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Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 7. 1990 - F1VF
lone girls bring home the gold
By Anne Morter
The lone Lady Cardinals, making
their first ever state tournament ap
pearance, lived up to their number
one billing by capturing the cham
pionship of the State Class B Basket
ball Tournament last weekend in
Baker City. The Cards negotiated
their way through the eight-team
field to nab the title by putting away
Jordan Valley on Wednesday, slip
ping by Butte Falls on Friday and
finally by defeating a stubborn Mt.
Vernon squad 50-41 on Saturday
night in the title game. The Lady
Cards end their sterling season with
an overall record of 22-1.
Jordan Valley
lone played the opening game of
the 1990 state tournament on
Wednesday, February 28, against
the Mustangs of Jordan Valley. In
what coach Dana Heideman summ
ed up as a “ typical first-time-at-state
game,” the Cardinals looked ner
vous and unsure for most of the
game. Fortunately Jordan Valley had
much the same look, this also being
their first trip to tne state play-offs.
lone got out to a 12-9 first quarter
lead, but the quarter was a costly one
for the Cards as they lost senior stan
dout, Mary Cupps for the tourna
ment to a knee injury. She went
down 3 '/i minutes into the game in
a freak accident where she landed on
her knee wrong and tore the
ligaments. Continuing on, the Car
dinals built a 10-point half-time lead,
28-18. The third quarter was ice cold
for both teams as lone scored five
points to Jordan Valley's two. In the
final period, lone used its strength
at the freethrow line to outscore the
Mustangs 10-4 for the final 19 point
margin.
The Cardinals had to dust their
man-to-man defense to shut down
the Mustangs. The Cards held Jor
dan Valley to just six points in the
second half and Linda Morter put the
clamps on the Mustang's three point
expeit, Shawna Soderling, holding
her to just five points. Soderling had
made 64 three pointers in the regular
season and she has 128 in her career.
Jo Cupps le<*<j^all scorers with 17
points followed by Amy w agenblast
with twelve. The Cards out-
rebounded the Mustangs 34-25, pac
ed by Cupps with nine and
Wagenblast with eight. Cupps and
Linda Morter each handed out three
assists to lead that category.
“ It was not a smooth operation,”
commented coach Heideman refer
ring to his team’s opening game jit
ters. He also said that the loss of
Mary Cupps took an emotional toll
on the girls. He commended Amy
Wagenblast for solid play and Kari
Morgan for coming off the bench to
spark the team.
Butte Falls
Round two pitted the Cardinals
against the Loggers of Butte Falls,
first round winners over Eddyville.
The game was a see-saw battle that
>aw numerous lead changes and the
Cards down by five in the second
quarter. The score was tied heading
into the final period before the Lady
Cardinals hit their stride outscoring
the Loggers 18-10 for a final score
of 50-42.
lone ended the first quarter ahead
11-8 after Linda Morter bombed in
a three pointer to break an 8-8
deadlock. The Cards watched their
lead disappear and found themselves
down by five in the second quarter
before Morter hit again from the
three point range to begin a rally that
put lone up 26-23 at the half. Butte
Falls scratched back to a 32-32 tie
at the end of the third quarter, but
in the fourth quarter, it was all Car
dinals. Darcee Padberg hit three
critical baskets to put the cards on
top and Jo Cupps hit four straight
free throws in the late going.
Jo Cupps once again led the scor
ing attack for the Lady Cardinals
with 14 points. Amy Wagenblast and
Darcee Padberg each chipped in 10
and Linda Morter added eight. Butte
Falls powerful inside game led them
to a 35-25 rebounding edge. Jo
Cupps pulled down 14 boards for the
Cards prove they’re best in the state
Photos by Wayne Hams
Cards. Cupps also led in steals (six)
and assists (four) to round out an
outstanding game before fouling out
late in the fourth quarter. Sophomore
Kari Morgan added four assists.
"They were a good team,” says
coach Heideman. “ We were lucky
to escape." Heideman said that Butte
Falls had two big girls inside who
could shoot well. The Cards tried to
force their offense through the tall
Loggers, coming up with ' ‘too many
turnovers.” He said that the Cards
played good defense but didn’t ex
ecute well on offense. The big dif
ference in the game was at the free
throw line. lone shot 14-20 from the
line for 70 percent while Butte Falls
made 14-31 for just 45 percent. In
the critical fourth quarter, the Cards
made 6-7 free throw attempts while
the Loggers managed just 4-15.
Heideman credited Darcee
Padberg for clutch play in the fourth
quarter, as well as the other seniors,
Jo Cupps, Linda Morter and Amy
Wagenblast, for making the plays at
different crucial points in the game.
