals a game for the Bulldogs, who advanced to the 3A regional tournament. She also was named to the MCC’s fi rst team, and to the defensive team. “It makes my job easy in terms of scoring options,” Herm- iston coach Juan Rodriguez Staff photo by E.J. Harris Hermiston’s Jordan Thomas is the East Oregonian Player of the Year. Thomas averaged 15.5 points and 13.2 rebounds this season for the Bull- dogs. said. “I think a lot of coaches would like to have a player like that, who can get a basket at any time. She’s defi nitely a dominant player, especially in this league. For the coaches to single her out and put her on the fi rst team says a lot.” For Thomas, the switch to the MCC helped her game, and helped in preparation for taking her game to the college level. “I found it more challenging,” Thomas said. “I took that in a positive way. It was fun to play against those girls, they are so skilled. There was new competi- tion, and I learned a lot. It was good to see new things.” ALL-EAST OREGONIAN BASKETBALL TEAMS Player of the year: Jordan Thomas, senior, 6-4, Hermiston. Coach of the Year: Robert Wilson, Heppner. First Team Jordan Thomas, senior, 6-4, Hermiston Jazlyn Romero, junior, 5-9, Hermiston Sydney Wilson, sophomore, 5-8, Heppner Jacee Currin, senior, 5-7, Heppner Ana Zacarias, senior, 5-4, Irrigon Muriel Hoisington, freshman, 5-8, Pendleton. Second Team Natalie Neveau, sophomore, Pendleton; JaLay Burns, freshman, Irrigon; Taylor Durfey, freshman, Umatilla; Katie Vescio, senior, Weston-McEwen; Faith McCarty, freshman, Echo; Marie Chretien, senior, Ione. Thomas Romero Wilson Currin Zacarias Hoisington See Basketball, Page A9 Lillard scores 33 points as Blazers beat Mavericks 126-118 By ANNE M. PETERSON Associated Press PORTLAND — Damian Lillard had 33 points and 12 assists to lead the Portland Trail Blazers past the Dal- las Mavericks 126-118 on Wednesday night. Seth Curry scored 20 off the bench for the Blazers, who have won fi ve of six as they try to secure home- court advantage in the fi rst round of the playoffs. Port- land (44-27) led by as many as 25, and Lillard hit six of the team’s 16 3-pointers. Luka Doncic had 24 points for the Mavericks, who have lost nine of 10 and sit in second-to-last place in the West, ahead of the Phoe- nix Suns. The Trail Blazers are fourth in the Western Con- ference standings, a half- game back of Houston and in front of a cluster that includes the Spurs, Thunder, Jazz and Clippers. Portland rested Lillard in the fourth quarter. Enes Kanter had 14 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for his fi rst double-double since joining the Blazers just before the All-Star break. Portland was coming off a 106-98 victory at home over Indiana on Monday. That was the team’s fi rst game without starting guard CJ McCollum, who strained his left knee last weekend. McCollum will be reeval- uated next week, and no timetable has been set for his return. The Blazers started Jake Layman for the second straight game in McCol- lum’s place against the Mav- ericks. Layman also started against the Pacers, but coach Terry Stotts said the rota- tion going forward would be fl uid. Lillard had 10 points and four assists as Portland took a 26-17 lead to close the fi rst quarter. It was the lowest fi rst-quarter point total for the Mavs this season. The Blazers led by as many as 13 in the fi rst half, but Doncic hit a fl oater and a pair of free throws to put the Mavericks up 39-38. The threat didn’t last long and Portland pulled in front 58-52 on Jusuf Nur- kic’s dunk. Maurice Hark- less closed out the half with another dunk to give the Blazers a 65-52 lead at the break. Portland stretched the lead to 79-66 after Lillard’s 3-pointer. Another 3 put the Blazers up 87-69, and Dallas never threatened again. The Mavericks (28-43) have lost eight straight on the road. Tip-ins Mavericks: Stotts said he expects Doncic to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Mavs coach Rick Carlisle, told of the predic- tion, joked: “Boy, he’s really putting himself out there.” Trail Blazers: It was Lillard’s third double-dou- ble in his last fi ve games. ... The Blazers split the season series with the Mavericks 2-2. Up next Mavericks: At the Sac- ramento Kings on Thursday night. Trail Blazers: Host the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. AP Photo/Craig Mitchelldyer Portland guard Damian Lillard, center, passes the ball away from Mavericks forward Dwight Powell, left, and guard Jalen Brunson during an NBA game in Portland on Wednesday. SPORTS SHORTS Ichiro cheered as Mariners top A’s 9-7 in opener TOKYO (AP) — Ichiro drew all the cheers. Most everyone else on the Seattle Mariners did all the hitting. A crowd that came to salute Ichiro Suzuki in his homeland saw Domingo Santana deliver the biggest hit at the Tokyo Dome, a grand slam that sent Seattle over the Oakland Athletics 9-7 Wednesday in the Major League Baseball opener. Batting ninth and knowing he’d AP Photo/Toru Takahashi get two plate appearances, Ichiro popped up and worked a walk. The 45-year-old star took his spot in right fi eld to begin the bottom of the fourth inning, then was pulled to another huge ovation. He was met with hugs from the Mariners on the diamond. “The fans in Japan probably aren’t used to the reception I got from my teammates, but it’s not that unusual in the majors,” Ichiro said. Mariners manager Scott Servais said Ichiro will play in Thursday’s fi nal game of the series, but there is no guarantee he’ll start. “We certainly want to give him an opportunity to go out and play, but we also want to get some other guys in the game,” Servais said. “I understand everybody wants to see him go all nine innings. We’re try- ing to do the best thing for the team and Ichiro understands.”
