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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 2015)
FEBRUARY 4, 2015 HERMISTONHERALD.COM A6 WEDNESDAY, SPORTS PREP BASKETBALL • SCHEDULE Echo expecting ¿JKWDJDLQVW Nixyaawii BY SAM BARBEE HERMISTON HERALD At the beginning of the VHDVRQ(FKRJLUOVEDVNHWEDOO FRDFK -' %UD]LO ORRNHG DW the schedule and circled two games: a road game Jan. 10 at Nixyaawii and a home test against those same Golden Eagles Friday. The Cougars claimed the ¿UVW JDPH LQ 0LVVLRQ DQG Brazil said Nixyaawii will be coming after his team hard in the second matchup. “If they win one more game this year, they want it to be Friday night,” Brazil said of the Golden Eagles. “It’s gonna be intense. Their VHDVRQ¶VRQWKHOLQH,WKLQN they can still win (the Old Oregon League) if the right chips fall, but they can’t do it if they don’t beat us. If you ORRNDWWKLVWKDWZD\ZHFDQ do it without beating them, but they can’t do it without beating us.” Echo is not adjusting its routine in preparation, how- ever. “We’re just treating it OLNH DQ\ RWKHU JDPH OLNH normal,” Echo leading scor- HU (OL]DEHWK 0F&DUW\ VDLG “We won’t come out (and say), ‘Oh my gosh this is Nixy.’ We respect them. They’re a great team, but ZH¶UH JRLQJ WR SUHSDUH OLNH we always do.” Echo rolls into the game winners of six of eight games. The Cougars won WKHLU¿UVWJDPHVDQGKDYH JRQHVLQFHZLWKORVVHVWR Country Christian, Tri-Cities Prep (WA), Dufur and Wal- lowa. In the loss to Wallowa, the Cougars’ only league loss thus far, Echo scored a sea- son-low 34 points. As of Tuesday, Echo holds a two game advantage over the Golden Eagles, who sit in fourth place in the OOL with D UHFRUG RYHUDOO Echo has an 8-1 league record and is edging Wallowa by a game for the top spot. Nixyaawii, conversely, has lost two consecutive one- SRLQWKHDUWEUHDNHUV2Q-DQ 24, Wallowa slipped past the Golden Eagles 48-47, and Saturday Powder Valley VTXHDNHGSDVWWKHP An Echo win Friday would boost the Cougars’ re- cord to 9-1 with games against third-place Powder Valley and Wallowa remaining. According to Brazil, Fri- day night’s tilt against the Golden Eagles is the first of three games in a de facto league championship series. Echo has to win two of three, in no certain order, to get a bye in the district tournament that starts at the end of this month. “I feel a little bit nervous, but it’s nothing we can’t handle,” Echo senior Bailey 6WURIH VDLG ³$V D WHDP OLNH Elizabeth said, we’re going to SUHSDUHOLNHZHGRHYHU\VLQ- gle Friday and Saturday for the teams we’re going to play.” To win Friday, Echo will have to hold off Nixyaawii perimeter threat Charlotte %DUNOH\ ³,WKLQNWKHEHVWPDWFKXS is who has the better game: (OL]DEHWK0F&DUW\RU&KDU- ORWWH %DUNOH\´ %UD]LO VDLG “Charlotte, sometimes she’s DOLWWOHVWUHDN\VKRRWLQJ8Q- less she’s playing Echo, then she’s on. We expect no less out of her. We’re just going to have to contain her (and) try to harass the hell out her and see what happens.” Echo will use its press to NHHS %DUNOH\ IURP PRYLQJ the ball up the court and get- WLQJJRRGORRNVDWWKHEDVNHW %DUNOH\OLYHVRQWKHSRLQW line, and anything Echo can do to contain her as no one has been able to outright HOLPLQDWH KHU ZLOO VLJQL¿- cantly help the Cougars. In the half court, Tay- lor Swaggart will be paired DJDLQVW %DUNOH\ &DSWDLQV 6WURIH 0F&DUW\ DQG .HOVH\ 5DQJHU KDYH IXOO FRQILGHQFH in the freshman to handle the large assignment. “Taylor has the best