Lebanon girls lose to No. 7 Silverton after win over Dallas
Lebanon’s girls battled to the last minute, but came out on the short end of a 60-55 score on the road Friday, Feb. 13, at Silverton.
Even with the loss, the Warriors enter this week in fourth place in the Mid-Willamette Conference basketball standings with a 7-4 record, 13-7 overall, and rated #12 in the state.
The Warriors started out in good shape and held a 15-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Their pressure defense caused a number of turnovers and allowed several easy baskets. Silverton, which sits second in the league, started to figure out Lebanon’s defense and outscored the Warriors 13-0 in the second quarter, but Lebanon held a 25-21 lead at the half.
The Foxes, though, forced the issue in the third quarter by breaking Lebanon’s press and scoring easy baskets of their own. They outscored their visitors 24-14 in the third stanza.
Down by six on the road to the No. 7 team in the state proved to be a significant challenge for the Warriors, but they didn’t crumble under the pressure. In fact, they fought back in the fourth quarter and took a slight lead with just two minutes to play.
Unfortunately, a few breaks went against the Warriors and Silverton won a tearjerker.
The Warriors continue to live with their upscale offense and pressure defense.
On this evening, they shot 35.7% (20/56) from the field but only 16.7% (3/18) from three. Free throw shooting was better at 66.7% (2/18). Their defense kept them in the game as they forced 21, with at least five Lebanon players recording two steals each.
Hazel Pepperling led the Warriors with yet another double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, along with four steals and two blocks.
The Warriors have five games remaining in league. Three at home and two on the road. This week they host Corvallis and West Albany, the latter the league leader going into this week.
On Tuesday, Feb. 10, on the road at Dallas, the Warriors dominated the contest and won easily, 57-27.
Lebanon started slowly with a narrow three-point lead, 11-8, at the end of the first quarter.
The Warriors stingy defense took over in the second quarter, holding Dallas to a mere three points, giving them a 30-11 halftime lead.
Dallas came out more efficient offensively in the third quarter, scoring nine points but so did Lebanon. The score was 39-20 going into the fourth quarter. Lebanon reasserted its defense in the fourth quarter, limiting Dallas to just seven points while scoring 18 to solidify the win.
The Warriors shot 37.9% (22/58) from the field including 28.0% (7/25) from three. Lebanon didn’t get many free throw attempts but made all six of them.
Rebounding and turnovers were once again keys to the Warriors’ victory. Lebanon out-rebounded Dallas by six and created 31 turnovers, which led to many quick and easy baskets.
The Warriors were led by Pepperling, who nearly recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds and eight steals. In addition, Peyton Vorderstrasse had 16 points, eight rebounds, four assists and six steals, and Piper Sewell added eight points for good measure.
– Mike Warner
Warrior boys ride six-game win streak into this week
With some serious league implications on the line, Lebanon’s boys hit the road to Silverton Friday, Feb. 13, and came away with a rare basketball win, 65-60 in the Foxes’ den.
As expected, the game was a real war from start to finish. The Warriors started with a quick eight-point lead but Silverton closed the gap by the end of the quarter, thanks to a hot streak with threes.
For the next two quarters, neither team had more than a three-point lead. Lebanon led 38-35 at half and 45-43 at the end of the third.
The fourth was much the same, but the Warriors were able to outscore their hosts 20-17 to eke out the final victory.
Lebanon shot very well, which helped seal the victory. They shot a very good 54.5% (23/42) from the field and even better 50% (9/18) from three. Free throw shooting was not up to par at 50% (10/20).
Contributors included Ryan Robinson, who had 20 points and four rebounds. Logan Large added 14 points, eight rebounds, three steals and three assists; and Gunner Miller added nine points, seven rebounds and five assists.
The Warriors sat in fourth place at 9-4, one game behind Corvallis in the MWC coming into this week, with West Albany (13-0) and Central (12-1) at the top of the standings. The Warriors host Corvallis Tuesday, and then West Albany on Friday. Both games are at 5:30 p.m.
“The best of our schedule is here, so we just need to play our best ball of the season and see how it ends,” Coach Casey VandenBos said.
Against a pesky Dallas team on Feb. 10, Lebanon pulled out a 64-41 win, but it was not as easy as it looked.
