OOL title at stake when Cougars host Badgers

WALLOWA'S BEKAH JAMERSON pulls down a rebound in the Cougars' loss to Powder Valley earlier this season. Wallowa can earn a share of the OOL title with a win over the Badgers this weekend. Observer file photo

WALLOWA — After nine league games, the Old Oregon League girls basketball crown will be decided on the final day of the season — in the final game.

Fifth-ranked Powder Valley will bring an 8-1 record (16-4) to Wallowa Friday, with only a loss to Imbler marring the team's run through league play.

But the Lady Badgers needed a come-from-behind overtime victory over Pine Eagle Saturday to clinch at least a share of the league title before Friday's trip.

The Lady Cougars can claim a share of the Old Oregon League title — if they can hand the Badgers just the second league loss in the 10-game OOL season. Wallowa (7-2, 17-5) lost the chance to make this game a chance to win the title outright when the Badgers lost to Pine Eagle 44-37 on
Jan. 28 in Halfway. The Lady Cougars had beaten the Spartans in Wallowa during the first round of league play by four points, 45-41.

Wallowa had started league play strong with four straight wins and even climbed to take over the top spot in the Oregon School Activities Association's 1A girls basketball poll.

Powder Valley handed the Lady Cougars a 53-33 loss the first time the two teams met, in North Powder.

Wallowa senior Bekah Jamerson was held to just six points and five rebounds in the loss.

But the team also had other problems in North Powder, according to coach Annette Moeller.

"Powder Valley just has a great team and in the first half, they shot the lights out," Moeller said after the game. "Our girls could not make
anything."

"I'm very proud of the girls. Most of the game, they worked hard on defense and moving the ball around. We just could get nothing to drop.

"Most of our shooters — Skylar and Morgan (Waters) couldn't hit a lay in. That hurts," Moeller added, saying that the Powder Valley girls also had a big impact.

"Ali (Abrego) and Jessica (Pedro) are a force on the inside for Powder."

"It was just an off night for us. We were forcing the ball inside to Bekah, instead of going to the outside game — partly because we weren't making those shots. I think the girls just shut down once they didn't make one or two of the shots."

Once they lost their confidence in their shooting, they just kept trying to force it in to Jamerson in the middle. That would lead to intercepted passes and fast break attacks led by Powder Valley's Colton and Pedro, the Wallowa coach said. "It is hard to stop Pedro in the middle. She has got a beautiful shot."

But Colton's break aways for lay-ins and transition points also hurt Wallowa, the coach said. "She's fast."

But it was a team victory that handed the Lady Cougars the lopsided loss. "They are a good team. They knew what they wanted to do. We would adjust to their shooting inside, then they would just start shooting from the outside.

"They (Powder Valley) did a good job double-teaming her (Bekah). We only had 20 rebounds compared to our usual 30 to 40. That hurt us, not getting the second and third-chance shots," Moeller said.

Now, Powder Valley has another weapon for Moeller and the Lady Cougars to worry about — senior Jessi Stephens.

With Abrego in foul trouble most of the game, Stephens took over the game in the final minutes, helping the Lady Badgers catch Pine Eagle in the final minute of regulation Saturday to force overtime. Then she helped finished off the visiting Lady Spartans in the extra period.

In the final minutes of the game, Stephens had scored 12 of her 20-point total.

Pedro had scored eight of her 24 points in the first quarter, then burned the Wallowa defense for 10 more in the second quarter as the Lady Cougars fell behind by 20 points at halftime.

Imbler is the only league team to hand the Lady Badgers a loss this season, 39-38 in mid-January.

Since then, Powder Valley has gone on a six-game winning streak.

For the Lady Cougars, the trip to North Powder marked the first league loss, but not the last.

If Powder Valley wins Friday, the Lady Badgers have the Old Oregon League title outright. If they lose to the Lady Cougars, the two teams share the title.

If Wallowa drops Friday's game, the eighth-ranked Cougars could end up in a tie for second with 12th-ranked Pine Eagle — if the Lady Spartans can defeat the Cove Leopards at home Friday.