Championship Game
The championship game matched
the Mount Vernon Bears against the
Cardinals on Saturday night. The
Bears reached the top of their
bracket by defeating Canyonville Bi
ble Academy in the opening round
and knocking off Wheeler in the
semifinals by 10 points. The Lady
Cards had their hands full with Mt.
Vernon as they found their opponent
to be very quick and defense-
oriented, much like themselves. The
overflowing Baker High School gym
shook to the rafters as the Cardinals
finally broke free of the tenacious
Bears in the fourth quarter and went
on to claim the first ever state cham
pionship in girl’s sports for lone
High School. The final score was
50-41.
The teams battled to an 11-11 tie
at the end of the first quarter but the
Cards fell behind by five points at
the half 21-26. The Bears returned
to the floor in the third period to
make a quick bucket, making the
Cardinals deficit seven points, the
largest deficit they had experienced
all season. At that point, the Lady
Cards’ competitive juices started
flowing as they ran off a 15-point
rally during which Mt. Vernon
scored only one point. The third
quarter ended with the Cards ahead,
36-33. They kept their momentum
alive in the fourth quarter, outscor
ing the Bears 14-8 for the final
margin.
A key to the rally was sophomore
sparkplug, Nancy Morter, who
made four crucial baskets including
a three-pointer followed by a free
throw to give the team new life when
they were down.
Jo Cupps chalked up another
outstanding game, scoring 14 points,
pulling down 12 rebounds, dishing
out four assists and grabbing three
steals. She led all categories except
steals where Linda Morter had four.
The scoring was rounded out by
Amy Wagenblast with 12 and Nan
cy Morter with 11. Morter also add-'
ed four assists and Wagenblast had
three. The Cardinals improved their
shooting accuracy making 19-44 (43
percent) form the floor and 12-19
(63 percent) from the line.
“ They were the best team we’ve
p lay ed ,’* said coach Dana
Heideman. He said the team match
ed up well in terms of height and
quickness. He stated that they were
a well-balanced squad with five good
players, all who were able to score.
As for how the game shaped up,
Heideman said the first half was a
little shaky with the usual unshakable
Cardinal defense becoming a little
rattled. The second half was a dif
ferent story, however, as the team
pulled itself back together to over
come a seven point deficit and shut
down the Bears in the process. He
credited Jo Cupps for outstanding
play under the basket. Cupps pulled
down 11 defensive rebounds,
holding Mt. Vernon to just one shot
attempt on most trips down the floor.
lone team (lead by head coach Dana Heideman) celebrates
first place finish at state.
“ Jo cleaned house (on rebounds) in
the third and fourth quarter,” said
Heideman. He said the seniors pro
minutes ticked away, Heideman said
he finally felt it was in the bag with
a minute to go but “ it was one long
vided confidence and a stabilizing in
fluence. “ Everybody went out in the
second half and did a great jo b ."
As for his own thoughts as the
last minute. It was exciting, just
great, but it hasn’t really sunk in
yet,” said the jubilant winning
coach.
Cupps makes All State
Mary Cupps missed most of tournament with knee injury
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Saturday, March 17, Show 9 a.m ., Sale 1 p.m.
Selling 65 top performing bulls (including many low Birth
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females. Northwest Livestock Comm. Co. Hermiston. Or.
For information: 916/965-6122
Jo Cupps was named to all state first team
By Anne Morter
lone senior standout, Jo Cupps
was named to the Class B All State
first team last weekend at the state
tournament in Baker City. She was
joined by senior point guard. Linda
Morter, who was named to second
team. Cupps was named to the All-
State Volleyball first team in 1988
and 1989 but no Lady Cardinal has
ever made the All-State Basketball
roster.
Jo Cupps also broke an 11-year
old free throw record held by Rene
Eakin of Cove since 1979. Cupps
shot a sizzling 15-16 free throws
during the tournament for 93.75 per
cent breaking Eakin’s record of
11-12 for 91.7 percent.
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Grand Opening - Friday & Saturday
Mar. 16th & 17th 11:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m .
Homemade crafts, gifts and collectables
Door prizes donated by craftpersons
Come in and take a look
388 N. Main - Heppner, Or.
/35
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Linda Morter named to
second team
Births
Richard Bedell« Garcia-a son.
Richard Bettello was bom to Roberto
and Esthcla Garcia of Boardman on
Feb. 23, 1990 at Good Shepherd
Community Hospital in Hermiston.
The baby weighed 9 lbs. 7 ozs.
iN H i
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LEXINGTON LUMBER
Le x in g to n , O re. 9 89 -8 5 86
P O L R R I5
Believe It.