A6 — BAKER CITY HERALD
BAKER VOLLEYBALL
Baker
tops Mac-
Hi, braces
for state
playoffs
By COREY KIRK
ckirk@bakercityherald.com
The Baker volleyball
team wrapped up its regular
season schedule by beating
Mac-Hi on Thursday, Oct.
21, and the Pioneers on their
home court proved a surpris-
ingly competitive opponent
as the Bulldogs prepare for
the Class 4A playoffs.
Baker, which swept the
Pioneers on Sept. 30 in the
Baker gym, lost the fi rst set
25-20.
Baker (15-5) then won
three straight, but the fi rst
and last of those were close,
with Baker winning 28-26
and 26-24. Baker won the
third set handily, 25-13.
“It was a good mental
test for us, and gave us an
opportunity to work through
adversity,” Baker coach Ali
Abrego said of the match
against the 6-6 Pioneers.
“Mac-Hi had improved sig-
nifi cantly from the beginning
of the season, and we needed
to play on the offense, not the
defense.”
Baker, ranked fi fth in the
state, now waits for the re-
sults of play-in matches this
weekend to fi nd out its oppo-
nent in the fi rst round of the
state playoffs. Baker will play
at home on Saturday, Oct. 30,
time to be determined.
Two other Greater Oregon
League teams, Mac-Hi and
La Grande, qualifi ed for play-
in games.
La Grande will play host
to Stayton, and Mac-Hi will
travel to Sweet Home.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2021
SPORTS
Barnes has 36 and the Kings
spoil Portland’s opener, 124-121
By ANNE M. PETERSON
Associated Press
PORTLAND — The Sacramento
Kings will be in a good place this
season if Harrison Barnes can
consistently shoot like he did in the
season opener.
Barnes scored 36 points, includ-
ing a career-high eight 3-pointers,
and the Kings spoiled Chauncey Bil-
lups debut as Portland’s head coach
with a 124-121 victory over the Trail
Blazers on Wednesday night, Oct. 20.
De’Aaron Fox added 27 points
while Richaun Holmes had 21 points
and 11 rebounds for the Kings, who
led by as many as 18 points in the
third quarter.
“I’ve challenged Harrison, I want
him to get eight threes up a night.
He’s a very good shooter, and there’s
no reason he can’t make make those
shots,” Kings coach Luke Walton
said. “We needed all those points to-
night. And that’s really how we want
to see Harrison playing all the time.”
Portland rallied in the fourth.
Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic
made back-to-back layups to get the
Blazers within 117-111 with 3:49 to
go, and Norman Powell’s 3-pointer
cut the margin to three.
Barnes hit a 3-pointer to push the
Kings’ lead to 120-114 with 1:39 left.
After Buddy Hield’s free throws gave
Sacramento a 122-117 lead, CJ Mc-
Collum and Lillard both hit baskets
— but Barnes made free throws and
Lillard’s 3-point attempt to tie it at
the buzzer was off.
“Harrison, everybody in the team
will tell you, he’s always putting his
work in. He’s getting his work in
early, late, so we expect that from
him,” Holmes said. “The amount of
work he puts in, we expect nothing
less from him. He can be that type
of player for us every night and we
have the ultimate trust in him.”
McCollum fi nished with 32 points
and Lillard added 18 points and 11
assists. Lillard was uncharacteristi-
cally 0-for-9 from 3-point range.
“It ain’t my fi rst time going 0-for-
nine, or 10, I’ve done it a few times
in my career. I don’t think opening
night is a night that you want it to
happen, especially in game you lose
by three,” Lillard said.
The Trail Blazers were coming off
a winless preseason, losing all by an
average of 23.7 points.
Portland fi nished 42-30 last
season and earned the sixth seed
in the Western Conference. But the
playoffs ended quickly with Denver
eliminating the Blazers in the open-
ing round.
discuss the situation. “I’m not get-
ting into any of that. For me, we’re
a team. We’ve have a plan, we know
what that plan is, and we’re going
to need everyone this season.” ...
Hield tied Peja Stojakovic’s fran-
chise record for career 3-point goals
with 1,070.
