Opening the season Tuesday night with a home matchup against Marist Catholic, the Philomath High girls basketball team knew junior standout Reagan Heiken would attract a lot of attention under the basket.
Coach Ben Silva figured his team would need some decent shooting from the outside to compliment whatever could be managed inside. Junior Jordyn Hood answered the challenge in what ended up as a 47-27 victory for the Warriors.
Gallery: PHS girls basketball vs. Marist Catholic (Dec. 9, 2025)
A collection of photos from Philomath High’s 47-27 girls basketball win over visiting Marist Catholic on Tuesday.
Hood buried three 3-pointers and scored 13 points in the first half alone to help the Warriors pull away and defeat Marist by 20.
“They were packing in the paint so we were taking some outside shots,” Silva said. “That’s what teams are going to do against us when we have the post presence that we have and the name notoriety and recognition that we have inside. But we’ve got some players that can score from the outside now as well.”
In a game that had remained tight through the first eight minutes, the Warriors started to create some cushion in the second quarter thanks to a 15-2 run. Hood hit 3-pointers twice during that stretch of the game.
“He really emphasized playing inside out — getting into the post and then kicking out,” Hood said.
Marist’s biggest offensive threat, 6-foot-2 junior Ashley Powell, came out firing by sinking a 3-pointer just 30 seconds into the game. But the Warriors countered with baskets by junior Reagan Heiken and senior Shaylee May. The score see-sawed back-and-forth and Philomath led 13-12 at the end of the first thanks to a Hood jump shot with 7 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Silva said the team appeared to be a little nervous out of the gate.
“First-game jitters, maybe trying to force it a little bit too much there in the first quarter,” he said. “They were a tough, physical team and we had to make some adjustments and be a little bit stronger with the ball, which we progressively did throughout the game until we ended on a really good note.”
Hood’s hoop near the end of the first sparked the 15-2 run, which also included a couple of free throws and a basket by Heiken as well as a 3-pointer off the bench by senior Khali Toombs.
The Spartans cut their deficit to eight by halftime and played Philomath close in the third quarter but the Warriors put the game away with defense rising to the occasion. Marist was unable to score over the final eight minutes.
“Like Silva says, stay tough on D, give up less points and just score at least 30 and we should be able to win,” Hood said.
Playing tough defense has long been a primary focus of PHS girls basketball teams.
“If we hold teams under 30, we’re going to be successful,” Silva said, a message he relayed to the team afterward. “We’ve got a lot of potential still to grow even with where we’re at but I think we’re in a pretty good spot right now.”
In addition to Hood’s 13, the Warriors also got a double-digit scoring effort by Heiken with a dozen points, a performance that included going 6-for-6 at the foul line.
Powell finished with 13 points for the Spartans (1-2).
Philomath (1-0) will play again at 5:30 p.m. Thursday with a home game against Class 5A West Albany. The Bulldogs will bring a 3-1 record into the contest.
“It was a good start,” Hood said about the season opener. “There are things we can work on but we’re all excited and looking forward to seeing how we can take this and keep improving.”
Philomath 47, Marist Catholic 27
Tuesday, Dec. 9 at Philomath HS
MARIST CATHOLIC (27)
Lila Bray 1 0-0 3, Talia Tyner 1 0-0 2, Rayana Iverson 1 0-0 2, Rowan De Lee 3 0-0 7, Ashley Powell 5 2-2 13, Katelyn Shoemaker 0 0-0 0, Kagan De Lee 0 0-0 0, Kendall Skinner 0 0-0 0, Ella Giustina 0 0-0 0, Lexi Hudson 0 0-0 0, Bridget Stephenson 0 0-0 0, Caylee Brunson 0 0-0 0, Grace Bidwell 0 0-0 0, Evie Olds 0 0-0 0. Totals 11 2-2 27.
PHILOMATH (47)
Reagan Nuño 1 0-0 2, Annaleise Brown 2 0-1 4, Shaylee May 2 2-4 6, Jordyn Hood 4 0-0 13, Reagan Heiken 3 6-6 12, Libby Kramer 0 0-0 0, Parker Maxey 1 0-0 2, Khali Toombs 1 2-4 5, Isabelle Muir 1 0-0 3, Bethany Cannon 0 0-0 0, Abby Harwood 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 10-15 47.
Team 1 2 3 4 F Marist Catholic (1-2) 12 6 9 0 27 Philomath (1-0) 13 13 11 10 47
3-Point Goals—Marist Catholic 3 (Powell, R. De Lee, Bray), Philomath 5 (Hood 3, Toombs, Muir). Fouled Out—None. Total Fouls—Marist Catholic 12, Philomath 11. Technicals—None.