HOOD RIVER — Hood River Valley stayed within striking distance of the top half of the Northwest Oregon Conference with its split of two league girls basketball games this past week.
Coach Zach Pauls’ Eagles beat Centennial, 43-19, at home but lost at Putnam two days later on Jan. 22, 44-38. The split left HRV with a 2-4 NWOC record and 5-9 overall. The Eagles entered the week of Jan. 25 in a three-way tie for fifth place — one win out of fourth.
Hood River started slow against visiting Centennial on Jan. 20. The first points of the low-scoring game came five minutes into the contest on an Isa Rivera three-pointer. HRV warmed up to take an 8-2 lead after one period and expanded on that advantage to 19-7 at halftime. Rivera led a 6-0 Hood River scoring spurt early in the second quarter with a basket and later an assist on an Addi Van Metre layup.
Honey Wampler-Bryan came off the bench in the second period to score all five of her points and help the home team take control of the contest. A 7-0 run to start the third period essentially sealed the outcome for HRV. Emily Doss led Hood River with 11 points, all in the second half.
The outcome of the six-point loss at Putnam was in doubt until late, as HRV trailed 32-31 early in the final period after Van Metre scored. Putnam scored eight of the game’s next 10 points to build enough of a cushion late. Van Metre added a basket — two of her 12 points — to pull HRV within 40-35 with 2:30 left. But Putnam went 4-for-4 from the foul line to hold off the Eagles.
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