Looking At 1A’s Round One Basketball Games

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The OSAA state basketball tournament officially kicks off Tuesday, Feb. 22 with a slew of round one games in the 1A division. Eastern Oregon is well represented both on the boys’ and girls’ side.

The Trinity Academy boys travel to Ione/Arlington on Tuesday with a 6 p.m. (PT) start time in Ione. The Cardinals were on their way to a perfect season before dropping a heart breaker, 40-42, to South Wasco County in the finals of the Big Sky District Tournament. Ione/Arlington finished the year 19-1 and are currently ranked seventh in the OSAA poll. Trinity Academy visits from the Valley 10 League with an ending record of 13-8 and an OSAA ranking of 27th. The Thunder won three of their last six games to finish the season.

Condon will cruise into Powder Valley on Tuesday, also with a 6 p.m. (PT) start time. The Badgers were on the receiving end of an upset in the Old Oregon League tournament, falling to Nixyaawii, 51-59, in the finals. Even with the loss, Powder Valley remains the second-ranked 1A team in the state with only the upset loss to the Golden Eagles and an early season loss to Adrian blemishing their record. Condon marches in after a third place showing in the Big Sky League and a record of 15-6. The Blue Devils, ranked 13th in the final OSAA poll, won two of their last four games.

Two teams with a history will take the court on Tuesday in Adrian. In the opening game of the season, the Antelope boys beat Cove, 43-25 on Dec. 3 at the Union Lion’s Tournament. The Antelope boys went on to a second-place finish in the High Desert League, a 21-5 record and a ranking of eighth. The Leopards finished third in the Old Oregon League with a 12-10 record and a 32nd place ranking. Cove beat Joseph in the Old Oregon League tournament to qualify for the state playoffs. The rematch between the two teams is Tuesday at 6 p.m. (MT).

The Prairie City boys are on the road to Trinity Lutheran on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. (PT) game. The Panthers knocked off Jordan Valley in the High Desert League Tournament to qualify to play Trinity Lutheran. Prairie City finished the season with a 16-9 record and a ranking of 16th. Trinity Lutheran finished the season second in the Mountain Valley League with an identical record of 16-9 and a ranking of 20th. Trinity Lutheran won their final seven games before falling to Rogue Valley Adventist Academy in the league playoffs.

The girls hit the court on Wednesday. The Cardinal girls of Ione/Arlington will host North Clackamas Christian in Arlington starting at 6 p.n. (PT). Ione/Arlington placed second in the Big Sky League after a 24-58 loss to Echo in the finals. The Cardinals are 15-5 for the season and ranked 12th. Their opponents, the Saints of North Clackamas Christian, finished the season 13-9 and a ranking of 15th. The Saints won two their last four games.

Trout Lake will be in Powder Valley for a 6 p.m. (PT) game on Wednesday. The Lady Mustangs are on the road after a third-place finish in the Big Sky League to go with a 11-3 overall record and a ranking of tenth. Trout Lake fell to Echo in the opening game of the Big Sky Tournament before bouncing back and downing South Wasco County, 44-38. The host Badgers finished second in the Old Oregon League behind champion Nixyaawii. Powder Valley finished the season 14-11 with a ranking of 24th, winning six of the final seven games.

The Lady Mustangs of Jordan Valley will host Wallowa on Wednesday starting at 6 p.m. (MT). Jordan Valley ended the season with a 22-5 record, with four of those losses coming to the top ranked team in the state, the Crane Mustangs. The other loss came at the hands of Country Christian. Wallowa rolls into Jordan Valley with a 16-8 record and a third place showing in the Old Oregon League. Currently ranked 14th in the state polls, the Cougars fell to Jordan Valley on Dec. 4, 27-58.

The first round of the 1A playoffs wrap up with a game pitting visiting Prairie City on the court at Rogue Valley Adventist Academy on Wednesday starting at 4 p.m. (PT). The Panthers, 13-10 on the year and ranked 20th, finished third in the High Desert League. Prairie City finished the season strong, winning three of their last four with the lone loss coming at the hands of Jordan Valley. Their opponents, Rogue Valley Adventist Academy, is ranked 13th in the state polls with a record of 18-4. The Hawks were on a nine-game win streak before falling to Trinity Lutheran in the finals of the Mountain Valley League tournament.      

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