Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, March 10, 1993 - SEVEN
Frustrated Cardinals take fifth in 1A basketball tournament
game. But 0-14 shooting in the
second quarter put them in the
hole 21-30 by halftime and it pro
ved to be a hole that the lady Car
dinals were not able to dig out of
that day.
“ By the second half, we were
d o n e,” said coach Dana
Heideman. “ It wasn’t the same
team that had played the night
before,” he added. He also said
that the Cardinals sent the Elks to
the free throw line too many
times. Elkton shot 20 of 35 from
the line while lone connected on
just seven of their 19 attempts.
“ We had five more fouls than
they did (24-19) but theirs were
all shooting fouls,” he said.
Melissa McElligott led the Car
dinal scorers with 13 points.
April Taylor had two three point
shots and Crystal Minster had
one. No other stats were
available.
By Anne Morter
The lone Cardinals were
frustrated in their attempt for state
tournament hardware as they
finished fifth in last week’s 1A
tournament in Baker City.
The Cards opened with a con
vincing 80-49 win over St. Paul
before losing to Cove 88-86 in the
semifinals and finally, falling to
Dufur 96-81 inthe game for third
place. Illness struck the team dur
ing the week with the worst of it
being felt on Saturday, when
starters Aaron and Deacon
Heideman were too ill to suit
down and several other players
played sick.
The Cardinals left a mark on
the record books of Baker
however. David Wagenblast
made eight three-point shots in
the Cove game to break the old
single game record of seven. Jim
Logan made five of six three-
point attempts in the Dufur game
to set a new high percentage
record of .833. The team set a
single game record with 12 treys
against Cove plus they set a new
tournament record of 28 three
pointers. Finally, the team made
247 points over three games to
break the old record of 242.
David Wagenblast was named
to the first team of the All-Star
team and Jim Logan was named
to the second.
Pine Eagle 55 lone 33
lone 80 St Paul 49
The Cards had 12 points on the
board before the Buckaroos
managed their first score Thurs
day, March 4, during the open
ing round game. The Cardinals
used their size advantage to
dominate the inside game and run
away with the win.
At the end of one quarter, the
Cards were up 19-9. By halftime,
they held a commanding 40-25
advantage, lone went on to
outscore their opponents 40-22 in
the second half.
Justin Miller came off the
bench to hit three three-pointers
and lead the Cardinal scorers with
14 points. Tony Bjerke, another
key reserve, scored 12. Jim
Logan also hit three three-
pointers and scored 11 points in
the game.
The Cardinals’ size advantage
showed in the rebounding
statistics where they dominated
the boards, 57-33. Deacon
Heideman grabbed 12 boards and
cousin Aaron had 10. Wagenblast
chalked up 12 assists and four
steals for the Cards.
lone shot 38 percent from the
floor, making 28 of 73. At the
line, they connected on 18 of 27
for 67 percent. The Buckaroos
had shooting troubles, connecting
on just 18 of 64 from the floor for
28 percent and 12 of 24 for 50
percent from the line.
“ It was a good game for us,”
said coach Del LaRue, noting that
everyone played and all but one
player scored. “ We were trying
to keep the kids fresh for a three-
day tournament,” he added.
Cove 88 lone 86
The Cove Leopards were a
quick and physical team and the
lone Cards struggled with their
inside game losing to the
Leopards 88-86 on Friday,
March 5. The teams played even
through the first half, with the
Cards leading by two at the end
of the first quarter and Cove ty
ing it up at the half, 46-46. The
third quarter proved to be the
Cards’ downfall, as the Leopards
outscored them 21-15.
David Wagenblast tried to
singlehandedly make up for the
lack of an inside game by cann
ing a tournament record of eight
three-pointers in the game. The
Cards were down by 15 with just
over two minutes to go and were
still behind by 13 with a minute
left before Wagenblast pulled
them to within two. Despite
Wagenblast's offensive fireworks
show, the Cards still cameup two
points short and Cove advanced
to the finals.
Wagenblast set a personal scor
ing record with 39 points. Jared
Ashbeck was the only other Car
dinal in double figures with 15.
Jim Logan hit three treys and
finished the game with nine
points.
The stats books said that lone
held a 42-39 rebounding edge, a
statistic that coach Del LaRue
says is misleading. “ They had 21
offensive rebounds. That really
killed us,” he said, noting that
many of the offensive boards
came after one successful free
throw and turned into a three
point play. Aaron Heideman led
lone in the rebounding effort with
12, follow ed by Deacon
Heideman with seven.
The Cards actually made nine
more field goals than Cove but
the Leopards made 25 points at
the free throw line, compared to
the Cardinals six. From the field,
the Cards shot 38 of 69 for 53
percent and at the line, they hit
six of 10 for 60 percent. Cove
shot 29 of 66 for 44 percent from
the field and 25 of 39 for 64 per
cent from the line.
“ Our biggest problem was that
we didn’t block them out on the
boards,” said coach LaRue. “ We
just didn’t produce inside,” he
added.
“ It was a tough way to end the
season,” said LaRue, referring to
the ill-timed flu bug. “ It was just
one of those things that happens.
I have no regrets at all. The kids
could have got sick at district and
never got there (to state),” he
added.
“ It’s been a good season and
they’ve been a great group to
work with. I guess there’s
nothing wrong with finishing
17-7,” said LaRue.
Dufur 96 lone 81
lone 60 Alsea 40
By Anne Morter
The lone lady Cardinals won
one game and lost two on their
way to a fifth place finish at last
week’s State 1A basketball tour
nament in Baker City. After an
opening round win over Alsea
60-40, the lady Cards fell victim
to illness and jitters losing to
Elkton 60-44 in the semifinals
and to Pine Eagle 55-33 in the
game for third place.
