A10 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM
WEDNESDAy, JANuARy 23, 2019
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Hermiston rolls to big win over Southridge
‘ugly win’
puts Bulldogs
in regional
tournament
By ANNIE FOWLER
STAFF WRITER
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Hermiston’s Jazlyn Romero (22) muscles her way past Southridge’s Peyton Santos during
Saturday’s game in Kennewick. Romero finished with a game-high 16 points.
Jazlyn Romero scored a
game-high 16 points, and
Hermiston secured a spot in
the 3A regional tournament
with a 54-23 Mid-Colum-
bia Conference road victory
Saturday over Southridge.
“It was ugly,” Bulldogs
coach Juan Rodriguez said.
“We didn’t play overwhelm-
ingly well, but we got a
win. We missed some easy
baskets and had too many
turnovers.”
The Bulldogs (6-10 over-
all, 4-8 MCC) led 10-5 after
the first quarter, then went
on an 18-7 run in the sec-
ond quarter for a 28-12 lead
at the half.
Romero scored 11 of
her points in the first half,
while Jordan Thomas scored
six of her 15 points before
halftime.
A 12-2 run by the Bull-
dogs in the third extended
their lead to 40-14.
The Suns scored nine
points in the fourth quarter
— all at the free throw line.
Southridge went 13-for-24
from the line to score more
than half of their points.
While the win was nice,
Rodriguez said he told his
team they would be keeping
track of two stats Saturday
BOX SCORE
Hermiston 10 18 12 14 — 54
Southridge
5 7
2 9 — 23
HERMISTON —Romero 16, Thomas 15,
Hernandez 8, Dowdy 2, Palzinski 2, Stefani
2, Byrd 2, Ray 5, young 2.
SOuTHRIDGE — Ball 3, Brisbois 6, Connors
1, Mendez 5, Suitonu 1, Martin 2, Crum 1,
Santos 4.
night — offensive rebounds
and deflections.
“We had 17 offensive
rebounds and seven deflec-
tions. When you have that
many offensive rebounds,
it gives you more posses-
sions,” Rodriguez said. “I’m
glad they responded to that.”
Freshman Mia Hernan-
dez, who transferred from
Sunnyside right before
Christmas, added eight
points, all in the middle
quarters.
“Mia came out of her
shell a little bit,” Rodriguez
said. “I know she can play.
She can be a little timid.
I’m pleased with her perfor-
mance today.”
The Suns (5-11, 1-11) got
six points from Bailie Bris-
bois, and five from Abril
Mendez.
Hermiston at Pasco
Hermiston got off to a
slow start Jan. 15, and never
was able to get any momen-
tum as host Pasco rolled to
a 67-52 Mid-Columbia Con-
ference victory.
“We didn’t play very
well,” said Hermiston coach
Juan Rodriguez, whose team
shot 35 percent from the
floor. “It was disappointing
all the way around. We had a
good practice yesterday, and
I thought we would be moti-
vated to play hard. They hit
some big shots that deflated
us.”
Hermiston led 4-2 early
on with baskets by Jordan
Thomas and Sydney Stefani,
but Pasco went on a 14-7 run
the last 3:42 of the quarter to
take a 21-12 lead.
Pasco hit five 3-point-
ers in the first, with Aniyah
Heavens hitting two. Heav-
ens finished the game with a
team-high 22 points.
Pasco stretched its lead
to 14 points in the second
quarter, but six consecu-
tive points by Hermiston
trimmed the deficit to eight
— 28-20. Pasco led 32-22 at
the half.
Hermiston got as close
as 60-51 in the final quar-
ter, but could not climb out
of the hole.
“We could just never get
stops, and we never got them
to be uncomfortable,” Rodri-
guez said. “They did a good
job of creating on their own.”
Hermiston
playmaker
Jazlyn Romero, who was
held scoreless in the first
half, scored nine points in
the fourth quarter and fin-
ished with 15 points, eight
rebounds and four assists.
“She struggled a bit
tonight,” Rodriguez said.
“She and Jordan were out
of synch, and when that
happens, it’s hard for us to
score.”
Kaylee Young added
15 points, including three
3-pointers, and five rebounds.
Thomas chipped in 11 points
and five rebounds.
Big plays lift Dawgs past Southridge in overtime
By ANNIE FOWLER
STAFF WRITER
Big-time players make
clutch plays when their
teams need them most.
Jordan Ramirez hit two
free throws with 10.7 sec-
onds left on the clock, and
Adrian Mendez stole the
ball with 4 seconds remain-
ing to lead Hermiston to a
62-61 Mid-Columbia Con-
ference road victory on Sat-
urday over Southridge.