“Dallas is always a tough place to play, VandenBos said. “We did what we were supposed to do and now we’re looking ahead.”
Both teams started slow and neither had an advantage early on. The hosts led 9-8 at the end of the first quarter before the Warriors got their offense going in the second quarter and outscored Dallas 20-12 to take a 28-21 lead into the locker room.
Coming out of halftime, Lebanon recommitted itself to defense and rebounding and took control of the game, outscoring Dallas 16-9 in the third to take a 44-30 lead going into the final stanza. The last quarter was much the same, as Lebanon outscored Dallas 20-12 for the final score.
The Warriors shot just well enough to secure the win – 34.4% (20/58) from the field, which included 25% (7/28) from three. Again, free throw shooting was exceptional. as Lebanon shot 80.9% (17/21) from the charity stripe. The Warriors recorded 38 rebounds and created 12 steals to help secure the victory.
Three major contributors helped secure the win: Logan Large nearly recorded a triple-double with 13 points, 10 rebounds and seven steals; Gunner Miller recorded a double-double with 21 points and eight rebounds; and Ryan Robinson added 14 points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists.
– Mike Warner
Sweet Home’s boys fall to Philomath, beat Stayton
Sweet Home split a pair of games last week, losing to No. 7 Philomath, 63-49 on Tuesday, Feb. 10, then bouncing back with an overtime thriller on the road over No. 14 Stayton, 53-50 Friday, Feb. 13.
Against Stayton, Ruben Reyes tied the game for the hosts at 48-48 with 12 seconds left in regulation. Sweet Home’s Mason Tyler had an open look from three to win it at the buzzer, but missed, sending the game to overtime.
In the extra period, Bradyn McClure gave the Huskies a 50-49 lead with two minutes remaining. Tyler later converted a layup to push the advantage to three with 30 seconds left. A free throw from each side in the closing moments sealed the 53-50 win for the Huskies.
Kellen Hartsook scored 20 points, with Mason Tyler adding 15.
Coach Drew Emmert pointed to the team’s composure, in their win.
“The message going into OT was just to regroup and go get it. We knew they wouldn’t give it to us. I told them to focus on getting stops and play together on offense,” Emmert said.
He also praised individual efforts down the stretch.
“Mason has been resilient offensively all year, so it was fun to see him come up big in OT. Bradyn was solid again for us. The other teams key in on him, so it really opens up things for our other guys as well.”
At home against Philomath on Tuesday, the guests shifted into a 1-3-1 press early in the second half, a move that disrupted Sweet Home and helped swing momentum, leading to the 14-point loss.
McClure finished with a game-high 22 points, shooting 60% from three on five attempts and going 4-for-8 inside the arc.
Tyler added eight points, while Hartsook contributed an efficient seven points on just four shots.
Coming into this week, the Huskies are fourth in a tight Oregon West Conference race – every spot is one point away from the one below or above it, with Philomath leading at 6-1 and Sweet Home at 3-4 after the win over Stayton.
Looking ahead, Emmert stressed staying focused as the postseason picture develops.
“They aren’t doing play-ins this year. Sixteen total teams get in. We need to just keep taking it one game at a time and control what we can control.
“Right now, that’s preparing for North Marion on Tuesday. )The Huskies to the north were 1-6 coming into this week.)
“In our league, everyone can beat anyone, so we’re just focusing on one game at a time. It should be an exciting finish and I think we are peaking at the right time.”
Sweet Home will hold its Senior Night at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, hosting No. 4 Newport. This shapes up to be a tight and competitive game that could have huge playoff implications.
– Keeghan Gittins
Husky girls fall to top-10 teams
The Sweet Home girls basketball team lost both their games last week, falling 50-25 to No. 8 Philomath on Feb. 10, before losing 57-29 to No. 2 Stayton.
Against the Eagles, Stayton connected on 12 three-pointers, with Makenzie Schacher going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc.
“Stayton shoots at an unreal percentage from beyond the arc,” Coach Erika Evans said. “ We worked hard to defend the three better than our first matchup, and we did a lot better at it.”
Sweet Home had had its own sharpshooter, as Taylor Gaskey connected on three three’s.