The Cards put their flu-ravaged
After a two week layoff, the
squad on the floor in the State 1A lady Cards took a quarter to get
tournament consolation game rolling in their opening round
against Dufur at Baker City on game of the State 1A basketball
Saturday, March 6, with six able tournament, but before it was
bodies and several more in over, all but three lone players
various stages of illness.
had scored on their way to a
Starters Aaron and Deacon 60-40 victory over Alsea.
Heideman were unable to dress
The Wolverines led 11 -9 at the
down for the game. Even so, the end of one but the Cards had
Cards made a gallant attempt and swung things their way by
led 45-39 at halftime. In the third halftime, 24-17. “ In the second
quarter, things started to unravel half, we played a lot better on of
as the Cards began to feel a little fense and pretty much tore them
up,” said coach Dana Heideman.
tournament weary.
Dufur’s 6’5’ center went on a The Cards outscored Alsea 36-23
scoring rampage, making 12 in the second half. Heideman
points in the third quarter and noted that the team played some
eight in the fourth for 20 critical good half court defense and
second half points. The Cards managed to keep the ball away
also began to have some foul from Alsea’s big girl. “ Melissa
trouble. “ We put people on the (McElligott) did a good job keep
(free throw) line way too many ing the ball away from her,” he
times, but we were a step slow,” said. He also noticed that the
Wolverines were a rough-playing
said coach Larue.
David Wagenblast hit three team and there were many fouls
more treys on his way to team in the game.
Crystal Minster led three lady
scoring honors with 29. Jim
Cards
into double figures with 13
Logan hit five of six three point
points.
Jamie Lovett had 12 and
attempts and scored 19 points in
Melissa
McElligott added 10.
the game. Jared Ashbeck. a sick
McElligott
led the rebounding ef
player who was questionable
fort
with
10
boards, but Alsea had
right until game time scored 11.
the
team
rebounding
advantage
Dufur hammered the Cardinals
28-24.
McElligott
also
paced the
on the boards, 46-31. The Car
Cards
in
assists
with
three.
dinals were led by Ashbeck with
lone shot 38 percent from the
seven, Jason Halvorsen with six floor, making 21 of 56. At the
and W agenblast with five.
line, they connected on 18 of 30
Wagenblast had six assists and
for 60 percent. Alsea shot 14 of
two steals and Logan chipped in 55 for 25 percent from the field
three assists and two steals.
and 12 of 21 for 57 percent from
Both teams shot fairly well,
the line.
lone hit 30 of 66 for 45 percent
“ It was a good opening round
from the floor and 15 of 21 for
game. We started off slow and
71 percent from the line. Dufur
then dominated. We did a good
connected on 38 of 75 for 51 per job on defense. That's how we
cent from the field and 18 of 30
won it,” said coach Heideman.
for 60 percent from the line.
Elkton 60 lone 44
“ I was really proud of the kids.
Too many turnovers and a lack
We went into the game with six
of
defensive intensity did the lady
able bodies. They performed
Cards
in during their semifinal
really well and worked hard. We
matchup
with Elkton on Friday,
got everything out of those kids
March 5. The Cards led 18-16 in
that they had left. It was a real
the first quarter and it looked like
gutsy performance,” stated coach
they were set to run off with the
Del LaRue.
The flu kept point guard April
Taylor in bed and coach Dana
Heideman was also too sick to at
tend the game against Pine Eagle
for the third place trophy at the
State 1A basketball tournament in
Baker City Saturday, March 6.
Without Taylor at the helm, the
lady Cards’ offense stuttered and
they lost 55-33.
Pine Eagle, with three seniors
who would be named to the All-
Star team later that evening, us
ed a press and their experience to
force the Cards into 32 turnovers.
lone tried to press but “ they
ran right by us,” said coach Dana
Heideman. After watching the
tape, Heideman noted that the
lady Cards essentially “ handed
off ’ to them on the press and they
were able to capitalize with lay-
ins. The Spartans ran to a 22-12
first quarter lead and a 31-19
halftime advantage.
The lady Cardinals pulled to
within seven in the third quarter
before Pine Eagle cranked up
their scoring machine again. The
Cards were scoreless in the fourth
quarter until Lynde Minster hit a
three pointer with a minute and
a half to go.
Jamie Lovett was lone’s high
scorer with 13 points. Crystal
Minster added nine. The Cards
held the rebounding edge, 28-23,
led by Lovett with seven and
Minster and Melissa McElligott
with five each. Minster and
Lovett each had two steals in the
game.
The lady Cards struggled with
their shooting, making just 11 of
45 for 24 percent from the floor.
At the line, they hit 10 of 15 for
67 percent. Pine Eagle shot 23 of
64 for 36 percent from the field
and nine of 15 for 60 percent
from the line.
“ They shot better and we had
twice as many turnovers,” com
mented coach Heideman.
Summing up the tournament
and the year, Heideman said “ It
was a real good experience. We’ll
be back (to state) for another
three or four years, and this year
will pay big dividends in the next
few years.” With eight freshmen
on the roster this season, he has
reason to look forward to next
year. “ We had a great season.
We had the opportunity to do bet
ter (at the state tourney) but that's
the way it turned out, and fifth in
state isn’t too bad.”
Heideman will graduate just
one senior. Crystal Minster, the
only player remaining from the
1990 state championship team.
Besides playing at the state tour
nament twice, she was also part
of two district championship
teams and two third place (at
district) teams during her high
school career.
Crystal Minster
Jake Bacon (24) tries to get by Cove defender
Melissa McElligott drives on Spartans
Becky Wagenblast
Photos by Wayne Hams
I