Unbeaten Royals (26-0) seek perfection; TRC sends 3 challengers

Every year, the 2A girls basketball tournament sees the return of some familiar faces as well as newcomers to the former Phoenix Suns NBA hardcourt. This year, the Tri-River Conference sends three top ten teams in #2 Salem Academy, #5 Scio and #7 East Linn Christian Academy. Returning from last year’s tournament are # 9 Oakland (MVC #1) and #3 St. Mary’s (SCL #1). Unranked Lakeview (SCL #2) returns after a disappointing 2008 showing, while #4 Heppner represents the pride of Eastern Oregon.

Rounding out the field is unbeaten #1 Portland Christian, making an unprecedented 12th consecutive appearance at what many consider to be the best OSAA playoff venue in any classification – the Pendleton Convention Center. Join us as we preview Wednesday’s quarterfinal action here at OregonPrepSports.net.

A - #9 Oakland vs. B - #7 East Linn Christian Academy (Wed., March 3 @ 1:30 pm).

The 2010 tournament opens with a league champion with repeat Pendleton experience facing a #3 seed that some consider the favorite in this game. Simply put this game pits playoff experience versus strength of schedule.

A - #9 Oakland (20-6, MVC #1) A year ago, the Lady Oakers made their first Pendleton appearance since 1995. Like so many other teams that lacked playoff experience, Oakland dropped its first two games and was gone by lunch on day two. But if Pendleton has a history of being unkind to first-timers, it tends to treat repeat teams better. So, Oakland joins St. Mary’s and Portland Christian as the only teams returning to Pendleton from 2009.

Like St. Mary’s, the Lady Oakers return four starters from last year’s Pendleton squad that  won the Mountain View Conference regular season title and top district seed in 2010. Oakland took care of Corbett (NWL #3), 54-34, in Friday’s play-in game. Oakland averages 47.7 ppg while giving up 34.4 per game.

The Oakers compete in what many consider the weakest conference for 2A girls basketball. To her credit, coach Esther Arts beefed up her nonleague schedule with games against 3A #1 Coquille (41-65), 3A Myrtle Point (31-57) and 2A #3 St. Mary’s (32-49). Though her team lost all three of those nonleague games, those types of contests are what prepare a team for Pendleton-level competition. Officially, Oakland was 14-1 in MVC play with its only loss coming against Oakridge. However, Oakland actually lost to the Warriors twice on the court, but was credited with a 2-0 forfeit victory when Oakridge exceeded the five-quarter rule.

Coach Arts’ team is led by seniors Brittany Baimbridge (14 ppg/10 rpg), Taylor McLean (8 ppg) and junior Chelsea Spencer (11 ppg). Like the SCL, the MVC has not released its all-conference teams for 2010. However, Baimbridge (2009 MVC 1st team) is the leading candidate for MVC POY this year. Last year, Spencer earned MVC 2nd team as a sophomore, while McLean and Humphreys were honorable mention. Expect those awards to be kicked up a notch this season.

B – #7 East Linn Christian Academy (22-6, TRC #3) Last year, Nestucca (NWL #3) earned a trip to Pendleton by driving past it to defeat Union, the BMC #1 seed, in the play-in game. In 2010’s play-in game, ELCA had a similar challenge as the #3 seed from the Tri-River Conference. This time the BMC #1 seed was #5 Pilot Rock, located just minutes outside of Pendleton. And like Nestucca last year, a #3 seed came away with a road victory over the Blue Mountain Conference top seed. In so doing, the Eagles make their first Pendleton appearance since 2001 when today’s seniors were in 3rd grade.

Playing in arguably the strongest 2A league this season, ELCA finished at 13-3 in Tri-River Conference play, tied with Scio for 2nd place behind Salem Academy. But the Lady Loggers edged ELCA in the TRC district playoffs, landing the Eagles in the TRC #3 slot and the trip to Blue Mountain country.

