In what’s becoming their typical exciting, nerve-racking style, the HRV boys basketball team defeated the Pendleton Buckaroos 77-67 at home last Friday to open the regular season.
Stumbling at the start, the Eagles struggled to score against Pendleton’s tough zone defense. A lack of drives and some cold shooting, combined with the inability to stop the Buckaroos’ offense, saw HRV trailing by double digits through the first half. HRV and Pendleton have a competitive history, with an unofficial rivalry formed between them. That rivalry was showcased in the second quarter when players began taunting and talking to one another, to the point where officials stepped in and mitigated the tension.
“It was good competition, that’s all,” said senior Carson Flores on the trash talking between teams.
If anything, that tension fueled both teams in the second half, more determined than ever to best one another. Hood River was down 38-28 when the third quarter began, and opened with a 15-7 run to bring the game back within two. It was night and day to watch; the Eagles were driving to the basket, hitting deep threes, forcing turnovers and finishing on fast breaks. The Buckaroos simply couldn’t get their bearings in the third quarter, and it showed as HRV was up 55-51 going into the fourth.
“We know what we do wrong and it’s a matter of adjusting and stepping up,” said junior Noah Webster. “Tonight we did that.”
Both teams tightened considerably in the final quarter, as nerves set in and the score stayed close. Hood River continued to push on offense, and had some unbelievable plays down the stretch to help hold off Pendleton’s final push. Their halftime adjustments continued to shine through as they forced more turnovers and became more patient on offense, burning the clock and getting good shots.
“Good teams are willing to make adjustments to win a game and this team did just that,” said coach Chris Dirks. “We were out there playing for each other and communicating with each other.”
Two plays stood out in the last few minutes; two scores that cemented the Eagles’ win and drained Pendleton of any remaining hope. The first came from Flores, dubbed “sticks” by fans for his #11 jersey, who finger-rolled a layup under and around the bodies of two Pendleton defenders in true Dr. J fashion. The second from senior German Diaz, who made a clutch and-1 layup with less than two minutes left.
“I told the guys no matter what happens, we’re going to outwork this team and I think we did that,” said Diaz.
Hood River ran down the last minute with perfect free throw shooting and smart passing, halting any chance for Pendleton to come back. It wasn’t an easy game for any Eagles fan to watch, especially the first half, but it was exciting to the finish. Lead scorers for Hood River were Flores with 25, Webster with 22 and Diaz with 16. With a clean 1-0 start to league play, the Eagles head to Ridgeview this Friday.
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