Confederated Umatilla Journal - Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla ...

Seniors Chelsey Minthorn and Kristi Miller celebrate as the clock winds down in their title game in
Umatilla Feb. 19.
CUJ photo/Phinney
Big Sky champs again
Continued from Page 1
Maddern ramped up the defensive
pressure and stretched the run to 13-0
before ending the quarter up by 15.
The fourth quarter was more of the
same as Nixyaawii pulled away with
their biggest lead of 27 points, 52-25,
when Miller backhanded a bounce pass
to Liz Wilson (five rebounds in 15 minutes)
for the score underneath. (Wilson
hit a two-handed free throw in the second
quarter that knotted the score at 23.)
Kanisha Perry, who was arguably
snubbed in the Big Sky all-star balloting,
was sidelined with fouls (she played
only 16 minutes, her fourth foul coming
with 7:16 to go in the fourth quarter) but
still scored 8 points and grabbed six rebounds.
She gave Nixyaawii its first five
points when they were getting blanked
in the first quarter.
“It feels great,” she said after the game.
“When were down in the first quarter,
Jeremy and Shalaya (Williams, assistant
coach) brought us back in the huddle.
Then Kristi making those threes got us
motivated again.”
Perry said she was more concerned
when she was whistled for her two quick
fouls in the first quarter.
“I get frustrated and tend to get them
next to each other. I have a tendency to
bring my hands down and pick up another
foul,” she said.
It was a satisfying tournament for
McKay and Simpson, who transferred from
Pendleton to Nixyaawii with hopes of winning
a championship. Both girls used the
word “amazing” to describe their feelings.
FREE COUPON
Dispose of up to 2 appliances
and unlimited car batteries!
Now accepting TVs and computer components free.
Also, car batteries and computer backup batteries can be disposed for free.
TERF
276-4040 72292 S Market Road
Regular hours - 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon-Fri.
Summer Hours Starting - 8 a.m. to Noon. Sat-Sun.
FREE COUPON
“It’s like I’m crying inside,” said Simpson,
who had 20 points (9 for 12) and 12
rebounds the night before against Dufur.
“It was my first time to districts and I was
scared at first, but we came together as a
team and won it.”
“I’m still shaking,” said McKay, leaving
the locker room after the game. “In
the end it was ours. We had to shut them
down. Them beating us twice (two of
Nixyaawii’s three losses this season), we
were all pumped up. We wanted to beat
them badly.”
McKay, who led the team at point
guard, was quick to point out the shooting
of Miller, and praised Minthorn,
Simpson and Cyrene Red Elk for blocking
out, rebounding and setting screens,
especially when Perry was on the bench.
Ione Coach Mike Garrett, who was
named the Big Sky Coach of the Year,
said his team shot just 18 percent in the
second half, while the Golden Eagles
“were on fire.”
“They were setting screens and we
couldn’t fight through team. All they
needed was a step back to knock one
down,” Garrett said.
Nixyaawii Assistant Coach Joey Edgmand
watched the girls cut down the net
following their win.
“This is the best starting five in the
state,” he said. “You don’t want to blink
or these girls will get after you.”
Said Maddern, “The kids worked their
tails off. Since the loss to Ione, they’ve
been on a tear. I’ve never had a team that
peaked at the right time like this. We beat
everybody by 20 in the toughest league
in the state.”
Recycle at Mission Market or
at TERF. Materials accepted:
cardboard, mixed paper,
aluminum/tin, plastic.
40 Confederated Umatilla Journal
March 2011