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About Baker City herald. (Baker City, Or.) 1990-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 2020)
6A — BAKER CITY HERALD MONDAY, JANUARY 13, 2020 PINE EAGLE BASKETBALL Spartans edge Imbler BAKER BOYS BASKETBALL Baker’s rally falls short at La Grande By Ronald Bond The (La Grande) Observer LA GRANDE — La Grande sophomore guard Devin Bell said the Tigers boys basketball team is es- sentially beginning a new season as it looks to right the ship following a 1-10 start. They certainly started it the right way — even if the outcome was in doubt in the fi nal moments. “We were 1-10, and then we come out and start league off with a win, and I think it’s just a start to a new season. I think it’s going to be a great season,” Bell said. Bell led the Tigers with 17 points Friday, and La Grande opened Greater Oregon League play with a 56-52 home win over Baker in a game that saw the Bulldogs rally from 18 points down in the fourth quarter. The Tigers were the ag- gressors much of the night, and for the fi rst three quar- ters they played their best basketball of the season. Bell led a barrage from 3-point range with fi ve triples as La Grande connected on eight 3s on the night. The Tigers, who never trailed, took their larg- est lead just 20 seconds into the fourth quarter at 47-29 on a layup by Brady Hutchins. “Obviously against your rival you want to come out and play your best basket- ball, (and) tonight we did for the fi rst three quarters,” La Grande coach Mark Carollo said. “We were really on, we shot the ball well, defensively we kept guys in front of us, (and) we took care of the ball.” Then what seemed like a certain victory nearly got door open — connected on the game-sealing free throws with 8.9 seconds to go. “I was a little bit nervous, but I’ve made so many free throws, and I was confi dent it would go in,” Myer said. The tight fi nish was unex- pected after La Grande had dominated most of the night. The Tigers raced out to a 13-3 fi rst-quarter lead on a Justin Jenner 3-pointer. Bell caught fi re in the second quarter with three 3-pointers, includ- ing an important trey with about 15 seconds to play in the half that stopped a Baker rally and gave the Tigers a 29-24 lead at the break. “They played harder than we did (through the fi rst three quarters),” Jones said of the Tigers. “(They) outhustled us, wanted it more, and then by the fourth quarter, it was too little too late.” “You gotta give them credit for sticking in there, battling Ronald Bond /The (La Grande) Observer all the way through,” Carollo Baker’s Caden Long shoots against La Grande’s Zach said of Baker. “I knew they Wiggins, left, and Justin Jenner on Friday. weren’t going to just lay over, and we got tight. We got tense away from the Tigers. we need to play a little bit (but) at the end of the day we The Bulldogs scored seven harder,” Baker coach Jebron were still able to fi nish.” points in less than a minute, Jones said of the message to Jenner and Myer joined getting within 47-36 on a fi eld his team to get the Bulldogs Bell in double fi gures with 13 goal by Gabe Gambleton. The back in the game. “I think and 12 points, respectively, to Tigers briefl y restored order they stepped up to the chal- help La Grande end a seven- to push the lead back to 15 lenge in the fourth quarter, game losing streak. on Cristian Mendoza’s fl oater, but basketball is four quar- Long, who had 10 of his but another Gambleton ters, and we didn’t do our job team-high 16 points in the jumper and a 3-point play by the fi rst three.” fourth quarter for Baker, also Caden Long cut the margin The Bulldogs got within 54- had 13 rebounds, four assists to 51-41 with 4:30 to play. 52 on another lay-in by Long, and three steals. Gambleton Gambleton’s pullup jumper and they had a shot at the added 14 points, and Flana- made it a six-point game with lead with about 15 seconds to gan had 12 points and 11 re- 2:57 to go, and Baker was play, but Jamison Rigueiro’s bounds. Baker outrebounded down only three points, at 53- open 3-pointer was long, and La Grande by a sizable 38-27 50, on a Riley Flanagan layup La Grande’s Kaleb Myer — margin, but committed 21 with 57 seconds remaining. who had just missed the front turnovers while La Grande “I just told the kids that end of a 1-and-1 to leave the fi nished with just eight. IT’S TIME FOR A DRAMATIC NEW LOOK Wheel Products & Services FREE WHEEL & TIRE CONSULTS FREE QUOTES FOR LIFT KITS & SUSPENSION TRAINED TECHS UP TO DATE TECHNOLOGY & EQUIPMENT YOUR HOMETOWN TIRE DEALER HALFWAY — The Pine Eagle girls basketball team rallied with a pair of late free throws to beat Imbler 36-35 Friday. Girls • Pine Eagle 36, Imbler 35: Two free throws by Pine Eagle in the fi nal seconds Friday prevented the Panthers from getting their fi rst win of the season in an Old Oregon League contest. Imbler led most of the night, but Pine Eagle grabbed the lead in the fourth and the teams went back and forth until the Spartans won it on the late free throws. Maddie Morgan scored 11 points to lead the Spar- tans. Karmen Molina and Sammy Pollock each added nine points. Pine Eagle (5-4 overall, 1-1 OOL) hosts Powder Val- ley Saturday. Boys • Imbler 45, Pine Eagle 40: The Panthers rallied from an early 16-4 defi cit Friday to earn a hard-fought road win to open Old Oregon League play. Imbler cut the margin to 24-22 by halftime, then took over the lead, 36-30, after three quarters and held on. Four different players — Ethan Brown, Caleb Brown, Caleb Thompson and Clay Gray — had eight points apiece for the Spartans (4-5 overall, 1-1 OOL), who host Powder Valley Saturday. POWDER VALLEY BASKETBALL Badgers rout Cove NORTH POWDER — The Powder Valley Badgers swept boys and girls games against Cove Saturday. Boys • Powder Valley 95, Cove 32: The Badgers fell just short of the century mark Saturday as they opened Old Oregon League play with a rout of Cove. Reece Dixon led four players in double fi gures for Powder Valley, which had 12 players score, with 18 points. Clay Martin added 15 points, Dominick Grende had 11 points and Moziss Nesser scored 10 points. Powder Valley (9-3 overall, 1-0 OOL) hosts Imbler Tuesday. Girls • Powder Valley 37, Cove 28: Belle Blair had 14 points and 11 rebounds Saturday in her fi rst game of the season, and the Badgers opened Old Oregon League play with a home win over the Leopards. Dallee Jo Bingham added 10 points and Keanna Bingham had eight for Powder Valley. The Badgers’ boys and girls home games against Nixyaawii Friday were canceled due to road condi- tions. A makeup date has not yet been determined.
