FOUR-PAGE PULLOUT
THE BULLETIN • TUESDAY, MARCH 30, 2021
CYCLING
BEA cycling
programs open
Bend Endurance Acad-
emy youth cycling pro-
grams are now open for
enrollment, according to
a Monday news release.
BEA has a variety of
programs that are avail-
able for all ages, including
cyclocross, enduro, down-
hill and mountain biking
teams.
The academy is plan-
ning to open up addi-
tional programs in the
summer targeted toward
younger athletes (ages
4-8), and specifically fe-
male riders.
According to the re-
lease, BEA’s goals are cen-
tered around developing
well rounded cyclists and
mountain bikers who
respect the community,
trails and the outdoors in
general.
BEA will also offer the
“She Can” Scholarship,
which is designed to
remove financial barri-
ers that prevent middle
school and high school
aged girls from pursuing
cycling and climbing.
Through the scholarship,
any girl aged 10 to 18 can
receive tuition assistance,
event registration or team
travel expenses for any
of BEA’s programs. Appli-
cants must reside in Cen-
tral Oregon and actively
participate in one of BEA’s
sports within the last 12
months.
For more information,
call Mike Rougeux at 541-
419-5071, email mike@
bendenduranceacademy.
org, or visit bendendur-
anceacademy.org.
bendbulletin.com/sports
S PORTS
A5
Houston guard
Quentin Grimes
shoots over
Oregon State
guard Ethan
Thompson in
an Elite 8 game
on Monday
at Lucas Oil
Stadium in
Indianapolis.
Michael Conroy/AP
NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL: ELITE 8
No. 2 Houston 67, No. 12 Oregon State 61
OUT OF REACH
—Bulletin staff report
OREGON
BASKETBALL
Omoruyi among
seniors turning pro
INDIANAPOLIS — Eu-
gene Omoruyi’s college
career ended with a dou-
ble-double in the Sweet
16.
The senior forward
led No. 7 seed Oregon
with 28 points and 10 re-
bounds in an 82-68 loss
to No. 6 seed USC Sunday
night at Bankers Life Field-
house. It was the fourth
double-double of the sea-
son and 11th in 121 ca-
reer games for Omoruyi,
who confirmed after the
game that he was moving
on to begin a professional
career.
“The goal is to just go
home,” Omoruyi said. “My
family is here. Go home
with them and just take a
week off and just get back
in the lab and get ready
for the next level.”
Omoruyi, who spent
three years at Rutgers,
averaged 17.1 points, 5.4
rebounds and 2.3 assists
and shot 47.3% from
the field while starting
all 28 games for Oregon
this season. The coaches’
first team all-Pac-12 hon-
oree also dramatically
improved his perimeter
shooting to 37.6% and
set new career highs in al-
most every statistic other
than rebounds per game.
Oregon coach Dana
Altman said Omoruyi and
Chris Duarte are both
moving on and though
he didn’t mention LJ
Figueroa and Amauri
Hardy by name, they too
are not expected to return
and utilize the additional
year of eligibility granted
by the NCAA.
“(Omoruyi) is a grad-
uate,” Altman said. “He’s
older, because he sat out
last year and had the sur-
gery. He’ll move on. Chris
is going to get drafted.
I think he should go in
the first round. So he’ll
move on.
“I’ll talk to the rest of
the guys. Right now the
(transfer) portal is going
nuts and everybody’s
looking for something. I’ll
have individual conversa-
tions with everybody. I’ll
tell them to take a week
or two and think about
what direction everybody
wants to go.”
— The Oregonian
Beavs’ furious 2nd-half rally not enough; deepest postseason run in 39 years comes to end
BY NICK DASCHEL
The Oregonian
NDIANAPOLIS — Oregon State’s incredible
spellbinding men’s basketball ride that went for
more than a month and included wins in six
consecutive season-elimination games came to
an end Monday night in Lucas Oil Stadium.