de- fense on the whole team,” 0F&DUW\ VDLG ³, FRXOGQ¶W expect more out of a fresh- man than Taylor. She’s the perfect freshman.” In turn, Echo expects the Golden Eagles will try to FRQWDLQ0F&DUW\,QWKH-DQ PHHWLQJ0F&DUW\WDOOLHG SRLQWVEXW5DQJHUKDG Brazil also got good minutes from his bench, something he said will have to happen again Friday. ³:LWK (OL]DEHWK 0F&D- rty, they’re probably going to try and put six girls on her, some fans and a cheerleader, and see if they can’t shut her down and force our other JLUOVWRGRZRUN´%UD]LOVDLG ³7KDW¶VZK\ZHOLNHEHLQJLQ RXUJ\PEHFDXVHZHOLNHWR shoot in our own gym.” Ultimately, neither Brazil nor the players feel any pres- sure heading into Friday’s bout with the Golden Eagles. 7KH\¶UHFRQ¿GHQWORRVHDQG ready to play. That said, the Cougars expect a battle. “This is Nixy,” Brazil said. “There’s a lot of respect. There’s a lot of blood. It’s an old story. These games have been close since they won state (in 2011). It’s always EHHQDGRJ¿JKW´ Tip-off for the game is set IRUSP)ULGD\LQ(FKR GO SEE IT Wednesday, February 4 No events scheduled Thursday, February 5 Wrestling Hermiston vs. Pendleton, 7 p.m. Girls Basketball Umatilla vs. Vale, 3 p.m. Boys Basketball Umatilla vs. Vale, 5:30 p.m. Friday, February 6 Girls Basketball Hermiston @ The Dalles, 7 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOGYV3LORW5RFNSP (FKRYV1L[\DDZLLSP Boys Basketball Hermiston vs. The Dalles, 7 p.m. 6WDQ¿HOGYV3LORW5RFNSP Echo vs. Nixyaawii, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, January 7 Wrestling Hermiston @ Oregon Episcopal Tournament in Or- egon City, 9 a.m. Girls Basketball Umatilla @ Nyssa, 4 p.m. Echo @ Powder Valley, 4 p.m. Boys Basketball Umatilla @ Nyssa, 5:30 p.m. Echo @ Powder Valley, 5:30 p.m. Bulldog run dooms Lady Bucks Rileigh Andreason has eight points in final quarter to spark run BY SAM BARBEE HERMISTON HERALD Through three quarters in 3HQGOHWRQ WKH /DG\ %XFNV had the upper hand. They were holding off cer- tain Lady Bulldogs and forc- ing others to score. They just weren’t planning on anyone other than Jansen Edmiston RU6DUD5DPLUH]WREHDWWKHP They weren’t planning on VRSKRPRUH VZLQJHU 5LOHLJK Andreason getting hot in the fourth quarter. $QGUHDVRQ VFRUHG ¿YH straight points early in the fourth quarter to cut Pendle- ton’s lead to one and drained a 3-pointer with 3:39 left to WLH WKLQJV XS DW VSDUNLQJ a 7-4 run that propelled the VHFRQGUDQNHG /DG\ %XOO- GRJV RYHU WKH ¿IWKUDQNHG /DG\%XFNVDW:DUEHUJ Court Tuesday night. ³:HNQHZLWZDVJRLQJWR EH D GRJ¿JKW´ VDLG +HUPLV- WRQ DVVLVWDQW FRDFK -XDQ 5R- GULJXH] ZKR ZDV ¿OOLQJ LQ for Steve Hoffert. “It doesn’t matter how good we are. It doesn’t matter how good they are. In the year’s past, when we had more of a gap, it was still a good game, this year more so because they’re a re- ally good team.” $QGUHDVRQ ¿QLVKHG WKH game with eight points, all of which came in the fourth TXDUWHU EXW 0DGG\ -XXO shouldered the load, scoring 13 points — seven of which EO MEDIA GROUP PHOTO BY E.J. HARRIS Hermiston’s Maddy Juul drives on Pendleton’s Kiana Sperl in the Bulldogs’ 57-54 win against the Buckaroos on Tuesday in Pendleton FDPH LQ WKH ¿UVW KDOI .LDQD Sperl led the way for Pendle- WRQZLWKSRLQWVDQG0DU- lene Bodmer chipped in 13. Neither team shot the ball well. Hermiston shot just 27 SHUFHQW IURP WKH ÀRRU DQG Pendleton shot slightly bet- ter at 34 percent. The Lady %XFNV GLGQ¶W PDNH D EDOO going 0-12, and Hermiston