Stayton sophomore Kathryn Samek sank a free throw with 3 seconds remaining and the Eagles held off Philomath, 40-39, Friday night to clinch at least a tie for first place in the Oregon West Conference.
The Eagles could win the league outright Tuesday with a win at North Marion.
Stayton (22-1 overall, 8-1 Oregon West) had the upper hand early with a 16-8 lead through the first eight minutes. In the second quarter, Philomath (18-5, 7-2) made a move and tied the score by halftime, 20-20, behind an intense defensive effort.
In the second half, the Eagles appeared to be pulling away with a 35-27 lead early in the fourth quarter. But Philomath had another comeback in mind and went on a 10-1 run to take a 37-36 lead. That stretch for the Warriors included a basket by sophomore Reagan Heiken, a 3-pointer by senior Zoee Howard and success at the foul line.
With 1:41 remaining, Stayton took a two-point lead on a basket by senior Brooklynne Morley, who had a team-high 10 points in the game. Philomath tied it up a short time later, however, when senior Aspen Russell sank a pair of free throws.
The game remained tied through the final minute. Coming out of a timeout with 5 seconds left, Stayton got the ball to Samek, who made a move to the hoop and drew a foul. Samek made the first and missed the second. Philomath secured the rebound on the miss and attempted to get off a shot downcourt but the Eagles held on for the win in front of a packed home gym.
Stayton’s only loss this season came to Philomath, 27-26, on Jan. 31.
Heiken led the Warriors in the scoring column with 15 points on six field goals and 3 of 3 on free throws. Senior Anneka Steen added nine on two baskets and 5 of 6 on free throws.
Philomath will come home for Senior Night this coming Tuesday for a 7 p.m. game against Newport.
