Page 2B East Oregonian SPORTS Thursday, January 15, 2015 HOOPS: Collins key to Mustang attack College Basketball Continued from 1B accordingly shut the sturdy tian on Tuesday. The team’s ball player down in a pair of lone loss came to Class 3A dominant Irrigon victories. Dayton in a 69-67 nailbiter “He can have a huge impact at the Pirates gym earlier this in the game. But, we’ve got month. to get him involved early The host Mustangs are and see how Irrigon’s going atop the zon Christian on to guard him. Last year they Tuesday. The team’s lone did a great job against him,” loss came to Class 3A Day- Rosenbalm said. ton in a 69-67 nailbiter at Heppner has not beaten the Pirates gym earlier this Irrigon in its past six tries and month. no game has been closer than The host Mustangs are 12 points. atop the 2A food chain after The biggest challenge for compiling a 10-1 record to this the Mustangs and Irrigon op- point. Toledo owns the only ponents alike, has been key- Heppner defeat this season. ing in on the Knights trio of “Are we the best team in capable scorers. The loaded state? Well, I think Irrigon’s lineup includes the past two got to be the best team un- Class 2A State Players of til someone knocks them the Year Adrian Romero and off. They haven’t lost to a Anthony Landeros as well 2A team in like what two as this year’s leading scorer years?” Heppner coach Jere- Fredy Vera. my Rosenbalm said. All three are lethal perim- For Heppner to end the eter shooters, but also com- AP Photo/Jae C. Hong Knights dominance, which Southern California’s Darion Clark, center, is dou- includes just one loss in Co- petent at getting the ball to ble-teamed by UCLA’s Tony Parker, right, and Gyorgy lumbia Basin Conference the rim. Goloman, of Hungary, during the second half of an play the last 32 times out, “It’s going be a great test NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 14, it’ll need to stick to its guns, for us. It’s still early in the sea- 2015, in Los Angeles. UCLA won 83-66. Rosenbalm said. son this one game on Friday “You’re not going to stop isn’t going to decide the sea- a great basketball team like son for us,” Rosenbalm said. Staff photo by E.J. Harris Bruins blow past that, because they have so Irrigon’s A.J. Timpy (3) and Adrian Romero put pressure Not lost in Rosenbalm’s many great weapons,” he on Umatilla’s Danny Ayala on Tuesday in the Knights’ preparation for Friday is said. “Hopefully we can slow 67-34 win against the Vikings in Pendleton. the challenge that lingers a them down, but we need to day later. That’s when the rival Trojans focus on our game plan and up and drill long range shots. as well. Mustangs will travel to No. Associated Press dunked before Alford’s what we do well. We don’t The Mustangs have yet to “He’s bigger and stronger - fastbreak layup closed it want to get away from what lose with Collins’ 18 points than anyone that we’ve got. LOS ANGELES — out. we do well.” and 11 rebounds in the line- That’s to be expected. We’ve many days. The Trojans cut their This season that has been Norman Powell scored 22 up. Their defeat to Toledo played multiple games where “I honestly believe that points, Bryce Alford added feeding the Mustangs 6-foot- came with the junior in Pasa- they have bigger stronger our league could be the straight points, capped by 4 center Patrick Collins early 21 and UCLA used a 26-6 dena taking in the Rose Bowl kids than us. We just have toughest league in the state. run over both halves to put Jordan McLaughlin’s steal and often. With the big man football game. to do a good job as a group If you look at the rankings and dunk. busy at work in the paint away Southern California “You have to start with and work together and stay that’ s pretty obvious too,” 83-66 Wednesday night in UCLA kept the pressure drawing double teams, it has Patrick Collins,” Thompson together” Rosenbalm said. on with a 12-3 spurt to re- freed shooters like Logan the Bruins’ fourth straight said. “He’s a tremendous Last season it was Knight Tipoff is set for Friday at win over their crosstown gain the 18-point lead they Grieb and Weston Putman player. He’s big. He’s strong. senior Ryan Reynolds who 7:30 p.m. at Heppner High owned early in the half. the necessary room to spot