Dufur senior Jacob Brown (14) wins the tipoff versus Union’s Landon Fratzke (1). Brown and the Rangers will play top-seed Mannahouse Academy on March 6 at Baker High.
Dufur's Jacob Brown (14) fights through the Union defense.
Sarah B. Anderson Photography
Dufur senior Jacob Brown (14) wins the tipoff versus Union’s Landon Fratzke (1). Brown and the Rangers will play top-seed Mannahouse Academy on March 6 at Baker High.
Sarah B. Anderson Photography
Dufur senior Nolan Cates (4) scores a layup.
Sarah B. Anderson Photography
Brown (14) drives baseline looking for a lane to the basket.
DUFUR — None of Dufur High’s boys basketball players remember the last time the school qualified for the Class 1A state basketball tournament — none were born yet.
They’ll have their chance at some memories this week when the Rangers return to Baker City to the eight-team tourney for the first time since 2004. Dufur qualified with a second-round playoff win March 1 over visiting Union (21-7), 54-50. The Rangers were led in scoring by Jacob Kent’s 18 points; teammate Jacob Brown added 13.
Sherman County also qualified for the state tourney (see related story). This is the first time that the Big Sky Conference will have two boys team in the final eight since 2019, when Sherman and Horizon Christian qualified.
The No. 8 seed Rangers (22-6), coached by Hollie Darden, will face top seed Mannahouse Academy (26-3) of Portland in the quarterfinals at 1:30 p.m. on March 6. Mannahouse defeated Dufur, 71-21, on Dec. 23.
The Rangers have come a long way since that contest, which was the start to a three-game losing streak. For one, they’ve learned how to close out games.
The back-and-forth contest against Union had five lead changes in the first period and 13 overall. Despite that, Dufur led at the end of each quarter.
Union’s biggest lead came in the third period, when the Bobcats twice led by five, 37-32 and 39-34. But Dufur closed each time, the second spurt a 6-0 run that included an offensive rebound and putback by Kent, and two baskets inside from Klayton Schanno.
Union wouldn’t go away, mostly because of junior guard KJ Klebaum. He scored all of his team’s 11 fourth-quarter points. His three free throws erased a 42-41 deficit and his 3-pointer with less than three minutes remaining tied the game at 47.
But once again, Dufur responded. Kent hit a 3-pointer with 2:22 remaining and Brown made 4 of 6 free throws in the final 33 seconds to ice the game.
Klebaum led all scorers with 21 points. Dufur also received nine points from senior Nolan Cates and eight from younger brother Bryson. The freshman made two deep 3-pointers, each of which gave Dufur the lead at the time — including an NBA-range bomb from the left wing to push the Rangers in front, 47-44, with 3:28 to play.
Dufur advanced to the second round with a come-from-behind, 56-51, home win over Chiloquin (14-11) in the first round on Feb. 26. The host Rangers trailed most of the game before easing ahead in the fourth period. Brown was 4-for-4 from the line in the final 35 seconds to help seal the win.
Dufur took the lead for good, 45-43, 15 seconds into the final period on Jake Fargher’s shot from close range. A Bryson Cates steal led to Fargher’s up-and-under basket a short time later which pushed the Ranger advantage to 50-44. Cates assisted on a flex cut and layup from Jacob Kent which made the Dufur lead insurmountable at 52-47.
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