Down by nine with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter, the Philomath High girls basketball team rallied in the fourth to make things interesting against defending state champion Stayton on Friday night. But the Eagles were able to hit free throws in the final seconds to get out of town with a 41-36 victory.
Gallery: PHS basketball vs. Stayton and Senior Night (Feb. 20, 2026)
A collection of photos from Philomath High’s boys and girls basketball games vs. Stayton and Senior Night images for basketball, cheer and dance on Friday.
“They’re the defending state champions and they’re probably ranked No. 1 after tonight,” PHS coach Ben Silva said. “We were right there with some opportunities at the end. The ball bounces a different way a couple of times and it’s a different ballgame.”
Silva was right with Stayton moving into the No. 1 position on Saturday in the OSAA rankings.
Philomath was trailing 35-26 with 59 seconds left in the third before going on a 9-2 run. Junior Jordyn Hood scored in transition with 21 seconds left in the third to cut the deficit to seven.
In the fourth, Hood buried a 3-pointer at the 6:49 mark. After Stayton scored to go back up by six, sophomore Reagan Nuño made a huge play at midcourt by forcing a turnover and scoring. But the score remained stuck at 37-33 for more than three minutes of clock time. Finally, junior Reagan Heiken scored on a fast break to cut the deficit to 37-35.
Stayton junior Kourtney Samek hit two clutch free throws for a 39-35 lead with 26 seconds left. Philomath junior Annaleise Brown hit a foul shot with 15 seconds left to make it a one-possession game at 39-36. Stayton avoided being fouled, ran the clock down and scored on a basket by senior Makenzie Schacher with 5 seconds left to clinch the victory.
“To come back against a team like that — they’re just so consistent on both sides of the floor,” Silva said. “They’re coming at you defensively all the time. So, I think it was a great experience as we turn around here and head towards the playoffs.”
Philomath led 11-10 with 18 seconds left in the first quarter but the Eagles shifted into another gear in the second quarter. Stayton put together a 10-0 run behind tough defense and exceptional shooting.
“We gave them too many 3-pointers in the first half,” Silva said, a reference to the team’s four treys in the first half. “That was kind of the difference — we gave up too many outside shots. But we cleaned that up and battled back.”
Heiken had a team-high 11 points to lead Philomath’s scorers. Brown finished with eight and both Nuño and Hood had seven.
For the Eagles, junior Kathryn Samek was tough to stop with 16 points.
Stayton clinched the Oregon West Conference title with the victory. The Eagles (18-3 overall, 7-1 Oregon West) have completed league play and will play their Senior Night game on Tuesday against a nonconference opponent in Cottage Grove. The team also scheduled a March 3 contest against Scappoose as a tuneup for the postseason.
Philomath (12-10, 4-3) will finish third in the conference behind Stayton and Cascade. The Cougars (11-10, 5-2) have a home game Tuesday against Sweet Home and will be an overwhelming favorite. The Warriors head to Newport Tuesday.
Despite finishing third in the conference, Philomath’s power ranking will qualify the Warriors for the playoffs but they will play the first round on the road.
The Warriors recognized their seniors before the game, a group that includes Khali Toombs, Isabelle Muir, Shaylee May, Parker Maxey and Abby Harwood.
Stayton 41, Philomath 36
Friday, Feb. 20, at Philomath HS
STAYTON (41)
Kourtney Samek 1 2-4 5, Makenzie Schacher 2 0-0 5, Breeci Hampton 1 0-0 2, Kathryn Samek 6 2-3 16, Zuri Andersen 2 2-2 7, Mila Morley 0 1-2 1, Laela Hunt 1 0-0 3, Molli Emmert 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 7-11 41.
PHILOMATH (36)
Khali Toombs 0 0-0 0, Isabelle Muir 0 0-0 0, Shaylee May 1 1-2 3, Parker Maxey 0 0-0 0, Abby Harwood 0 0-0 0, Reagan Nuño 3 1-1 7, Annaleise Brown 1 6-9 8, Jordyn Hood 3 0-0 7, Reagan Heiken 4 3-4 11, Libby Kramer 0 0-0 0, Bethany Cannon 0 0-0 0. Totals 12 11-16 36.
Team 1 2 3 4 F Stayton (18-3, 7-1) 13 13 9 6 41 Philomath (12-10, 4-3) 11 6 11 8 36
3-Point Goals—Stayton 6 (Ka. Samek 2, Ko. Samek, Andersen, Hunt, Mak. Schacher), Philomath 1 (Hood). Fouled Out—Andersen, May. Total Fouls—Stayton 13, Philomath 14. Technicals—None.
