Trout Lake, South Wasco advance in 1A girls basketball playoffs

“This was a great win for our team; we played excellent defense, and we had some key contributions by a number of girls,” said Anderson. “Willa McLauglin (20 points) and Gabby Basch (three points) had strong defensive games. Nancy Painter had her best game of the year. She didn’t score any points, but she played tenacious defense and had five steals.

 “The girls are playing well right now and are really coming together as a team. Damascus Christian will be tough, but we’re looking forward to having another playoff game.”

In the very close contest, the Mustangs led 15-13 after one quarter and it was knotted 24-24 at halftime. The Mustangs regained a slim 33-31 lead after three quarters. Kinsley Lanz (four points) and Violette Anderson (11 points) had key baskets late in the game to help the Mustangs stay on top. Malyssa Padilla had five steals and three points.

Redsides

 The No. 9-ranked South Wasco County High Redsides (25-3) won 81-58 at home over the Adrian High Antelopes (12-15). The Redsides moved on to play a second-round contest Friday versus the No. 8-ranked Jordan Valley High Mustangs (18-6) at Jordan Valley High School.

The Redsides, guided by Coach Carly Johnson, trailed 10-2 but then responded with a 16-7 run to take an 18-17 lead after the first quarter. Led by junior Julie Hull (career high 33 points) and Big Sky League player-of-the-year Kylie Iverson (25 points), the Redsides displayed their potent offense (56 points per game average), outscoring Adrian 21-15 in the second to take a 39-32 halftime lead. Their momentum continued in the second half as they outscored the Antelopes 42-16 to pull away and get the victory.

“It was fun; we had a great game, and we were on fire at the free-throw line,” said Johnson. “It was probably the most fun we’ve had in any game this year. It just seemed like it took us about half the game to figure out how they (Antelopes) played and once we did that, then everything worked out so well for us. We had lots of steals and numerous layups in our transition game, particularly in the second half when we did that so very well. State playoff wins are huge and they’re harder than district tournament games, because if you lose, then you’re done.”

Sadie McCoy (15 points) Anabell Udey (six) and Jayda Iverson (two) also helped contribute to the Redsides’ offense. The Redsides had a season-best performance at the free-throw line in shooting 93 percent (13-for-14). The Redsides’ point total marked the third time they scored 80 or more points in a game this year.

Huskies

The No. 23-ranked Sherman County High Huskies (17-10) lost 58-35 on the road to the No. 10-ranked Prairie City High Panthers (22-5) at Prairie City High School. For the Huskies, guided by first-year Coach Joe Justesen, the loss marked the conclusion of their season, but it was a very successful year as they advanced to the state playoffs for the first time since 2018.

“They (Panthers) are a very good team for sure, but we just kind of ran out of steam,” said Justesen, whose squad traveled three and a half hours on the long road trip to Prairie City. “The girls competed very well, especially in the first half. In the second half, we just couldn’t get our shots to fall. We had opportunities to score and the girls fought to the very end and they never let up.”

Senior Natalie Martin led Sherman in scoring with 16 points and senior Morgan Geary added five points. The contest marked the final game of the Sherman County High School basketball careers for seniors Cadence Smith, Caitlyn Jauken, Martin and Geary.