Trail Blazers: Coach Chauncey
Sean Meagher/The Oregonian-TNS
Billups said before the game that
Trail Blazers guard Damian
Lillard drives against
Little’s minutes would be restricted
Sacramento’s Davion Mitchell
because of a lingering hamstring
at Moda Center on Wednesday, injury. ... Norman Powell appeared
to hit a 3-pointer in the second
Oct. 20, 2021.
quarter but it was later taken away
The team parted ways with long- on review because he was judged to
time coach Terry Stotts following the be out-of-bounds. ... Lillard, enter-
season and hired Billups, who made ing his 10th NBA season, broke into
his regular-season debut as a head
the NBA’s top 100 career scoring
coach on Wednesday.
list with his 13th point of the night.
The Kings went 31-41 last season
and fi nished tied for 11th in the
Chauncey’s debut
Western Conference. It was the
Billups hadn’t quite digested his
15th straight season the Kings have fi rst real game as a head coach.
missed the postseason.
“I came in here a few times in
The Blazers swept the Kings 3-0 the preseason, not happy with our
last season.
effort, not happy with our spirit. I
don’t feel that way today. We fought
Tip ins
extremely hard. Yeah, I hated get-
ting off to a tough start, but its the
Kings: Forward Marvin Bagley
fi rst game, there’s going to be jit-
III was not in the starting lineup,
following reports that he would not ters, there’s going to be nerves. But
I’m feeling very happy about how
be in the rotation for the opener.
Kings coach Luke Walton would not hard we played.”
Baker boys win Mac-Hi meet; girls 2nd
Baker City Herald
With juniors Thaddeus Pepera and Jordan
Mills leading the way, the Baker boys cross-coun-
try team won the team title at the Pioneer Run
meet on Wednesday, Oct. 20 at Milton-Freewater.
Pepera crossed the line fi rst in 18:06.79, fol-
lowed by Mills in 18:15.7.
Baker had two other runners in the top seven
— freshman Daniel Brown placed fourth in
18:43.9, and junior Seth Mastrude was seventh in
19:20.3.
The Bulldogs had 25 points to easily outdis-
tance second-place La Grande, with 40 points.
Mac-Hi was third with 57 points, and Ontario
fourth with 100 points.
In the girls meet, Baker had six runners in the
top 10 and fi nished second to La Grande with 35
• Karsten Cikanek, freshman, 15th, 21:20.4
points to the Tigers’ 22.
• Gaige Birmingham, junior, 24th, 23:34.8
La Grande runners claimed the fi rst four places.
• Mathew Wernicke, freshman, 25th, 23:47.2
The meet was good preparation for the district
• Tristain Mulkey, freshman, 31st, 26:27
event, set for Friday, Oct. 29, since both are on the
same course, Baker coach Suzy Cole said.
Girls results
“We like the course, it’s fl at and fast and so that
• Emma Baeth, senior, 5th, 20:10.59.
helps them know how to run it next week,” Cole
• Sofi a Kaaen, freshman, 6th, 21:02.79
said. “I think overall it was a great day and we are
• Sydney Lamb, senior, 7th, 21:37.09
looking forward to districts. The kids felt really good
• Katie Spaugh, sophomore, 8th, 21:41.9
about the way they competed as far as working on
• Emma Timm, sophomore, 9th, 21:43.09
the skills that we were wanting to address.”
• Annastasia Johnson, freshman, 10th, 22:11.4
• Paige Marlia, sophomore, 11th, 23:48.59
• Avery Collier, freshman, 14th, 24:35.9
Boys results
• Sarah Plummer, senior, 15th, 24:46.59
• Reeve Damschen, junior, 11th, 20:41.09
• Lilly Collins, freshman, 19th, 27:31.7
• Tanner Lucas, sophomore, 14th, 21:08.2
Mobile Flu & COVID-19
Vaccine Clinic
Saint Alphonsus and Albertsons are partnering to provide
Baker City residents easy, convenient access to the flu vaccine
and COVID-19 (Pfizer only) vaccine.
October 7, 7 AM – 4 PM
October 11, 18 & 25, 7 AM - 4 PM
The Albertsons Mobile unit will be located:
SAINT ALPHONSUS BAKER CLINIC
3175 Pocahontas Road, Baker City
Enter through entrance on Midway Drive
Please pre-register for your appointment at the below links:
SCHEDULE YOUR FLU VACCINE
kordinator.mhealthcoach.net/vcl/SaintAlphonsusFlu
SCHEDULE YOUR COVID VACCINE
kordinator.mhealthcoach.net/vcl/SaintAlphonsusCOVID
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