Coach Kyle Cowan’s team features a pair of TRC 1st team selections in seniors Maurisa Bates and Hannah Whitehead. Bates leads the team in scoring (12.8 ppg), rebounds (5.7 rpg) and blocks (1.8 bpg). Whitehead averages 10.4 ppg and is second in assists at 3.9 per game. Sophomore Whitney Warren (TRC 3rd team) also averages double digits at 10.3 ppg, while sophomore Codi Shull (TRC 3rd team) leads the team in assists and 3-point shooting. As a team, ELCA averages 50.3 ppg on offense and 37.0 defensively.

KEY TO GAME: Statistically, these teams are very closely matched, including scores against common opponents. Oakland has eight seniors who were at Pendleton last year and who know the sting of being eliminated when most fans are finishing a late breakfast. The Oakers’ Pendleton experience is somewhat offset by the relative weakness of the MVC in girls’ basketball. ELCA has no relevant Pendleton experience, but proved itself in a practice run of sorts with its road victory at Pilot Rock. The Eagles are ranked higher than Oakland for a reason. But like fellow TRC team Scio, this is entirely new territory for ELCA.

*******************************************************************

C – # 5 Scio vs. D – #3 St. Mary’s (Wed., March 3 @ 3:15 pm)

This afternoon quarterfinal pits an upstart newcomer making its first playoff appearance in decades against a seasoned Pendleton squad making its third straight trip with essentially the same players. Both teams feature all-league POY guards; but the difference may come down to how well a Scio freshman post player holds up against a pair of St. Mary’s posts each with five Pendleton starts to their credit. Pendleton is seldom kind to first-time players and coaches, regardless of how well their regular season fared. Whether Scio can buck that historical trend remains to be seen.

C – #5 Scio (22-5, TRC #2) The last time a Scio girls basketball team appeared in Pendleton the first Gulf War was wrapping up, Rodney King met LAPD, The Dow closed above 3,000 for first time ever, and OSAA renamed the former AA class as “2A”. The year was 1991, before any current Scio player was born. Historically, such a long drought does not bode well for teams making a first-time Pendleton appearance in their lifetimes.

Finishing 13-3 in TRC play, the Lady Loggers posted their best season in modern school history. Scio finished in a 2nd-place tie with East Linn Christian Academy behind TRC champ Salem Academy. However, Scio captured the TRC #2 seed and advanced to Pendleton with a 64-47 first round OSAA playoff victory over DeLaSalle (NWL #2). The Lady Loggers are 18-4 against 2A teams, with all four losses coming against fellow TRC teams SAC (41-44, 50-66), ELCA (44-49), and Kennedy (46-55). Scio’s other loss came at the hands of 3A #4 Regis, 52-67, in a December nonleague game.

Tony Miller’s team is led by TRC POY senior Sami Devore (18.3 ppg), sophomore Haley Guest (11.5 ppg), and freshman post Marcy Ortiz (7.5 ppg), both TRC 2nd team picks. The Lady Loggers average 54.3 ppg, but surrender an average of 42.1 per game – the highest of any Pendleton quarterfinalist.

Though history may not be on the side of Scio as it faces a bigger and much more experienced opponent, the Logger community would love nothing more than to see its girls’ basketball team follow the footsteps of its 2009 2A football championship team. Scio last won a girls basketball title the same year Reese Witherspoon and Peyton Manning were born, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak started a new company called Apple, and a peanut farmer from Georgia was elected President. The year was 1976 when Scio defeated Dayville, 51-34, in the Class A championship game.

D – #3 St. Mary’s (21-2, SCL #1) Unlike Scio, which hasn’t been to Pendleton in the lifetime of any of its players, St. Mary’s has been making steady progress towards the 2A title game each of the last two years. The Crusaders are making their 3rd straight Pendleton appearance with essentially the entire roster back from last year’s 3rd-place team that barely missed reaching the title game when Nestucca’s Kelsea Hurliman hit a last-second shot in the Bobcat’s thrilling 47-46 semifinal victory.