Despite the final score, Sweet Home showed flashes of strong play.
Aaliyah Brown led the Huskies with 11 points and six rebounds, continuing her steady offensive stretch, while Brooke Elder contributed 10 points on 40% shooting.
“A big takeaway this game was how well the girls celebrate each other,” Evans said.
“In moments where they were struggling, the thing that pulled them out of it was making their focus external and supporting their teammates.”
Evans also noted improvement in defending Stayton’s perimeter shooting compared to the teams’ previous meeting.
“Aside from a few communication breakdowns, I thought we did a good job pressuring the outside shot.
“We competed similarly in most stat categories, the only big difference being field goal percentage,” Evans said. “The second quarter there was a lid on our basket, but we only had two turnovers that quarter and we were taking all of the right shots.”
Evans also highlighted individual growth, particularly from Brown, who has been expanding her offensive game.
“Aaliyah has been working on both her inside game and three-point shot.”
Looking ahead, the Huskies’ focus remains on sustaining their level of play for a full game.
“We need to be able to play at the elite level we have been showing for the first three quarters and continue it into the fourth quarter,” Evans said.
Sweet Home, 1-5 coming into this week, sits ahead of Newport in the OWC standings. The Huskies will host Senior Night at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20. They don’t play Tuesday because North Marion discontinued its varsity girls team this season.
They will then travel to Cascade on Tuesday, Feb. 24 to finish OWC play, before hosting Madras at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, in a nonleague game that was rescheduled from earlier this season.
– Keeghan Gittins
Eagle girls positioned for playoffs after double win
East Linn’s girls finished the final week of their Valley Coast Conference schedule with a pair of wins, over Monroe (51-20) and on the road at Waldport (51-44) last week.
At home Tuesday, Feb. 10, against Monroe, the Eagles honored their seniors before going to work on the visitors.
“We had the honor of dedicating the night to Bailey Kramer, Lexy Kauffman, and Bella Albert,” Coach Sierra Carrier said. “From the start of the game our energy was high; they wanted to make it a special last night on our home floor.”
Junior Audrey Garber led East Linn with 11 points, three rebounds and four steals, while Kramer added 10 points, eight rebounds and three thefts, and Maya Van Dyke finished with 10 points, five boards and eight steals. Kauffman, in her last regular-season home game, had six points, four rebounds and seven steals for the hosts.
“Audrey had a hot shooting night,” Carriers said. “She found the corner open in Monroe’s defense and ran with it. Bailey was on top of rebounding to help us gain a fairly large lead against Monroe. It was a special and unforgettable night.”
Things were a little tougher on the road at Waldport Friday.
“We started this game with low energy,” Carrier said. “ I’m not sure if it was our emotions starting to set in, the two-hour drive, or maybe because it was a rainy day.
“This is the time of year where teams stick together like glue or crumble apart, and I made that very clear to my girls at halftime. They had one more half before we entered into the league playoffs for them to show me and everyone else watching that we are the team you should worry about.
“That lit the fire and we took off in the second half, sealing our last regular-season win.”
Kauffman led the team with 14 points, six rebounds and three steals, while Van Dyke had 13 points, nine boards, four steals and three assists. Kramer added nine rebounds and Modderman six rebounds.
The league playoffs start for the girls (7-3 in VCL play) on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 6 p.m. at Central Linn (8-2), the No. 2 VCL finisher. The winner of that game will play at Crosshill Christian (9-1).
– Staff
ELCA boys undefeated in Valley Coast League
East Linn’s boys finished the VCL basketball season 10-0 after wins at home against Monroe (72-40) on Tuesday, Feb. 10, and at Waldport (75-52).
Prior to dispatching Monroe, the Eagles said goodbye to seniors Bain Pool, Brison Edwards, Gracen Christenson and Owen Nofziger on Senior Night.
The Eagles are ranked No. 8 in the 2A and will host the winner of the first-round playoff matchup on Thursday, Feb. 19, between Crosshill Christian (8-2) and Toledo (5-5). That game is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 21, at 3 p.m.
They tuned up with a nonleague matchup on the road at Days Creek, the No. 9-ranked team in the 1A Division, winning 58-43.
– Staff