Huskies break two-year league drought
Sweet Home’s boys earned their first league win in two years, snapping a five-game losing streak with a 62–49 victory over North Marion on Tuesday, Jan. 27.
Mason Tyler scored 13 points and went 11-for-11 from the free throw line in the win, which came after the Huskies lost their previous two games by a combined nine points.
Bradyn McClure led the team with 14 points, while Kellen Hartsook added 12 in a balanced overall team win.
“It was good to get the win versus North Marion, we needed to get that one,” said Head Coach Drew Emmert.
“We didn’t shoot very well from the field, but defended well and shot great from the free throw line,” he added.
“I was proud of our effort for 32 minutes and our composure.They had multiple intentional fouls and techs and we kept our head.”
On Friday, the Huskies lost 69-43 on the road at No. 3 Newport.
McClure was unavailable after suffering an ankle sprain in practice, and Daniel McCubbins also did not play.
“Going into the Newport game without two starters in Bradyn McClure and Daniel McCubbins is tough,” Emmert said. “We knew we would have to play great to compete, which we did for a half.”
In McClure’s absence, Damon Lawrence got the start, scoring a personal-best 11 points.
Mason Tyler finished with 15 points, shooting 3-for-7 from three-point range and 2-for-5 from the field.
The game remained close in the first half before Newport pulled away in the second.
“In the second half we got into foul trouble and they put together a big run and we didn’t slow them down,” Emmert said.
Tyler has been a consistent contributor during league play.
“Mason has been huge for us in league,” Emmert said of the sophomore. “He is shooting the ball well and leading us on both ends.”
Sweet Home, 1-3 in the Oregon West Conference and 6-11 overall coming into this week, hosts Cascade (1-3, 7-7) Tuesday, Feb. 3, in the Huskies’ only action this week. They host this week’s league leader Philomath on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
– Keeghan Gittins
Girls even overall record with win over Newport
Sweet Home’s girls beat Newport on the road 37-25 on Friday, Jan. 30, to even their season record at 7-7 and take a 1-2 league mark into this week’s action.
Newport was the Huskies’ only game due to North Marion’s dropping its girls varsity team this year.
Sweet Home will also have only game this week, due to the scheduled bye. The Huskies will be at home against league-leading Cascade, ranked No. 7 and 3-0 after completing the first half of the season. Game time is 7 p.m.
Against the Cubs, Aaliyah Brown led Sweet Home with 16 points, going 5-12 from the field and 6-11 from the free throw line.
Addy Vanice and Brooke Elder combined for 11 steals, six of those coming from Vanice.
SH Unified team downs Newport
Sweet Home’s Unified basketball team notched its first win of the season Friday, Jan. 30, on the road at Newport, coming away with a 48-39 win.
That game was the mid-point of the Huskies’ 2026 season, in which they are 1-3. Up next is a road game at Sutherlin on Feb. 4, followed by a home game against Philomath at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10.
East Linn’s girls came away with a split last week in Valley Coast Conference action after losing a close game, 49-44, at No. 6-ranked Crosshill Christian Friday, Jan. 30, then recovering at home the next night to down Waldport 59-43.
Crosshill, Coach Sierra Carrier said, “was another very tough game but we took a lot from this one to work on and perfect, these last two weeks of the season.
Lexy Kauffman led the Eagles with 16 points and eight rebounds, along with two steals, while Maya Van Dyke contributed 11 points, six boards and six steals.
Hosting Waldport, East Linn took charge, clearly not happy with the loss the previous night, Carrier said.
“We were all over the boards, running the floor, adjusting,” she said. “They showed up hungry and ready to play.”
Three Eagles finished with double-doubles: Van Dyke (15 points, 10 rebounds), Maci Modderman (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Bailey Kramer (11 points, 12 rebounds).
Carrier noted that those three have posted double digits in those categories “multiple times” this season.
East Linn, 4-2 in VCC play coming into this week and 10-10 overall, hosts Toledo Tuesday, Feb. 3, and visits Central Linn on Friday, then hosts Oakland in a non-league contest Saturday, Feb. 7.
East Linn boys continue to roll
East Linn’s boys edged Crosshill Christian 58-56 on the road Friday, Jan. 30, then walloped Walport in 66-47 at home Saturday.
Game details were not available at press time.
Warriors swamped by West Albany
Lebanon swimmers fell to West Albany Tuesday, Jan. 27, 95-74 on the boys side and 98-68 on the girls.
“West Albany is one of the powerhouses of our league, said Coach Joe Andrews. “They have had a very consistent club program which feeds a steady stream of high performers into the program along with an extremely well-run high school team.”
But his Warriors greatly improved their performance from last year, the girls improving the point spread by 53 and the boys by 47 points from last year’s scores, he said.
“Our students showed the work they have put in this year by how much they closed the overall points spread over last year,” he said, noting that the Warriors posted a “significant number of personal bests.”
“We did a ton of things right at this meet, and still have a lot of potential for continued improvement.”
Winners for Lebanon’s girls were Brooklyn Davis in the 200 Individual Medley (2:45.24); Orianna Buczko in the 100 Freestyle (59.03); and Molly Basting in the 100 Backstroke (1:13.40). Boys placing first were Boston Borgmann in the 50 (24.03) and the 100 freestyles (54.89), and Grant Basting in the 100 Butterfly (1:03.03).
Also winning were the girls 400 Freestyle Relay team of Buczko, Brooklyn Davis, Samantha Walsh and Basting (4:25.55).
“We had some dynamite swims by Orianna in the 100 Free, and Molly in both her events, which positioned them well to make a bid for qualifying for state in a few weeks,” Andrews said. “On the boys side, our distance crew of the Bloedel brothers and Alex Kolling are just killing it and continuing to drop time.”
Lebanon swimmers posted 27 personal bests, Andrews reported, as well as several relay-leg PRs.
“We are quite impressed with the amount of personal bests that are coming in,” he said. “The bulk of the hard work has been done and now it is down to the final refinements.”
This week the Warriors host their last home meet, against Crescent Valley.
“Crescent Valley will be just as tough this week to close out our dual-meet season,” Andrews said. “CV has some real firepower at the top end. Our students will have another challenge this week as we narrow down who is going to swim what at the District Championships a week after that dual.”