In 2008, when this group was mostly sophomores and freshmen, they lost their first two games to Kennedy (35-33) and Glendale (48-44). Last year, the Crusaders built on that experience, defeating DeLaSalle 52-41 before the heart-breaking loss to Nestucca. Some observers wondered if the Crusaders would recover. That question was answered with a resounding 58-41 win over Enterprise in the 3rd-5th place game.

St. Mary’s is undefeated against 2A opponents this year, with the Crusaders’ two losses coming against 3A #4 Regis (27-49) and 3A #3 Burns (36-46) in December tournaments. The Crusaders boast 2A’s stingiest defense, which has allowed only 27.2 ppg – that’s an average of seven points allowed per period all game, every game. Offensively, St. Mary’s scores 52.4 ppg, which is a comfortable margin given the Crusaders’ defensive prowess.

St. Mary’s is led by four returning starters from last year’s 3rd place team: senior Veronica Valdez, senior Katie Bates, and juniors Dominque Valdez and Kylee Adderson. The 6’0” Bates and 5’ 10” Adderson – “The Twin Towers” – have started all five Pendleton games the past two years, while Veronica Valdez is the reigning SCL POY who earned 2nd team All-State honors in 2009. Those four veterans are joined by junior wing Abby Steinsiek, who replaced graduated Kelsey Gross in the Crusader starting lineup. [NOTE: By league rule the SCL does not release its all-league selections until after the state playoffs are completed].

While the St. Mary’s players are familiar faces to Pendleton, the Crusader’s current head coach may be familiar to those with decent memories. The past two years, St. Mary’s girls were coached by Tim Pflug, who left St. Mary’s to join the 3A Cascade Christian boys coaching staff. Taking over for Pfulg this year is Rick Jackson, who is also simultaneously coaching the St. Mary’s boys varsity team. But Jackson is hardly a newcomer to Pendleton, having earned 3rd place trophies in 2004 and 2005 as St. Mary’s boys coach.

KEY TO GAME: Can Scio handle the pressure in arguably the biggest game in school history? Scio gives up more points per game than any quarterfinalist, while St. Mary’s has yet to surrender 40 points to a 2A opponent. The Loggers’ Ortiz is an impressive freshman post, but she will have her hands full with Bates and Adderson, who have a combined 10 Pendleton starts on their resume. St. Mary’s came within a moment of reaching the 2A title game last year. The Crusaders look to take that next step against a good but relatively inexperienced Scio team.

*************************************************************************

E - #4 Heppner vs. F - #1 Portland Christian (Wed., March 3 @ 6:30 pm)

The evening quarterfinal matches the bracket’s lowest-scoring offense against the highest. Heppner averages 45.6 ppg – just about what top-ranked Portland Christian averages in the first half this season. That is not encouraging news for the Mustangs.

E – #4 Heppner (20-4, BMC #2). The Mustangs finished atop the BMC regular season standings at 13-1, but tripped up in the district playoffs, losing to Pilot Rock and thereby earning the BMC #2 district seed. The Mustangs earned their quarterfinal slot with a 66-38 road victory at Riddle (MVC #2). Heppner’s 66 points marked the first time all season that the Mustangs reached the 60-point mark on offense.  

Mark Dowdy’s team is back at Pendleton for the first time since 2008 when Heppner finished 6th. The year before, Heppner entered the tournament with high hopes, only to drop its first two games to Nestucca and Lost River. The 2007 Heppner team featured Megan Orr, Regi Seitz, Katie Kilkenny, Aftan Betsinger and was supported by legions of blue & gold fans who made the relatively short trip to Pendleton. The back-to-back losses shocked the Mustang faithful.

However, watching those two losses from the bench in 2007 was freshman Erin Price, who four years later has emerged as one of Heppner’s top players, earning BMC 1st team honors in 2010. The Mustangs are well-balanced, with at least five different players leading the team in scoring at one point this season. Price was joined on the all-BMC teams by Brynna Rust and Jessica Hughes, who each earned 2nd team honors. Torri Lovgren and Joanna Patton round out the Mustang offense, which averages 46.5 ppg, nearly 30 ppg less than Heppner’s first-round opponent.

