Cove junior DeLainey Kemry pushes the ball past up court against Adrian’s Celie Davis in the Leopards’ nonleague loss on Jan. 4, 2023.

ADRIAN — Cove boys basketball coach Matthew Buss had a simple message after his team suffered its second consecutive loss on Thursday, Jan. 4.

“We just need to be healthy again,” he said after the Leopards dropped a 46-32 loss nonleague loss at Adrian.

“We were undermanned tonight and simply ran out of gas,” Buss said. “We have kids coming back to play after having 102-degree temperatures just days ago.”

After winning five straight game and rising in the 1A rankings, Cove was hit with a bout of the flu, a problem seen in numerous teams in Central and Eastern Oregon. Games have been rescheduled in the area or shortened as junior varsity players were moved to varsity for games to be played. 

The Leopards were only able to score in double figures in one of the four quarters of the game with Buss sitting his starters for the fourth quarter.

“We need to save whatever energy we have left for the league game on (Jan. 5) versus Imbler,” he said.

Even with the loss and coaching a team of “walking wounded,” Buss found positives.

“Brody (Fife) played his heart out tonight and Jonah (Jayne) came up from junior varsity to give us good minutes,” he said.

Wyatt Burgess was the lone Cove player in double digits, scoring 10 points.

Buss is hoping for better results and a healthy team as Cove (10-4 overall) opens 1A Old Oregon League on Jan. 5 at home against Imbler (11-2 overall). Game time is 7:30 p.m.

Powder Valley 70, Pine Eagle 39

NORTH POWDER — Brycen Martin scored 22 points and Lizandro Rodriguez contributed 17 to help the North Powder boys basketball team end a two-game slide and earn a 70-39 1A Old Oregon League win over Pine Eagle on Thursday, Jan. 4.

A quick start by Powder Valley provided a comfortable 37-19 halftime lead. The Badgers did not take the foot off the gas, scoring 14 points in the third quarter and adding 19 points in the final eight minutes of the game.

Powder Valley (7-6 overall, 1-0 1A Old Oregon League) will need all that scoring as the Badgers travel to Union to face the No. 2-ranked Bobcats Jan. 6 for nonleague play. Union and the Badgers previously met on Dec. 16 in tournament action with the Bobcats taking a 67-32 victory over Powder Valley.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Powder Valley 59, Pine Eagle 32

NORTH POWDER — The Powder Valley girls basketball team is off to a 1-0 state in the 1A Old Oregon League after a 59-32 victory over Pine Eagle on Thursday, Jan. 4, in North Powder.

Defense played a large part in the game as Powder Valley’s defense did not allow any Spartan player to score in double figures.

The Badgers started the game with a quick 19 points in the first quarter, adding 16 points in the second quarter to lead at the half, 35-17. After a 22-point third quarter, the Powder Valley bench finished up the overwhelming victory.

The Badgers were led by Kellee Dixon’s 13 points. Both Jacey Anderson and Jodi Bingham followed with 12 points.

Powder Valley (8-4 overall, 1-0 1A Old Oregon League) steps away from league play for one game, traveling to Union on Jan. 6 to meet the Bobcats (8-4 overall). Earlier this season, Powder Valley took a 44-37 win on Dec. 16.

Adrian 56, Cove 23

ADRIAN — On the road in Adrian, the Cove girls basketball team fell 56-23 to the Antelopes on Thursday, Jan. 4, in nonleague action. The game marked the eighth straight loss for the Leopards but marked a spark, according to head coach Kelli Langford.

“The score does not reflect the hard work the girls put in tonight,” Langford said. “They played team basketball tonight and pushed the ball up the court. I am pleased with how we stepped up our game against a good Adrian team.”

Cove stayed close to Adrian for the first quarter, trailing by only three points, 11-8, after the first eight minutes. A 22-5 deficit in the second quarter placed the Leopards in a 33-13 hole at halftime.

Cabella Gregory put in eight points to lead Cove. Ali Vermillion added six points and Emma Carson finished with five points.

Cove (4-10 overall) is back home on Jan. 5 to open 1A Old Oregon League play against Imbler (9-4 overall). The two teams take the court staring at 6 p.m.