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Sunday, March 15, 2009

The Oregonian:

Cottage Grove

(21 - 4 - 0)

March 14th, 2009
6:30 p.m.

Gill Coliseum
Corvallis, OR

La Pine

(25 - 3 - 0)

No. 6 La Pine 40, No. 2 Cottage Grove 32

Lindsay Schnell, Special to The Oregonian, March 15, 2009 12:40 a.m.

To Cottage Grove went the 4A Sky-Em League title. To La Pine? The 4A state championship.

Kassi Conditt scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and the Hawks got the best of the Lions on their third try this season, beating Cottage Grove 40-32 on Saturday night at Gill Coliseum in the OSAA Class 4A girls basketball championship game.

"I'd much rather have the state title," La Pine point guard Maria Ramirez said, laughing.

This time around, the difference was Ramirez.

The senior went back to the classic point-guard mentality of "pass first, score second," and it paid off.

With La Pine (25-3) leading 21-20 midway through the third quarter, Ramirez drove the lane twice and found Meagan McReynolds in the lane for easy baskets. Ramirez then opened the fourth quarter with another drive, but she rose above the defense to put in a floater and give the Hawks a 27-22 lead over the Lions (24-4).

"That's what I've been doing since kindergarten," Ramirez said. "When I see an open teammate, I want to give them the glory."

And even when she couldn't finish at the free throw line, Ramirez helped her team.

With 3:34 to play, Ramirez went to the line and missed both free throws, but she battled for the offensive rebound and scooped the ball to Conditt, who was fouled on the shot. Conditt hit both free throws, and the Hawks increased their lead to 31-24. From there the Hawks finished the game at the free throw line: Their last nine points came from the line.

"We knew it was going to be a catfight," said Cottage Grove coach Kerry Clawson, whose team beat La Pine 54-45 and 55-43 this season.

Ramirez said the best part of the night was probably the reaction afterward, when close to 2,000 La Pine supporters celebrated the Hawks' win.

"At first it was a little overwhelming," Ramirez said. "But then you get used to the noise. Our fans are just amazing."

La Pine made its first appearance in the girls basketball championship game since the Hawks won the Class A title in 1989.