Heppner’s four season losses have come against just two teams – fellow BMC team Pilot Rock (38-40, 33-39) and 1A #1 Imbler (34-44, 32-57). Losing twice to a 1A school might be embarrassing to some 2A schools until one realizes that Imbler (23-0) has not only twice defeated Heppner, but also owns wins over the BMC’s Union (52-44, 46-29), Weston-McEwen (48-16) and Enterprise (50-30). In many ways, Imbler is 1A’s version of Portland Christian, Heppner’s quarterfinal opponent.

F – #1 Portland Christian (26-0, NWL #1). Every year since taking over the PC girls program in 1999, Royals’ head coach Tom West has given his senior basketball players the parting gift of ending their careers on the Pendleton hardcourt. West’s career record is 287-49 and his 12 consecutive Pendleton trips are unmatched in 2A girls’ history. West’s Royals have picked up eight trophies in that stretch, including 1st (2007, 2004), 2nd (2008, 2000), 3rd (2005, 2003, 2001) and 4th (2009). Despite that success, West insists his undefeated 2010 squad is the best team he has ever coached.

The top-ranked Royals went unbeaten against the toughest 2A non-league schedule, with wins over 4A Gladstone (65-33), 3A #2 Santiam Christian (51-50, 66-47), 3A #9 Valley Catholic (63-36), 3A Horizon Christian (70-42), 3A Portland Adventist (68-38) and a pair of wins over Woodland, WA (69-56, 53-50) – a 4A size school that went undefeated in WIAA’s Greater St. Helens League. The Royals' NWL regular season record the past seven years is 94-1, with the only loss coming at Nestucca in 2007.

Averaging 75.4 ppg against all opponents, the Royals are Oregon’s 2nd-highest scoring team, behind only 6A Franklin (75.8 ppg). Most of the damage is done early and often as Portland Christian posted a 40-point first period and 62-point first half in separate games this year. PC’s 42.2 average margin of victory against all opponents is by far the widest of any Oregon school, regardless of classification. Leading this high-octane offense are three NWL 1st-team players: Seniors Kaely Maltman and Jessica Beliel and junior Brittaney Niebergall. Those three starters combine for 48.2 ppg – more than most entire 2A teams, including Heppner.

Maltman – the 2010 NWL POY – has started 110 games in her 4-year career, posting a remarkable 102-8 record as a starting player. Maltman (16.5 ppg) also has the chance to start in 12 Pendleton playoff games, dating to her first appearance in 2007. Niebergall (19.3 ppg) is arguably the best pure point guard below the 6A level. She runs the Royals’ fast break, leads the relentless PC press with 175 steals, and can score from anywhere. Niebergall shattered the school record for 3-pointers, making 61 of 182 attempts, and once scored 29 points in a first half. Beliel (12.4 ppg) is the quiet assassin, content to allow opponents to focus on Maltman and Niebergall. The senior wing set a school record this year by scoring 20 points in a first period. Perhaps more importantly, the 4-year player is West’s top defensive specialist, who often gets the assignment of shutting down an opponent’s top scorer. Like Maltman, Beliel looks to play in her 12th Pendleton playoff game this week.

KEY TO GAME: Given the BMC’s first round results, Heppner may be ill-prepared for what’s coming. Portland Christian has not been challenged at the 2A level this season. The unbeaten Royals enter this game having scored 1,957 points in 26 games and should pass the 2,000-point mark against the ’Stangs.

********************************************************************

G - Lakeview vs. H. #2 Salem Academy (Wed., March 3 @ 8:15 pm)

Wednesday’s quarterfinal nightcap features an unranked  team with double-digit losses facing a #2 ranked opponent that struggled to get past a #4 seed at home in Friday’s play-in game.  While taking nothing for granted, many fans are already looking past Wednesday’s nightcap to a much-anticipated Friday rematch of the 2008 2A girls’ finalists.

