UMATILLA – Three Umatilla starters sat out due to injuries, but two sophomores would carry the Vikings to victory.

Behind starter Steve Williams’ 21 points and reserve Nathan Creason’s 20, Umatilla scored a 67-55 victory over Weston-McEwen Tuesday night in the season opener for both teams.

“I’m so proud of my kids, it’s unreal,” Umatilla coach Tony Villanueva said. “(Weston-McEwen) has four starters back from last year, and to come out and play well against a team that was second in the Columbia Basin Conference last year, I’m really proud of them.”

Weston-McEwen led 52-51 with 5:30 left after trailing by eight points. It was the third time Umatilla had lost an eight-point lead.

Villanueva said a defensive adjustment helped the Vikings regain control of the game for good.

Travis Eastwood led the TigerScots with 15 points.

Weston-McEwen is coming off a second-round appearance last winter in the state Class 2A playoffs.

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WESTON-McEWEN (0-1) 11 18 19 7 – 55

UMATILLA (0-1) 14 21 16 16 – 67

WESTON-McEWEN – Ryan Webb 4, Calder Alford 2, Coby Jones, John Huntsman 2, Rob Duke 3, Justin Schroeder 11, Travis Eastwood 15, Shane Nelson, Josh Aldrich 10, Mike Lindell 5, Jeff Giger 2

UMATILLA – Steve Williams 21, Ruben Navarete 1, Marshall Coleman, Charlie Johnston 4, Lee Bursell 6, Irving Macias 2, Nathan Creason 20, Tim Wyland 9, Peter Stice 4

3-point field goals – Weston-McEwen 2-8, Umatilla 2-14. Free throws – Weston-McEwen 5-16, Umatilla 11-26. Fouls – Weston-McEwen 19, Umatilla 17.

GIRLS

WESTON-McEWEN 40, UMATILLA 35 – In Umatilla, the TigerScots (1-0) canned 20 of 30 free throws and pulled away from the Vikings (0-1) for a five-point victory in Umatilla coach Cindy Roxbury’s debut.

“The free throws made a huge difference,” Roxbury said. “I think we did a little too much reaching.”

Only one player on each team scored in double figures. Umatilla’s Brianne Bieren led all scorers with 13 points in the loss, while Weston-McEwen’s Kayla Turner rang up 12 points.

“Brianne Bieren had a good game under the basket,” Roxbury said.

Jessica Vandever scored three points for the Vikings, but added five assists and six steals.

Roxbury said her girls played well in her first game leading Umatilla.

“(Weston-McEwen was) competitive,” she added. “They have a history and they’re going to compete. They’re not slackers.”

Weston-McEwen followed a 2005 Class 2A championship with an appearance in the round of 16 last season. Both teams were members of the Columbia Basin (now Blue Mountain) Conference last winter; Umatilla, a CBC tournament team in February, is now in the 3A Eastern Oregon League.

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WESTON-McEWEN (1-0) 6 6 17 11 – 40

UMATILLA (0-1) 6 5 14 10 – 35

WESTON-McEWEN – Karissa Griggs 2, Jasmine Ramirez 2, Alaina Thompson 2, Noel Griggs 7, Jennifer Thul , Kayla Turner 12, Osharia Sampson 9, Nicole Zeller 1

UMATILLA – Aleah Phillips 4, Brianne Bieren 13, Daniela Campos 8, Ashley Borden 1, Miranda Lindquist 2, Jessica Vandever 3, Kelly Hodges 4

3-point field goals – Weston-McEwen 2, Umatilla 1. Free throws – Weston-McEwen 20-30, Umatilla 6-12. Fouls – Weston-McEwen 12, Umatilla 23. Fouled out – Bieren (Umatilla).

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The Sherman at Condon-Wheeler and McLoughlin at Heppner boys and girls basketball games scheduled for Tuesday have been cancelled. Sherman and Condon-Wheeler will meet Dec. 12 in Condon. Mac-Hi and Heppner have not rescheduled their games.