East Oregonian
ATHENA — A night after knocking off previously unbeaten Pilot Rock to open Blue Mountain Conference games, the Enterprise Outlaws went for an encore performance against Weston-McEwen on Saturday.
The TigerScots fell to Enterprise 50-35 for their first loss of the season.
The entire league is feeling each other out right now, Enterprise coach Mike Crawford said.
“We got Pilot Rock last night and then today to get Weston-McEwen, that’s big for us,” he said. “Going into the league season in my mind, all the obvious teams were sitting at the top undefeated. And just because they lost a game (this weekend), it’s just one game and there’s nine teams in this league this season.”
The loss for Weston-McEwen (6-1, 1-1 BMC) comes on the heels of one of the nastiest road trips of the Blue Mountain schedule. The 150-mile trip to John Day on Friday had the TigerScots bus docking back in Athena late into the night. Coupled with the draining 59-54 victory the Weston-McEwen girls experience on the court against Grant Union, the matchup with Enterprise didn’t see the TigerScots’ best.
“That’s what happens when you get home at three in the morning,” Weston-McEwen coach Amber Doremus said. “Tired bodies, tired minds.”
The fatigue showed up in 29 TigerScots turnovers.
Enterprise, a state trophy winner last season with a talented class back for another go this year, put the clamp on the TigerScots with defense. Man-to-man press defense trapped Weston-McEwen in its half of the court and forced passes filled with a little too much desperation.
“We weren’t as well prepared as a team for the pressure that Enterprise put on us,” said TigerScot Marlene Bodmer. “They’re a good team and we’re a good team, but us as a team, we just weren’t ready for it.”
The TigerScots did some thieveing of their own with 12 steals, four each from Bodmer and Taryn Coffman. Bodmer also led the TigerScots with 14 points, but the Outlaws’ defense didn’t relent even once Weston-McEwen got past the initial press. The TigerScots shot only 26 percent from the field, Bodmer just a hair below that team average.
Molly von Borstel scored seven points to back up the TigerScots, including all but one during a brief stretch at the beginning of the third quarter. Trailing 28-14, von Borstel scored six consecutive points, two baskets coming off offensive rebounds, and Weston-McEwen closed the gap to 28-22. But the second half was composed of opposing runs as the momentum ping-ponged back and forth.
Following the 8-0 run for the home team, Enterprise took off for a 13-3 streak. But then Weston-McEwen scored seven straight points to get to within nine of a tie. Not to be outdone, the Outlaws reeled off eight more to push the game out of reach with their largest lead of the game at 49-32.
The TigerScots will get another tough matchup when they return to the court next. Heppner awaits for a date Friday in Heppner before Weston-McEwen gets Elgin the following day at home.
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Contact AJ Mazzolini at [email protected] or (541) 966-0839.