“The game was crazy,”
said Ramirez, who finished
with 11 points. “Those (free
throws) were must makes.
That first one, I thought I air-
balled it. The second one, I
was like ‘OK, this is easy,
we are tied.’”
The win put the Bulldogs
(12-4 overall) at 8-4 in MCC
play, and third in the confer-
ence standings behind Rich-
land (13-0) and Chiawana
(9-3). They have clinched
a trip to the 3A regional
tournament.
“The guys never gave
up,” Hermiston coach
Casey Arstein said. “Sergio
(Mendez) got a huge steal
and basket, Jordan hits two
free throws, and Adrian,
who sat most of the second
half, gets the biggest steal
of the night. We will take a
win on the road. Now, we
are just battling for the No.
1 spot. We have to handle
our games.”
The Suns (3-14, 2-11)
led 37-36 heading into the
fourth quarter, and needed a
3-pointer by Donavyn Perry
with 1:01 remaining in regu-
lation to send the game into
overtime with the score tied
at 53-53.
Southridge jumped out
to a 57-53 lead to open the
extra period, getting baskets
by Kody Bruton and Tristan
Smith.
Cesar Ortiz added a free
throw for the Bulldogs, but
Perry knocked down a pair
from the line to extend the
lead to 59-54 with 1:09 to
play.
With 57 seconds left,
Ortiz knocked down a
3-pointer to cut the deficit to
59-57.
After Perry missed two
free throws — the only
two he missed on the night
— Ramirez added one free
throw for the Bulldogs, and
Madrigal stole the ball and
converted the layup at the
other end to give Hermiston
a 60-59 lead with 23 second
left.
Perry then made two
free throws with 18 seconds
remaining as the Suns went
out front 61-60.
After Ramirez hit what
would be the game-winning
free throws, Mendez missed
two after his steal with 2.9
seconds left on the clock.
The Suns attempted to
inbound the ball, but the
throw was too long, and the
ball went to the Bulldogs.
“Southridge played tough
tonight,” Ramirez said.
The Suns led 15-11 after
the first quarter, and 26-23
at the half. Cole Smith came
off the bench in the second
and scored all nine of his
points in the quarter to keep
the Bulldogs in the game.
The third quarter was a
free throw contest, with the
Suns hitting 9 of 12, and the
Bulldogs 8 of 10. South-
ridge led 37-36 going into
the fourth.
“I thought the first half
we played good defense,”
Arstein said. “Offensively,
we didn’t move the ball well
against the matchup zone
and we got into foul trou-
ble. When we weren’t in
foul trouble and things were
going well, we were in a
groove.”
Ortiz led the Bulldogs
with 17 points, while Ryne
Andreason added 11 — all
in the second half.
Smith had 19 points to
lead the Suns, while Perry
added 18, with all but two
points coming in the fourth
quarter and overtime.
Hermiston at Pasco
It wasn’t the prettiest win,
but this late in the season, a
win is a win in the Mid-Co-
lumbia Conference.
Cesar Ortiz poured in 21
points, and Ryne Andreason
added 19 as Hermiston held
off host Pasco 73-63 on Jan.
15.
“Our defense has to get
better this last stretch of
games,” Hermiston coach
Casey Arstein said. “I’m
pleased with the win, and
I’m proud of the guys. I saw
some good things offen-
sively in the second half,
but we just need to get better
defensively.”
Hermiston jumped out to
a 10-0 lead to open the game,
getting 3-pointers from Jor-
dan Ramirez and Andrew
James in the run, but Pasco
came back to make it 16-13
with 22 seconds left in the
quarters.
Andreason scored with
one second remaining to
stretch the lead to 18-13.
Both teams went through
a scoring drought in the sec-
ond, with Pasco posting a
9-8 edge to trail 26-22 at the
half.
Ortiz came to life in the
third, hitting three 3-point-
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
Hermiston’s Jordan Ramirez dishes off to teammate Cole Smith during Saturday’s game against
Southridge in Kennewick.
ers. Hermiston took a 40-29
lead with a 3 by James, but
Pasco would not go away.
Four different play-
ers scored points as Pasco
strung together nine consec-
utive points to pull within
40-38 with 3:18 left in the
quarter.
A 3 by Ortiz gave Herm-
iston a 49-40 lead with 1:41
left, but Pasco went on a 6-2
run to end the quarter and
cut the deficit to 51-46.
Andreason scored nine of
his points in the fourth quar-
ter, where Hermiston had
leads of 61-53, 70-58 and
73-60 before Pasco’s Xavier
Perez drained a 3 for the
final margin.
Ortiz added three assists
and five rebounds to his
total, while Ramirez added
eight points, 10 rebounds
and four assists, and James
11 points.