Local roundup: Inners’ buzzer beater powers Hermiston past Wa-Hi

Published 10:30 pm Monday, January 22, 2024

Hermiston's Isaac Corey (0) brings the ball downcourt as he is pressed by a Walla Walla defender on Jan. 22, 2024, at the Dawg House.

HERMISTON — For the second time in three games, Aspyn Inners hit the game-winning basket at the buzzer for Hermiston.

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The Bulldogs trailed 53-52 in the waning seconds against Walla Walla on Jan. 22, before Inners hit a two-foot shot for a 54-53 Mid-Columbia Conference win.

Inners hit the game-winning shot against Kennewick on Jan. 16.

“That was a grinder,” Hermiston coach Jay Ego said. “The kids did a really good job of staying connected. They are finding their confidence right now. Walla Walla is a good team. It’s nice to get them after getting beat pretty good (68-49) at their place.”

The Bulldogs (5-7 MCC) led 17-16 after the first quarter, but trailed 31-29 at the half as Madison Reibel scored eight of her 16 points in the second quarter for Wa-Hi.

Hermiston took a 39-18 lead after three quarters, and the fourth was back and forth until Inners hit the game-winner.

Izzy Simmons led the Bulldogs with 14 points, while Inners added 12, Alexah Moreno had 11, and Lucy Teegarden 10.

Miriam Hutchens also has 16 points for the Blue Devils (7-3 MCC).

“They have done well,” Ego said of Wa-Hi. “They have a moneyball type of team. No superstars, but a good cast of players filling their roles well.”

WESTON-MCEWEN 54, GRANT UNION 15 — Freshman Charlotte Hansell had a game-high 18 points to lead the TigerScots to a Blue Mountain Conference home win over the Prospectors.

The game was close in the first quarter as W-M led 8-7 — with Hansell scoring all eight points — but the TigerScots took off from there.

W-M (16-3, overall, 3-1 BMC) went on an 18-3 run in the second quarter for a 26-10 lead at the half, and used a 22-2 scoring spree in the third to take a commanding 48-12 lead.

Brooklyn Parker added eight points for W-M, while Kelsey Graham had seven.

Rillie Mitchell led Grant Union with six points, with Emma Northway chipped in four.

ENTERPRISE 43, IRRIGON 31 — The Outlaws improve to 4-0 in Blue Mountain Conference play with a home win over the Knights.

Irrigon (2-14 overall, 0-4 BMC) had an 8-5 lead after the first quarter, but Enterprises used a 15-6 run in the second for a 20-14 lead at the half.

Nevaeh James scored eight of her 10 points in the second half as the Outlaws went on a 23-17 run to secure the win.

Ruby Chavez led the Knights with nine points, while Lizett Sanchez added eight points, and Alivia Gridley had nine rebounds and four steals.

Alex Rowley led Enterprise (11-6, 4-0) with 15 points.

NYSSA 45, UMATILLA 39 — The Vikings dropped their Eastern Oregon League opener on the road to the Bulldogs.

Nyssa (10-7 overall, 3-1 EOL) jumped out to an 18-10 lead after the first quarter, then extended its lead to 32-18 at the half.

Umatilla (5-11, 0-1) rallied in the fourth quarter to outscore the Bulldogs 14-1, but it wouldn’t be enough.

The Vikings hurt themselves by going just 14 of 31 from the free-throw line.

Alyiah Howard and Liliana Zuniga each had 10 points for Umatilla.

Clarissa Arizmendi led the Bulldogs with 12 points, while Ambrie Draper added eight.

BURNS 47, MCLOUGHLIN 31 — Ashley Wright scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Hilanders to an Eastern Oregon League home win over the Pioneers.

Burns (11-4 overall, 1-2 EOL) jumped out to a 25-16 lead at the half, and extended its lead to 37-20 after three quarters.

Madi Perkins led Mac-Hi (6-9, 1-2) with 16 points, with Caity Barnhart adding six.

