Echo's Dax Davis works to get past Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler defender Gage Holm during a game on Dec. 18,. 2021, in Echo.

ECHO — Dax Davis scored 23 of his 27 points in the second half to lift Echo to an 82-76 Big Sky League home win on Saturday, Dec. 18, over Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler.

“It was a big win after playing in Condon last night (76-60 loss),” Echo coach Ben Campbell said. “It was a rough one last night. We came out tonight, pushed the tempo and did a really good job.”

The Cougars (4-3, 1-1 BSL) jumped out to a 20-17 lead after the first quarter, but a 25-18 spurt by the Rattlers in the second quarter gave them a 42-38 lead.

Echo pulled with 62-59 after the third, then used a 23-14 run in the fourth to seal the win.

“We took the lead, then they would cut it to two or three, but the boys were calm,” Campbell said. “It was back and forth all the way through the third. Once they got the lead, they did a good job of taking care of it.”

Dominic Curiel scored 5 of his 19 points in the first half, and Mason Murdock added 17.

“I thought Dax did a really good job in the first half creating shot opportunities for others,” Campbell said.

Carter Boise led the Rattlers with 28 points, while Nate Clark added 27.

“The Clark kid is 6-foot and a stout kid,” Campbell said. “He came down through the lane pretty hard and got some good looks.”

CLARKSTON (WA) 57, PENDLETON 46 — Greyson Sams poured in a game-high 30 points, but his efforts weren’t enough as the Bucks lost a nonleague home game to the Bantams.

“We came out a little flat,” Pendleton coach Zach Dong said. “It took a while to get adjusted. We just need to put 32 minutes together and I think we’ll be OK.”

Clarkston led 27-15 at the half as the Bucks managed just four points in the second quarter.

“We have to get some guys to step up and carry the load scoring wise,” Dong said.

Sams scored 22 of his points in the second half as the Bucks outscored the Bantams 32-30.

“In the second half, we did a good job with our full-court press,” Dong said. “The guys did a good job turning the ball over and getting buckets. I think we got within six a couple of times, which made it exciting. Clarkston had some guys who played physical and rebounded the ball well. It was a good effort by our guys tonight.”

Andy Oja added eight points for Pendleton (0-7), while Noah Preston hauled down eight rebounds.

Mason Van Tine led the Bantams with 16 points, while Xavier Santana added 14.

IONE/ARLINGTON 64, SHERMAN 46 — The Cardinals improved to 7-0 overall with a Big Sky League road win over the Huskies.

“We had a good start and a bad second quarter,” I/A coach Dennis Stefani said. “We led 21-10 after one, and 32-30 at the half. We just kind of lost composure. They were playing good defense and trapping us. We started playing how they wanted us to — chaotic. We made some adjustments at halftime and were able to pull away from there.”

Carson Eynetich led the Cardinals (7-0, 2-0 BSL) with 17 points, while 6-foot-9 junior Bryce Rollins had 15 points and 10 rebounds.

“He played a very good game tonight,” Stefani said of Rollins. “He squared up and finished shots. It’s what we have been waiting to see.”

Gary Walls chipped in 14 points for I/A, while Oliver Giefing had 10 points and five steals.

For Sherman, Eduardo Rubio had 18 points.

HEPPNER 65, IRRIGON 21 – The host Mustangs took control from the start and beat the Knights on the final day of the Heppner Tournament.

Heppner, which has won six of its past seven games to improve to 7-2 on the year, led 15-6 after the first quarter, and 35-8 at the half.

Tucker Ashbeck, David Cribbs and Landon Mitchell all had 10 points each for the Mustangs, while Kason Cimmiyotti had nine.

Noe Rangel led the Knights with seven points.

WARRENTON 41, WESTON-MCEWEN 37 — Dawson Little scored 14 of his game-high 25 points in the first quarter as the Warriors eked out a win over the TigerScots at the Heppner Tournament.

W-M trailed just 20-18 at the half, but the Warriors went on a 15-7 run in the third to pull away. The TigerScots outscored the Warriors 12-6 in the fourth, but fell short in the end.

Levie Phillips and Theo White each had 12 points for the TigerScots.

WALLOWA 47, GRISWOLD 19 — Gabe Nobles had a game-high 12 points to lead the Cougars over the Grizzlies in the championship game of the Helix Tournament.

Wallowa set the tone for the game with a 15-2 lead after the first quarter, and a 28-6 advantage at the half.

Corbin Roberts led the Grizzlies with six points.

Girls basketball

WALLOWA 46, GRISWOLD 19 — Freshman Ellery Flerchinger had 10 points, but it wasn’t enough as the Grizzlies dropped the championship game of the Helix Tournament to the Cougars.

Flerchinger scored all of her points in the first half — which were all the points the Grizzlies (2-4) had at the half.

Mayabella Texidor and Victoria Keen each added four points for Griswold.

