Dufur boys out of district playoffs first round

The No. 20 ranked Big Sky West Division No. 2-seeded Rangers (7-2 league, 8-5 overall) lost 79-65 to the No. 22-ranked Big Sky East Division No. 3-seeded Echo High Cougars at Dufur High School.

The Rangers, guided by Coach Hollie Darden, trailed 16-14 after one quarter and then fell behind 39-27 at halftime. The Cougars’ momentum continued in the second half, when they built a 62-45 lead after three quarters.

“In the second quarter, they (Cougars) got some transition baskets, and they also made a couple of threes to get a halftime lead,” said Darden. “They got some easy lay-ins in transition, and we turned the ball over too often. They outrebounded us, too, and they shot free throws very well (10-for-16). They did the things that they needed to do to get the win. Gabe Petroff had the best game that I’ve ever seen him play in scoring a career-high 21 points. It’s a good way for him to go out as a senior by playing his best game ever.”

The contest also marked the final game of their Dufur High School career for seniors Wyatt Miller and Carson Smith. Dufur junior post Marcus Radcliffe was in double figure scoring as he had 14 points. Petroff earned a Big Sky West first team all-League award. Radcliffe and JJ Johnson earned Big Sky honorable mention awards.