G. Lakeview (16-10, SCL #2) The Honkers return to Pendleton for the first time since 2008 when Lakeview opened the quarterfinal tournament with a loss to Portland Christian, followed by a breakfast bracket loss to Heppner the following morning. This year, unranked Lakeview draws another tough opener in #2 Salem Academy. Ironically, these same two teams took radically different paths two years ago as Lakeview was gone after two games while SAC went on to win the 2008 2A title. Next year, both schools move up to 3A.

The 2008 Lakeview squad that went 0-2 at Pendleton started a sophomore and two freshmen. Two years later, they are back as senior Kaitlin Shuffield and juniors Katie Stofleth and Kinsey Seaton. First-year coach Nichole Muller guided her team to a 2nd place finish in the SCL behind St. Mary’s, finishing 6-3 in SCL play. Lakeview is 9-4 against 2A schools, with three of those losses coming against St. Mary’s. The Honkers also lost, 50-48, to Chiloquin (which was eliminated Friday by Portland Christian, 86-39).

Playing at the comfortable elevation of 4,200 feet, Lakeview earned their quarterfinal slot with a 47-41 home victory over Union (BMC #3) Friday night. But Lakeview is only 8-8 away from home this year. That .500 record is consistent with Lakeview’s season-long scoring which produces 42.3 ppg offensively, but surrenders 40.6 ppg defensively. That narrow average margin of victory is the smallest of any Pendleton team.

H. Salem Academy (22-3, TRC #1). 2A fans who eyeballed the 2010 bracket months ago could not help but foresee a much-anticipated semifinal game between #1 Portland Christian and #2 Salem Academy. Adding to that intrigue is SAC’s 37-30 victory over the Royals in the 2008 2A title game best remembered for a lengthy stall in which PC’s Tom West lost his gamble with SAC’s Rene’ Houle. If that semifinal game materializes Friday evening few observers expect a similar 37-30 final score.

Last year, SAC failed to qualify for the OSAA playoffs after back-to-back trophy appearances in 2007 (4th) and 2008 (1st). The only current SAC player with actual Pendleton playing time is junior post Danielle Vander Stoel, a TRC 1st Team selection who averages 11.1 ppg, 12.8 rebounds and nearly six blocks per game. Vander Stoel was joined on the TRC 1st team by junior Hannah Flores (9.9 ppg), with junior Stephanie Artz (10.3 ppg) and sophomore Rachel Peters (6.8 ppg) earning 3rd team honors. Sophomore Ellie Gould (7.1 ppg) and senior Diedre Robbins (5.3 ppg) round out the deepest roster of any TRC team.

The Crusaders raced out to an early 8-0 start to the season, only to drop back-to-back home losses at its own Christmas Tournament to 3A Cascade Christian and 3A #8 Rainier. The Crusaders' only loss to a 2A team was a 51-50 home loss to #5 Scio, since avenged with two wins over the Lady Loggers.

Afer the holidays, coach Houle’s team has won 14 of its last 15 games, including a 66-50 thumping of Scio in the TRC final seeding game. With only one senior (Robbins) seeing significant playing time, this year’s SAC squad is reminiscent of the 2007 team that finished 4th before coming back with four seniors to win it all the following year. Whether SAC is the proverbial “year away” from a title is rendered moot considering this is SAC’s final year in 2A before moving up to the 3A PacWest next season. That fact only adds to fans’ anticipation for a SAC-PC rematch Friday, assuming the Royals and Crusaders win their quarterfinal openers.

KEY TO THE GAME: A first year coach versus a veteran with a blue trophy from 2008. But which SAC team will show up – the one that whipped Scio twice or the one that survived a 50-45 home playoff win over the NWL #4? With so many fans eager for a PC-SAC rematch on Friday, Lakeview’s best chance may be as an overlooked quarterfinal opponent. But unlike most teams that enjoy home court advantage, SAC has played its worst games at home (10-3) while remaining unbeaten (12-0) on the road.

***********************************************************************

All Photos by Bruce McCain

[For those who want printed copies of this article for Pendleton, just hit the printer icon at the top right of the page]