KLW ¿YH RXW RI DWWHPSWV from deep. Pendleton led the way in free-throw shooting at 15-20, and Hermiston went 12-18. Turnovers made the differ- ence in the game. Pendleton coughed up the ball 21 times to Hermiston’s 15. In one stretch in the third quarter, while leading 37- 33, Pendleton turned over three straight possessions DQG IRXU RXW RI ¿YH ZKLFK the Bulldogs converted into ¿YH SRLQWV FXWWLQJ WKH /DG\ %XFNV¶OHDGWRRQH For Hermiston, the main WDNHDZD\ZDVWKHPDWXUDWLRQ RIWKHURVWHU5RGULJXH]VDLG :KHQSOD\HUVOLNH$QGUHDVRQ step up to provide unexpected lifts, it points to the team set- ting higher goals than merely ZLQQLQJDEDVNHWEDOOJDPH “That’s what we need ev- eryone in the program to do,” 5RGULJXH] VDLG ³:H ORYH seeing the maturation.” After leading most of the ¿UVWKDOIDQGWDNLQJDVOLP OHDGDWWKHEUHDN3HQGOH- ton came out hot in the third TXDUWHU KLWWLQJ LWV ¿UVW WKUHH VKRWV DQG PDNLQJ WKUHH RI IRXUIUHHWKURZVWRWDNHD 29 lead. A Bodmer jumper extended the lead to six at 35- 29, the biggest Pendleton lead of the night that was matched one other time in the third pe- riod. Tavin Headings then VSDUNHG D OLWWOH UXQ QHWWLQJ seven points in just less than three minutes to pull Hermis- ton within one at 39-38. In the fourth, Hermiston DQG3HQGOHWRQWUDGHGEDVNHWV throughout. With 3:23 on WKH FORFN$QGUHDVRQ KLW KHU 3-pointer — her only deep ball of the night — to tie things up at 50. Two minutes ODWHU 5DPLUH] KLW KHU RQO\ 3-ball to give Hermiston the lead for good. Darian Lind- sey’s 3-ball at the buzzer went begging, and Hermiston held on to the win. “(Tuesday night) was the team we want to see heading LQWR WKH SRVWVHDVRQ´ 5RGUL- guez said. “We’re gonna get JDPHV OLNH WKLV LQ WKH VWDWH tournament. If we can’t grind RXW JDPHV OLNH WKLV ZKHUH LW isn’t pretty, we won’t win many games in the postsea- son...This team would’ve folded earlier in the year in a JDPHOLNHWKLV´ Hermiston heads to The 'DOOHV WR WDNH RQ WKH 5LYHU- KDZNVDWSP)ULGD\ Umatilla holds off Vale forced 12 turnovers in the game. “It was a great battle on our guys’ end, for compet- LQJOLNHWKDWDQGQRWJLYLQJ up because they could’ve easily done that,” Lete said. Umatilla hosts Vale DJDLQ DW SP 7KXUV- day. Echo splits in Joseph BY SAM BARBEE HERMISTON HERALD Down four with 30 sec- onds left, the Umatilla boys EDVNHWEDOO WHDP ZDV ORRN- ing for some momentum heading into the second half against the visiting 9DOH9LNLQJV.DGHQ:HEE obliged in a big way. The freshman hit a SRLQWHU ZLWK VHFRQGV RQ WKH FORFN ZDV IRXOHG and made the free throw to tie things up at 30 heading LQWR WKH EUHDN 8PDWLOOD went on to outscore Vale LQ WKH VHFRQG KDOI WRKROGRQIRUDZLQ in Eastern Oregon League play in The Pit Saturday. Eric Garcia led the game in scoring with 33 points — including sev- en three-pointers — but QR EDVNHW ZDV ELJJHU WKDQ Webb’s at the end of the ¿UVWKDOI “It was a huge momen- tum swing,” Umatilla head FRDFK'HUUHN/HWHVDLG³,W ZDVJUHDWIRU.DGHQ´ Lete said he also ex- pected Garcia to have a big game Saturday, although he didn’t couldn’t point to why. “Eric’s our man offen- sively,” he said. “He was SAM BARBEE PHOTO Umatilla’s Eric Garcia (3) sets up Vale defender Andrew Weber during the second half of Umatilla’s 56-53 win over Vale on Saturday in The Pit. Garcia would hit a 3-pointer on the play, one of his seven on the way to 33 points. one of the guys that was runner-up for player of the year in our league (last \HDU DQG NLQG RI KDG D URXJK ¿UVW KDOI