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Sports Growl-less: Tigers' season ends
Growl-less: Tigers' season ends
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 SEASON OVER: Senior Megan Bedard scored nine points Tuesday. - Observer photos/PAUL HARDER Stayton held off the Tigers’ charge to win 29-27 Tuesday. The Eagles won the Class 4A state championship in 2007, and returned four role players in 2008. Nervous excitement by La Grande sent errant passes all over the court in the first half. “The girls were very excited to be playing in the state playoffs,” Tigers head coach Jim MacKay said. “About 90 percent of the turnovers were jitters and trying to do too much with the ball.” Stayton’s first half consisted of quantity, not necessarily quality. Junior Kelsey Atkins started a 3-point run late in the first quarter. Atkins first shot from behind the arc pulled the Eagles into the lead, 7-5. The second quarter opened with Atkins connecting again. Sophomore Molly Vreeken knocked down two 3-point baskets, giving Stayton three field goals in the second quarter for nine points. La Grande had no answer — and no offense in the first half. Britanni Good’s basket amounted to the lone field goal in the second quarter. Rallying behind senior Megan Bedard, La Grande got up and dusted itself off. Defense marked the path back into the game. The Tigers switched to man-to-man defense. Shots from behind the arc stopped falling for Stayton, and the Eagles had no answer for Bedard under the basket. The 6-foot post sent shots away like a hiker swatting mosquitoes. She lost layers of skin diving for loose balls, grabbed every rebound bouncing her way — and a few that didn’t. “This was supposed to be a stepping stone for us,” Bedard said. “Our goal was to get back to state. Everyone put all their energy into this game. You can’t ask for more than that.” Winning the battle for loose balls translated into a 10-3 run in the third quarter, and pulled the Tigers to within two points, 19-17. Bedard scooped up a steal by Good with 3:32 left in the game. The shot fell through cylinder knotting the score 25-25.
 STAYTON SANDWICH: Britanni Good (left) and Cory Tooke (No. 23) scramble for a loose ball in the Tigers’ 29-27 loss Tuesday. - Observer photos/PAUL HARDER An unnecessary foul sent Atkins to the free-throw line — and she hit them both. Good answered with a coast-to-coast lay-in. Following a missed basket with less than a minute to play, the Tigers fouled again. “It wasn’t our plan,” MacKay said. “We wanted to play tough defense, but pushed that line too far.” Time expired when La Grande failed to foul in the final five seconds trailing by two points. “That’s an instinct thing,” MacKay said. “It’s got to happen right away. We didn’t do it. I’m incredibly proud of these girls. They fought back against a very good team.” Good led the Tigers with 11 points. Atkins paced Stayton with 14 points.
Pynch 0 0-3 0, Garrison 0 2-6 2, Braun 0 2-2 2, Vreeken 1 3-4 5, Atkins 4 4-5 14, Mack 2 0-0 6, Wistock 0 0-0 0. Totals 7 11-20 29. LA GRANDE (27) Good 5 1-2 11, Mitchell 1 0-0 2, Pettey 2 1-1 5, Mitchell 0 0-0 0, Jenkins 0 0-0 0, Tooke 0 0-0 0, MacKay 0 0-0 0, Bedard 3 3-3 9. Totals 11 5-6 27. Stayton 7 9 3 10 – 29 La Grande 5 2 10 10 – 27 3-point goals: Stayton, Mack 2; Atkins 2; LG, none. |