It wasn’t without a fight, with OSU erasing a
17-point second-half deficit before falling short, as
Houston pulled out a 67-61 win in the Midwest Re-
gional final.
Houston hit 11 three-pointers, including Quin-
tin Grimes’ go-ahead three with 3:21 remaining. The
Beavers’ undoing was a first half where they scored a
season-low 17 points.
Houston (28-3) advances to the Final Four, where
the Cougars play the Baylor-Arkansas winner Satur-
day in Lucas Oil Stadium. Game time is either 2 or
5:30 p.m. The national championship game is Mon-
day, April 5 at 6 p.m.
Ethan Thompson had 11 points and seven re-
bounds, and Maurice Calloo scored 10 points to lead
Oregon State (20-13).
Marcus Sasser hit five three pointers and scored 20
points for Houston.
I
See Beavs / A6
Michael Conroy/AP
Oregon State forward Warith Alatishe (10) blocks a shot by Houston guard Marcus Sasser (0)
during an Elite 8 game on Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
MLB | COMMENTARY
NFL
Mariners’ future is still more
exciting than their present
Owners to
meet about
2021 season
BY MATT CALKINS
The Seattle Times
It was about the most spirited
spring one could imagine for the
Mariners. This is what happens
when (now former) team president
Kevin Mather insults a good chunk
of the team on camera in front of a
Rotary club.
T-shirts were made. Rallying
cries were had. Unity appeared to
be near an all-time high.
But things such as motivation
and togetherness seem a lot more
significant in the Cactus League
than they do in the majors. Up in
The Show, it’s all about talent.
So do the Mariners have enough
of it?
This is the big question as the
franchise tries to prevent its play-
off drought from dragging into its
20th consecutive year. This is what
people are wondering as the M’s en-
ter Season 3 of the so-called “step-
back” plan.
The way Seattle general manager
Jerry Dipoto sold it three offseasons
ago, 2021 seemed like the year the
Mariners would see an ROI on their
(near) teardown of the roster. But is
there any indication that that’s hap-
pened — or is this postseason skid
about to celebrate its two-decade
BY BARRY WILNER
AP Pro Football Writer
and emerging stars — the Mariners’
future is more exciting than their
present.
It’s not as though there aren’t es-
tablished standouts. Reigning AL
Rookie of the Year Kyle Lewis will
return to the M’s outfield after hit-
ting 11 home runs in 58 games last
year. Starting pitcher Marco Gon-
zales comes back to the mound af-
ter posting a 3.10 ERA and a .947
WHIP in 11 starts last season.
What’s ahead for the NFL in 2021? Not
even the teams know.
They’ll begin finding out this week when
the 32 team owners hold virtual meetings
Tuesday and Wednesday.
Two items top the
agenda: increasing the reg-
ular season to 17 games
and decreasing preseason
games to three per team.
Both are nearly certain to
be approved after a pan-
demic-stressed season
that severely cut into the
Goodell
league’s revenue stream.
Many players, however, aren’t thrilled
with the idea.
“We really let this happen,” tweeted safety
Adrian Amos of Green Bay.
Saints star running back Alvin Kamara
called the increase to 17 games “dumb.”
Regardless, it’s about to happen. The own-
ers want it and don’t need the union’s per-
mission. The media partners who just spent
about $10 billion annually for NFL rights
fees will get more content that counts, and
fewer exhibition games.
See Mariners / A7
See NFL / A6
Elaine Thompson/AP file
Seattle Mariners’ Kyle Lewis, left, is the reigning AL Rookie of the Year.
anniversary?
If you look to the stat geeks —
and they’ve certainly become a
reputable source — the answer is
no. Analytics site fangraphs.com
estimates the M’s will go 74-88 and
finish with the eighth-worst record
in MLB and fourth-worst record in
the American League West.
This is obviously just a projec-
tion, which can be outperformed.
But it’s a humbling reminder that —
despite their impressive prospects