Boys basketball

WALLA WALLA 55, HERMISTON 43 — A slow start hurt the Bulldogs in a Mid-Columbia Conference home loss to the Blue Devils.

Walla Walla jumped out to a 16-5 lead in the first quarter, and were able to keep Hermiston at arm’s length the rest of the night.

The Bulldogs were able to pull with four points in the third quarter before the Blue Devils went on a little run to push their lead to 39-30.

Hermiston was within 46-38 with just under 4 minutes to play, but would get no closer.

Grant Olsen led Hermiston with 17 points, while Isaac Corey, Bradley Hottman and Drake Devin each had eight points.

Ken Higgins led Wa-Hi with 16 points, with Carter Shivell adding 12.

UMATILLA 68, NYSSA 37 — Micheal Montez scored a career-high 31 points to lead the Vikings to an Eastern Oregon League road win over the Bulldogs.

After scoring two points in the first quarter, Montez scored 11 points in the second quarter as Umatilla (10-5 overall, 1-0 EOL) took a 29-14 lead at the half.

The Vikings put together a 23-13 run in the third quarter to pull away for good.

David Garcia added nine points, and Michael McGee added eight for Umatilla.

Nyssa (4-12, 0-4) got 11 points from Tony Gomeza, and 10 from Ike Walker.

BURNS 57, MCLOUGHLIN 41 — Alejandro Sandoval scored 29 points, but only two other Pioneers scored as Mac-Hi dropped an Eastern Oregon League game on the road to the Hilanders.

Sandoval scored all 13 of the Pioneers points in the first quarter as they jumped out to a 13-10 lead. Burns went on an 18-6 run in the second to take a 28-19 lead at the half.

Mac-Hi pulled with 40-34 by the end of the third, but a 17-7 run by the Hilanders was more than Mac-Hi could withstand.

Sandoval hauled down eight rebounds for the Pioneers (9-4 overall, 1-2 EOL), while Rajdeep Singh added eight points, three rebounds and two steals.

Zane Kozeni led Burns (13-2, 2-1) with 15 points, while Carson Volle added 10.

VALE 59, RIVERSIDE 44 — Cooper Cemore poured in 29 points, but it wouldn’t be enough as Pirates dropped an Eastern Oregon League road game to the Vikings.

Cemore scored 16 of his points in the first half as Riverside trailed 28-20 at the half.

The Pirates (15-3 overall, 1-2 EOL) put together a 15-11 run in the third quarter to pull within 39-35, but the Vikings got eight points each from Colten Stepleton and Diesel Johnson in the fourth quarter to pull away for the win.

Johnson led Vale (10-6, 4-0) with 19 points, while Stepleton added 14.

GRANT UNION 81, WESTON-MCEWEN 56 — The Prospectors improved to 3-1 in Blue Mountain Conference play with a road win over the TigerScots.

In a fast and furious first quarter, Grant Union jumped out to a 21-17 lead, getting eight points from Sheldon Lenz.

The Prospectors went on a 21-13 run in the second quarter for a 42-30 lead at the half. Grant Union outscored W-M 39-26 in the second half to secure the win.

Dylan Monaco led the TigerScots (7-11, 2-2) with 19 points and six steals, while Caleb Sprenger added 14 points, and Anthony Nix hauled down nine rebounds.

Baryn Huerta led GU (11-5, 3-1) with 22 points, while Talon Van Cleave added 21, and Lenz 15.

Bowling

Hermiston’s Emily Jemmett rolled a 521 at the Mid-Columbia Conference 3A district tournament at Spare Time Lanes in Kennewick to earn a trip to the 3A state tournament.

The top team (Kennewick) and the top three bowlers, not on the top team, qualified for state.

Also headed to state are Walla Walla’s Amelia Hubbard (556) and Southridge’s Sydney Golden (515).

Hermiston’s Lily Fields rolled a 509, just missing out.

Jemmett rolled a 169 in her first game, then followed with a 161, and ended the day with a 191.

The 3A state tournament is Feb. 2-3, at Bowlero in Tukwila, Washington.

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