Road trip to St. Helens gets HRV boys winning again

Hillsboro is winless in league play, while Putnam entered the week a game ahead of HRV in the win column at 3-3. Putnam, Hood River, and the rest of the nine NWOC teams are playing for four automatic berths into the Class 5A state playoffs. There also are two other statewide berths in 5A, based on the final OSAA rankings, into the 16-team 5A bracket.

The week began with top-ranked Wilsonville holding the top spot in the NWOC at 7-0. Parkrose, which defeated HRV, 52-41, on Jan. 17, and La Salle are tied for second at 5-1.

Hood River showed hints that it could be a playoff-caliber team at St. Helens. The Eagles had bursts of hot outside shooting, fueled by hustle plays at the defensive end. The host Lions led 14-13 late in the first period, when senior Isaiah Poole 22 sparked a 9-0 HRV run that ended with less than a minute gone in the second quarter. Poole’s turn-around jumper from the short corner gave Hood River the lead and he added a dribble drive layup to beat the buzzer for a 17-14 Eagle advantage.

The second quarter started with hustle plays, this time by junior guard Ethan Rivera and junior wing Sawyer Clemett. He grabbed a defensive rebound and drove the length of the floor, hesitated at the foul line, but kept going to the basket after no Lion defender stepped in to stop his dribble. A few seconds later, Rivera poked the ball away at the defensive end. Rivera outwrestled a St. Helens player for possession and tipped the ball ahead to a teammate. Senior Chris Johnson capped the secondary break with a straight-on 3-pointer prompting St. Helens Coach Maurice Williams to call a timeout.

Another Rivera hustle play on an offensive rebound led to a basket and HRV led 24-16. Rivera was at it again a short time later, forcing a jump ball and extending an Eagle possession. HRV didn’t score on the inbound play, but the tone of the game was set.

St. Helens settled down and worked its way back into the lead at 30-27. St. Helens senior guard Tyler Tolles single-handedly kept his team in the game late in the second half. He nailed his third 3-pointer of the period, seven seconds before halftime, giving the host Lions a 41-38 lead at the break.

Hood River took over the game after intermission. Two Rivera 3-pointers, a Clemett runner and a Sam Fauth layup off a dish from Zak Poole were part of the 10-0 scoring run that led to another Lion timeout with the Eagles leading 48-41. Isaiah Poole later found Aiden Smith for a wing 3-pointer and Clemett converted another dribble drive to close the quarter with HRV ahead, 60-46.

St. Helens would get no closer in the closing quarter. A highlight of the final period was Isaiah Poole’s transition alley-oop pass to Clemett, who converted the layup slashing from the right wing, enabling HRV to match its largest lead, 69-50.

Parkrose exploited its quickness against Hood River in the NWOC game Jan. 17. The Broncos played the passing lanes to perfection, which led to steals and breakaways at the other end. Parkrose led by 10 in the second quarter and early in the third, but HRV fought back both times. Clemett’s follow shot pulled the Eagles within 34-31 at the 2:25 mark of the third period.

Parkrose built its advantage to 41-31 in the fourth and HRV could get no closer than six the rest of the way, that coming after Isaiah Poole’s 3-pointer made the score, 42-36.