RI OHDJXH play (from) a scoring stand- point. It was just one of the feelings you get as a coach sometimes. I don’t get them very often, but I had a feel- ing he was going to have a big night, and he did.” Garcia had a feeling, too. “In pregame (my shots) were going in, so I felt pretty good before the game,” the senior said. Garcia went 7-15 from deep, including two con- secutive deep balls in the fourth quarter to send Uma- tilla from down one to up ¿YH 7KH\ ZHUH 8PDWLOOD¶V ¿UVW EDVNHWV RI WKH ¿QDO period, and positioned the KRPH 9LNLQJV WR JR RQ D stretch run. Garcia, though, was more happy with the win than with the scoring out- burst. ³,FRXOGKDYHOLNHWKUHH points, and if we won I’d still be happy,” he said. Defensively, Umatilla battled a huge Vale front line that had at least three SOD\HUVRYHUIRRWZKLOH Umatilla has just two regu- ODUURWDWLRQSOD\HUVDWIRRW 2. Lete said the game plan was to double down on Vale’s Levi Noethe and Ty- VRQ 0HVD DQG WU\ WR IRUFH 9DOH WR PDNH EDG SDVVHV that Umatilla could convert LQWRHDV\EDVNHWV8PDWLOOD JOSEPH 52, ECHO 48 At Joseph, a slow start doomed the Echo Cougars, who fell to the Joseph Ea- gles 52-48 in overtime. 0LFKDHO7KRPSVRQZDV held to just 11 points, but he did grab 12 rebounds. Carlos Chavez led the &RXJDUV LQ scoring with 21 points. (FKR VFRUHG MXVW ¿YH SRLQWV LQ WKH ¿UVW TXDU- ter on 2-13 shooting, but Joseph didn’t do much better, netting just eight points. The game went to WKH EUHDN NQRWWHG DW and another poor quarter for Echo, the Cougars were down by seven before ty- ing the game at the end of regulation. Echo shot just SHUFHQW WR -R- VHSK¶VSHUFHQW (FKR WDNHV WKH ÀRRU again in a 7:30 p.m. home game against Nixyaawii Friday. 9DOHSXOOVDZD\IURPWKHODG\9LNLQJV EO MEDIA GROUP STAFF 8PDWLOODJRWD¿UVWKDQGJOLPSVHDW ZKDW D FKDPSLRQVKLS EDVNHWEDOO WHDP ORRNVOLNHRQ6DWXUGD\ZKHQLWIHOOWRWKH reigning Class 3A state champion Vale 9LNLQJV 6HYHQWKUDQNHG 8PDWLOOD VSDUUHG with the champs for three quarters be- IRUH WKH YLVLWLQJ 9LNLQJV ZRUH WKHP down at Umatilla High School. $YHWHUDQEDOOFOXEWKLUGUDQNHG9DOH (DVWHUQ2UHJRQ/HDJXHNHSW their composure and weathered several 8PDWLOOD(2/VXUJHV 7KH ¿QDO DQVZHU FDPH LQ DQ second half counterpunch that put Uma- tilla’s upset intentions to bed. “If we NQRZZHFDQSOD\ZLWK9DOHWKHUH¶VQRW a team in this state that we’re worried about it,” Umatilla coach Scott Bow said. Due to a previous postponement, the Umatilla girls will have ample oppor- tunity to prove they can in the coming ZHHNV7KHWHDPVZLOOVTXDUHRIIDJDLQ in Umatilla again Thursday, a third time on Valentine’s day at Vale, and possibly again in the EOL district title game the IROORZLQJZHHN The step up in competition comes at a perfect time for Umatilla. Winners of seven consecutive entering Saturday, Umatilla had begun to “coast” against ZHDNHU FRPSHWLWLRQ %RZ VDLG VRPH- thing a team with playoff aspirations can little afford. “If we do a get playoff berth, seeing Vale this many times in a row is only JRLQJWRPDNHXVVWURQJHU´KHVDLG GIRLS BASKETBALL ECHO 66, JOSEPH 45 $W -RVHSK (FKR¶V (OL]DEHWK 0F- Carty’s scored 23 points and pulled down 13 rebounds as the Cougars UDQDZD\ZLWKDZLQ 0F&DUW\ JRW KHU SRLQWV GHVSLWH a rough night from the floor. The senior was just 8 of 22 from the field, but made 9 of 13 from the charity stripe. Echo won despite EHLQJRXWUHERXQGHGWR6DW- urday night. The Cougars forced 33 turnovers, however, turning them into 19 points at the other end.