Central Oregonian

Panthers defeat Cowboys

Redmond takes control early then holds off a late Crook County run

LON AUSTIN/CENTRAL OREGONIAN

Lane Rutz penetrates with the ball during the Cowboys’ loss to the Redmond Panthers on Friday. Rutz finished with three points in the contest.

Lon Austin

February 18, 2013

The Redmond Panthers jumped on top early, and never trailed again as they cruised to a 65-52 win over the Crook County Cowboys in Friday night Intermountain Hybrid basketball action.

“They had us off balance all night long,” said Crook County head coach Jeff Lowenbach. “We made it respectable at the end, but ultimately we didn’t shoot the ball well enough.”

The Cowboys took a 3-2 lead early in the contest on a Dillon Dees dunk. The Panthers quickly responded and built a 21-7 lead by the end of the first quarter.

Redmond built their lead to 34-16 by the end of the first half.

After the two teams traded baskets in the third quarter, the Cowboys rallied in the final stanza to make the final score look close. However, the outcome was never in doubt as the Panthers were in control throughout the contest.

“We did some good things,” Lowenbach said. “But when they come out hot and score some points early it makes it tough for us to really get back into things. We are hurt, we are injured, and we’ve got guys out and all that kind of stuff and the guys that had an opportunity for minutes, the JV?swing kids, they stepped up and took advantage of the opportunity. I feel more comfortable going to those guys now.”

The Cowboys (7-15) were led by Preston Washechek with 14 points. Troy Benton and Dees were also in double figures with 10 and 11 points respectively.

Mason Rodby led the Panthers (17-5) with 14 points while Matt Dahlen added 13 points and seven rebounds. Derek Brown also had a solid night for Redmond, finishing with nine points and six steals.

The one area where the Cowboys were able to top the Panthers was rebounding. Led by A.J. Cooper with eight rebounds, the Cowboys outrebounded the Panthers 27-25. Washechek was also strong on the boards with five rebounds, while Dees added six rebounds and four blocked shots.

Although seven Cowboys hit three-point shots in the contest, the Panthers were able to outshoot Crook County. The Cowboys converted on 36 percent of their three-point shots, but hit just 40 percent overall. Meanwhile the Panthers converted on 37 percent of their three-point attempts and 52 percent overall.

The Cowboys’ final home game of the season is tonight when they host the Ridgeview Ravens on senior night.

There will be a lot on the line when the two teams take the court at 7 p.m. After splitting their previous two games, the Special District I championship comes down to who wins tonight. The winner will earn a play-in game and have a chance to advance to the playoffs, while the loser will be out of playoff contention.

Friday, Feb. 15

Redmond 65, Crook County 52

at Crook County

Redmond (65) — Mason Rodby 14, Dahlen 13, Brown 9, Bordges 7, Powell 6, Genz 6, Cravens 5, Thomas 5, Troutman, Davies, Craig, Nieves, Benson, Burroughs. Totals 26 6-14 65.

Crook County (52) — Preston Washechek 14, Dees 11, Benton 10, Mahurin 6, Rutz 3, Kessi 3, Hernandez 3, Cooper 2, Tavernia, Bartels. Totals 9-14 52.

Redmond 21 13 16 15 — 65

Crook County 7 9 15 21 — 52

Three-point goals — Redmond: Dahlen 3, Rodby 2, Cravens, Bordges; Crook County: Mahurin 2, Rutz, Benton, Kessi, Washechek, Dees, Hernandez.