rival. I think he’s pretty intelligent School. Tony Parker added 14 Powell scored six points in points and Kevon Looney the spurt. The Bruins im- had 12 points and 10 re- proved to 7-2 at Galen Cen- WRESTLING: Rockwell brothers power Pirates ter since the Trojans’ arena - opened in 2006. Continued from 1B ed title aspirations. Illinois Valley in last year’s inated the boards, 41-20, The Bruins shot 50 per- at 170 pounds. - Ridgeview. A 42-29 win over In Class 4A, Mac-Hi will and owned a 46-30 edge The Bucks could have rates enter the weekend un- in the paint, helped by the 10-0 run, bookended by Churchill highlights Hills- defeated — 120-pound soph- boro’s 12-1 dual record, and the match sewed up before season in an opening pool - 3-pointers from Alford and Swinehart takes the mat, with defending champion omore Aristotle Rockwell the Spartans’ only loss came Isaac Hamilton, built UC- to Class 6A power David though, and come into the Nikola Jovanovic scored LA’s largest lead of the half, OWC led by a strong middle- Madras. Mac-Hi was fourth Douglas. Central and Rid- In Class 2A/1A, Hep- 18-10. geview are combined 20-3 weight roster of Tristan Hol- in its pool last season. De- The Trojans answered pner’s low numbers put it at in dual meets, but many of fending champion Crook a disadvantage headed into of their last eight. Last sea- with a 17-7 spurt, includ- Ridgeview’s wins have come County and last season’s run- a pool with Lowell, Knappa son, they won just one Pac- ing eight in a row by Katin over smaller schools. ner-up La Grande will open and Redmond’s junior varsi- 12 game under new coach Reinhardt and seven from Pendleton’s key match for in the same pool. ty. Lowell was second at last Jovanovic, to take a 27-25 making a return to the quar- Churchill and Redmond in In Class 3A, Riverside year’s OWC, and defending added 11 points. lead. But the Bruins had the - Pool C, and Sandy and Crater will be tested in its pool with champion Culver will open Alford had his best tral, which boasts a strong in Pool D, are also teams that Illinois Valley, Coquille and in a pool with Hermiston’s game in a month, having 11-4 to close the half with a heavyweight roster led by se- enter the OWC with warrant- Warrenton. Riverside lost to JV. struggled offensively since scoring 23 points in a loss a 24-10 rebound edge in the against ranked Gonzaga. half. The sophomore guard came BLAZERS: End homestand, hit the road in shooting 20 percent in STANFORD 69, CAL- league play, but he hit 5 of IFORNIA 59 — Continued from 1B Los Angeles a 50-49 halftime lead. the Blazers an 85-79 lead. Los Angeles 8 3-pointers. Berkeley, Calif., Chasson and 11 rebounds and Meyers Leonard, quickly responded, going on a 10-3 run USC kept it close for Randle scored 25 points, 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Blaz- through Aldridge, who hit 10 of 16 to take an 89-88 lead with 4:32 remain- Anthony Brown made two ing on two free throws by Paul. ers. shots and scored 22 points. Portland leads the NBA in 3-point lead with 2 ½ minutes to After Crawford’s 3-pointer gave the The game remained tight through- out the third quarter, though the Clip- - go. UCLA had already held on to beat California Clippers the lead, they pulled away by pers had some success, going 8 of 23. launched its game-chang- pers never trailed. Los Angeles led 69-59 on Wednesday night. - by as many as seven points, but Port- After playing eight of its past nine ing run, though, outscoring nal 1:16. Paul went 10 of 10 at the line games at home, Portland plays three of the Trojans 11-4 to close the Stefan Nastic added 15 points and nine rebounds during the fourth. as Leonard hit two free throws with its next four on the road, at San Anto- half ahead 36-31. 1:26 remaining to tie the score at 72. nio, Memphis and Phoenix. The Blaz- The Bruins picked up quarter, and held off Portland through Aldridge scored 13 points during the ers play seven road games during the - 18 points for the surging halftime as they rode Crawford’s hot third quarter. ing off the 26-6 outburst hand. He hit two 3-pointers and scored Lillard triggered a Portland surge Portland plays at San Antonio on Fri- 10 points during second quarter to give early in the fourth, as his 3-pointer gave day.