COTTAGE GROVE SENTINEL March 16, 2016
TOURNAMENT
CONTINUED FROM PG 1B
The Lions were on the mark
this time, sinking an even 50
percent of their fi eld goals. Par-
ent went from shooting 2-for-
12 to shooting fi ve-for-six and
three-for-three from the free-
throw line. But the real story
of this game was the break-out
performance of Jayden Tucker.
Tucker was 5-for-12 on fi eld
goals but sank three out of fi ve
three-point attempts and was
two-for-two on free throws, giv-
ing him 15 points, leading the
team alongside Parent. He went
on to be the Player of the Game
for the Lions.
The win sent Cottage Grove
back to Hillsboro to play for
fourth place against Astoria,
where the Lions didn’t neces-
sarily end the season as they had
hoped.
Cottage Grove led for most of
the game and went into the lock-
er room at halftime up by three
in a tight 27-24 contest.
After a long third quarter of
fi ghting off the Fishermen and
preventing them from taking
the lead, the Lions unraveled
and were outscored 20-9 in the
fourth quarter, losing 55-46.
“It’s hard to say, we just had
some very uncharacteristic turn-
overs,” Pollard said. Although
Cottage Grove had great efforts
with 16 points from Blake Sent-
man and another 15 from Par-
ent, the Lions were unable to
fi nish off Astoria and fi nished in
sixth place.
Tournaments can be frustrat-
ing. Although the team should
be proud of placing sixth, the
potential to win a state champi-
onship was right there. In fact,
it was Philomath who entered
the tournament as the number
one seed, and it was Philomath
who took home the state cham-
pionship. Yet it was also Cottage
Grove that gave Philomath its
fi rst loss of the regular season.
But it’s never good to end on
“what ifs.”
The Lions managed to com-
pletely turn around their pro-
gram after last year’s 5-19 sea-
son. Although they will lose
their big man when Hopkins
graduates, a more experienced
starting squad will return with
Parent, Sentman, Tucker Porter
and Hunter Gipson most likely
leading the way. Cottage Grove
will also hopefully see the re-
turn of Jordan Hagewood, a
sophomore whose six-foot-four
fi gure could replace Hopkins at
the post position. It will be in-
teresting to see what next year
has to offer.
Photo by Sam Wright
Chance Hopkins jumps for the basket in his fi nal win as a Cottage Grove Lion.
Kory Parent shot 60 percent from beyond the three-point line on Friday.
The local bank that gives you the world.
Open a Banner Bank Connected Checking account and
use any ATM in the world, with no fees. See what true
community banking can do for you.
Let’s create tomorrow, together.
Unlimited surcharge rebates from non-Banner owned ATMs.
Before traveling internationally, be sure to contact Banner Bank.
Member FDIC
3B