The No. 5-ranked The Dalles High Riverhawks girls basketball team won their first two of 10 Tri-Valley Conference games, positioning themselves in first place in the league standings.
The Riverhawks, guided by second-year Coach Darcey Hodges, won their league opener at home, 47-36, over the Crook County High Cowgirls Jan. 17. The Riverhawks (2-0 league, 8-3 overall) followed with a 41-28 road win over the Estacada High Rangers (0-2 league, 5-8 overall) Jan. 20 for their fifth consecutive victory.
“They worked hard, and I told them from the start that it was going to be a grind and it was, because we went back and forth with them (Cowgirls) throughout the first half,” said Hodges. “We just came out in the second half and just kept kept fighting. I’ve never seen them on the floor so much chasing balls and crashing the boards for rebounds, so their overall good hustle helped us get the win over Crook County.”
The contest versus Crook County included five ties and four lead changes and The Dalles led 11-9 after the first quarter. The Riverhawks gained a 20-14 advantage in the second period when junior guard Zoe LeBreton (team-high 11 points) scored after getting a rebound and making a putback shot underneath with 2:25 on the clock. It was the Riverhawks’ largest lead of the first half.
The Cowgirls fought back and overcame a 26-20 deficit, knotting it 28-28 after three quarters. The Dalles regained the momentum in the fourth quarter while utilizing an aggressive two-three zone defense to slow the Cowgirls’ offense.
A 10-run that included a three-point field goals by junior guard Jeilana Stewart and senior guard Natash Muzechenko was capped by two LeBreton free throws, lifting The Dalles in front 38-28 with 5:39 left in the game.
“It was a really awesome win, because last year we lost twice to Crook County (51-28 and 45-24), so it was good to get out there and beat them, so that felt really good,” said Stewart. “We were focusing well on this first league game and were playing aggressively and trying to do our best.
“We’re working so hard and everything is actually paying off for us now.”
After Crook County trimmed the margin to 40-32 with 2:04 left, two LeBreton free throws gave The Dalles a double-digit lead which it maintained the remainder of the contest.
Laci Hoylman, who scored eight points, said the Riverhawks played with a positive mindset. “We’re doing really good, and it feels great having a win streak,” she said. “I think we can continue our momentum if we just keep working hard in practice every day and then our team will keep improving and getting better.”
A key highlight for the Riverhawks was their accurate free throw shooting - 12-for-14 (86 percent), which was the best in a game this season.
“We have to take advantage of every home game that we have,” said Hodges. “They’re stepping up to every challenge and they’re all working hard and that’s all I can ask for.”
In the road win over Estacada, The Dalles took a 10-5 first quarter lead and then played solid defense in the second quarter, building a double-digit, 18-8, halftime margin. The Dalles outscored Estacada 10-7 in the fourth for the final margin.
Sydney Newby (14 points) and LeBreton (10 points) led the Riverhawks in scoring.
The Riverhawks were seeking to extend their win streak to six in a row in Tuesday’s home game versus the Madras White Buffaloes (result was after the printed edition deadline). The Dalles plays its next contest at home Thursday at 6:30 p.m. against the No. 3-ranked Gladstone High Gladiators (1-1 league, 13-3 overall).
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