March 13, 2014

By Cliff Richardson

McKenzie Varsity Sports Schedule This Week

The McKenzie High School Athletic Department will host the 2014 Winter Sports Awards Program on Tuesday, March 11 with at the High School cafeteria with the event scheduled for 6:00 pm.

Mt. West League Update

The Triangle Lake Girls Basketball team defeated Prairie City in their OSAA Quarter-Final game held at Baker City on Wednesday, March 5. The Lakers won 44-40 led by their standout Mt. West League Player of the Year, Kianna Brown. Brown scored 29 pts. and grabbed 15 rebounds. Prairie City was paced by their standout, Amy Black, with 21 pts. and 10 rebounds. The Lakers lost to Damascus Christian, 62-38, in their Semi-Final game on Friday, March 7. Triangle Lake next faced St. Paul in the 3rd/5th place game on Saturday, March 8. The Buckaroos of St. Paul, coming off a qualifying second round victory over McKenzie, surprised Dufur in the Quarter-Finals, upending the Rangers 42-33 but then lost their Semi-Final game to Condon/Wheeler, 62-20. Triangle Lake and St. Paul battled even through the first quarter, both teams scoring 13 pts., and the Lakers held a slim five pt. margin, 29-24 at the half. St. Paul came out in the third quarter defensively holding Triangle Lake to just 3 pts. while scoring 10 pts to take the lead going into the fourth quarter, 34-32. The Buckaroos held on to win the game, 46-45, and claim the third place trophy. Triangle Lake (24-6) earned the fifth place trophy. The Lakers Kianna Brown led all scorers with 30 pts., had 10 rebounds and was an unanimous First Team All Tournament Selection. Condon/Wheeler defeated Damascus Christian, 57-52, for the State Championship.

Triangle Lake’s Boys Basketball team dropped its first Quarter-Final game at Baker City to Columbia Christian, 97-38. The Lakers were down 60-16 at halftime in the loss. Triangle Lake was led by sophomore Carson Wynn, who scored 10 pts. The Lakers subsequently lost its next game in the Consolation Semi-Finals to Ione, 92-84. Chad Steinhauer scored 25 pts. and Chase Parker, 22 pts. to lead the Lakers against Ione. Triangle Lake’s 2014 season ended with a fine 25-5 overall record. Columbia Christian defeated Horizon Christian, Hood River, 68-49, to earn the State Championship.

Alumni Update

Karissa Harbick, class of 2012, and a sophomore playing basketball for Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls will travel with the No. 18 ranked Hustlin’ Owls to the Tyson Event Center in Sioux City, Iowa to participate in the 2014 NAIA Division II Women’s National Basketball Championship. OIT’s first round opponent on Wednesday, March 12 is 15th ranked Purdue Calument (Indiana). Purdue Calument enters the Tournament with a 24-6 overall season record while the Hustlin’ Owls are 28-5. OIT earned an automatic bid into the Tournament by winning the Cascade Collegiate Conference.

Jordan Wiley, class of 2012, and a sophomore playing basketball at Western Oregon University (NCAA Division II) started all of his 30 games this season and helped the Wolves clinch a berth in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament. In the opening round, fifth-seeded Western Oregon upset fourth-seeded University Alaska Anchorage, 94-88, to advance to the Semi-Final round versus top ranked Seattle Pacific. The Falcons ended the Wolves season (18-12) by defeating Western Oregon 73-57. Against UAA, Wiley broke the Tournament record for 3 pt. shots made by an individual with 7 made. Wiley also scored a season and career high of 24 pts. in the game.

McKenzie River Reflections