HEPPNER 37, IRRIGON 36 — Zabrena Masterson scored 15 of her 19 points in the second half as the Mustangs rallied to beat the visiting Knights at the Heppner Tournament.

Irrigon led 16-10 at the half, but a 17-8 scoring spree by Heppner in the third quarter gave the Mustangs a 27-24 lead with one quarter to play.

Hailey Wenberg chipped in nine points and five rebounds for the Mustangs.

Jolyne Harrsion led the Knights with 12 points, while Nia Seastone and Karina Romero each had six.

WESTON-MCEWEN 38, WARRENTON 33 — Kelsey Graham scored 16 points, and Dalana Pickard added nine to help the TigerScots hold on for a win over the Warriors at the Heppner Tournament.

“Our girls are stepping up and executing much better and more consistently,” W/M coach Jeremy Wolf said. “Defense helped us get our lead, and ultimately hold it in the end. Warrenton battled until the end and tested our resolve. Proud of how our girls handled it.”

The TigerScots didn’t make it easy on themselves, going 2 for 11 from the free-throw line.

Jamie Annat led the Warriors with 13 points, while Avyree Miethe added 12.

IONE/ARLINGTON 48, SHERMAN 32 — The Cardinals used a balanced scoring attack to pick up a Big Sky League road win over the Huskies.

I/A (5-2, 2-0 BKL), which has won four games in a row, jumped out to a big 34-19 lead at the half and never looked back.

Faviola Juarez and Calli Troutman each had nine points for I/A, while Najiah Knight, Bella Masteriona and Hailey Heideman each had eight.

Sophie Hulke led the Huskies with eight points.

RIVERSIDE 46, MCLOUGHLIN 44 — Layla Castillo scored nine of her 15 points in the fourth quarter to help rally the Pirates to a nonleague home win over the Pioneers.

The teams were tied at 19-19 at the half, and Mac-Hi took a 33-28 lead after three quarters. The Pirates staged an 18-11 run in the fourth quarter for the win.

“We played really well in the fourth quarter,” Riverside coach Clair Costello said. “We aren’t very big, but we are scrappy. We stole the ball in the fourth quarter and got some transition baskets. We got up by four the last two minutes, and finally got to the foul line and we made a few of them, which was nice.”

Yazeli Ayala and Jasmin Lopez each added 10 points for Riverside (6-3), which has won four games in a row. Castillo also had eight defensive rebounds and four assists. The Pirates had 16 steals as a team.

Emma Leber led the Pioneers (3-1) with 19 points, while Ivonne Lopez chipped in 12.

Wrestling

Sophomore Ben Larson placed second at 160 pounds at the Tri-State Tournament in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, to lead Hermiston.

Larson lost a 12-6 decision to Gabe Lake of Flathead, Montana, in the championship match.

Larson beat Smokey Stoker of Frenchtown, Montana, 7-6 in the semifinals to advance.

Hermiston big man Sam Cadenas placed third at 285 pounds. He lost in the second round on Friday, then clawed his way back by winning five consolation matches.

In the third-place match, he pinned Jaxon Washington of Coeur d’Alene in 1:05.

Freshman Jaysen Rodriguez placed fourth at 126 for the Bulldogs, losing his third-placed match by fall to Nathan Gregory of Deer Park in 1:58.

Also placing for the Bulldogs were Aiden Favorite at 120 (7th) and Jaxson Gribskov at 182 (8th).

Hermiston finished 14th in the team standings with 106 points. Coeur d’Alene won the team title with 205.5 points, followed by Flathead (191), Mead (164) and La Grande (159.5).

LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL INVITATIONAL — Pendleton’s Collin Primus won the 160-pound title, and Jacob Griffin won the 285-pound title to lead the Bucks.

Griffin, who pinned all four of his opponents, pinned Nate Shea of Sandy in 4:37 in the championship match. Griffin pinned his other opponents in 55 seconds, 42 seconds and 1:51.

Primus, who pinned his first two opponents, pinned Seth Everhart of Sherwood in the finals in a time of 5:13.

Dawson Tremper placed second at 106 pounds, losing by fall to Jeremiah Wachsmuth of Clackamas in the third round.

Also placing for Pendleton, Landon Willman was eighth at 113, Owen Golter was sixth at 126, and Patrick Simpson eighth at 195.

Dallas won the team title with 269.5 points, followed by Redmond (244.5) and Tualatin (220.5). Pendleton was 10th with 160 points.

College women’s basketball

BLUE MOUNTAIN 64, BELLEVUE 56 — Jaelyn Brainard scored 22 points and had six rebounds and four assists to help lead the Timberwolves past the Bulldogs at the NWAC Crossover Tournament in Roseburg.

The game was close throughout until BMCC went on a 20-14 run in the fourth quarter.

Hannah Schvaneveldt added 17 points and seven rebounds for BMCC.

Helen Van Ess and Jalena Henry each had 12 points each for the Bulldogs.