Under third-year coach Brian Stevens, The Dalles girls basketball team went 13-12 overall and added a 7-3 mark in league to earn a state sub-round qualification for the first time since the 2016-2017 season.
The Lady Hawks also beat Pendleton on the road for the first time since Feb. 12, 2014, swept two games apiece versus Redmond, Crook County and Hood River Valley, and were a win from taking second place and hosting a postseason game.
For their efforts and focus on team ball, TD had Kilee Hoylman, Rainie Codding and Jenna Miller each take home all-Intermountain Conference awards for their outstanding all-around efforts on the hardwood.
A year after posting 17.2 points, 4.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 5.2 deflections a game, Hoylman, who missed some time with a knee injury, posted a team-high 10.4 points and added 4.1 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 4.6 steals, and 7.7 deflections a matchup in 10 league tilts this past winter to earn first-team league honors for the second consecutive season.
Hoylman eclipsed 18 points in the Hawks’ road win at Pendleton on Jan. 31, reeled off 17 points to lead her squad to a 54-31 romp over Redmond, and added a pair of 15-point efforts against Crook County and Redmond.
Stevens said that each coach at the all-league meeting devised game plans to try to stop Hoylman, which is one of the biggest compliments a player can receive.
“Kilee was our team leader in most every way,” Stevens said. “When she missed two weeks, we lost two games we should have won. It wasn’t her offense as much as it was what she brings on defense. She is our best defensive player. She makes so much happen by jumping into passing lanes, pressuring full court, making her opponents uncomfortable, and in turn, the opponent is scared and throws a ball high or low and one of her teammates gets a steal.”
Codding, a standout senior inside presence, was named to the second squad after putting up an impressive statistical line of 9.1 points, 5.9 boards, 1.8 steals, .8 blocks, 1.5 assists and 2.8 deflections in 10 league matchups.
Codding notched 12 points at home versus Redmond, had 10 points at Pendleton, her season-high of 18 points in TD’s home game versus eventual league-champion, Ridgeview.
“Rainie was like our Dennis Rodman. An undersized ball of energy who outworks everyone,” Stevens said. “Her ability to get offensive rebounds over girls 4-to-8 inches taller than her is unmatched. “When we miss shots, our girls know that Rainie will be there to grab the ball and lay it in,” Stevens said.
Stevens touted Miller as the team’s emotional leader and like a team mom, she always seems to say the right things at the right moment, whether it’s a serious adjustment or a pressure situation. “She knows just what to say to make everyone laugh and relieve the pressure,” he said.
Miller developed her stroke over the last few years, which added to her ferocious defensive disposition and made enough of an impression on other coaches to snag a second team bid.
In league, the senior contributed 8.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 steals, 1.2 blocks 2.2 assists and 3.6 pass deflections a contest.
On two occasions, Miller had her rhythm flowing with 18 points apiece against Crook County and Redmond, she dropped 11 points at Crook County, tacked on a nine-point output in a game with Hood River Valley and pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds on Feb. 4 at Ridgeview.
On the season, she led with rebounding,” Stevens said. “The other coaches said they had someone spy on her at all times because they didn’t want her to be left open. Her 3-point shot can be lethal. Her ability is to always find herself around the ball and, much like Rainie, grabbing defensive rebounds over people much taller than her to help us compete and win games.”
Ridgeview’s Paige Pentzer had her name called as Player of the Year, and Alicia Love earned Coach of the Year.
On the first team along with Pentzer and Hoylman were Muriel Hoisington (Pendleton), Alaina Clark (Ridgeview) and Jenna Albrecht (Ridgeview).
Taking spots on the second team with Miller and Codding was the group of Ellie Corwin (Redmond), Sami Spriet (Pendleton), and Chloe Taber (Pendleton).
There were six IMC players scoring honorable mention awards, led by senior Grace Meyers (Hood River Valley), juniors Dallas Hutchins (Crook County), Marley Sargent (Ridgeview), Natalie Neveau (Pendleton), and Liz Barker (Crook County), and Skyla Gonzalez, a sophomore from Redmond.
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