For three quarters Tuesday night in the Philomath High gymnasium, the Warriors had trouble shaking off a determined Estacada contingent in a Class 4A nonconference boys basketball matchup.
The Warriors hadn’t trailed since late in the first quarter but couldn’t put together the type of run that would definitively put the game beyond reach for the visitors. Still, Philomath persevered and pulled away for a 67-51 win.
“It didn’t feel like almost a 20-point win, that’s for sure,” PHS coach Blake Ecker said.
Gallery: PHS boys basketball vs. Estacada (Jan. 9, 2024)
A collection of photos from Philomath High’s 67-51 boys basketball win over Estacada in the PHS gym on Tuesday.
Estacada, a team that came into the game with only three players available on its bench, hung around and threatened the Warriors well into the second half.
“They hung around because we let them hang around,” Ecker said. “We just didn’t finish at the rim very well and defensively, we were really lacking and it’s not playing hard. When we played hard there in the fourth quarter, it bumped the score way up.”
Philomath led by just six points with 36 seconds remaining in the third quarter but then seemed to flip a switch. PHS senior Jacob Peters scored on a put-back in the final seconds to begin a 10-0 run that carried over into the fourth quarter.
“We were getting tips and had a little more energy,” Ecker said. “We got some offense from our defense and that’s what we’ve been trying to do lately — get out on transition, especially against a zone, try to beat the zone down the court and get an easy look.”
In scoring the first eight points of the fourth quarter to take a 16-point lead, three of those hoops came in transition and the other two on free throws. The last four minutes involved the two teams trading baskets.
PHS senior Preston Kramer had another productive evening with 29 points on 10 field goals — one of those a 3-pointer — and 8 of 9 on free throws. Senior Connor Harms scored Philomath’s first three baskets of the game and ended up with 12 points and 13 rebounds. And Peters was back on the floor for the first time since suffering an ankle injury in late December.
“It was good to see Jacob a little bit in there,” Ecker said. “We tried to have him on a pitch count, so to speak, but he played a few minutes here and there.”
Despite the limited action, Peters scored 11 points and had 10 rebounds.
“That was one of the bigger surprises of the week for sure to see him moving around and back in practice,” PHS senior Mason Stearns said. “He’s just been working like crazy though.”
Philomath excelled at the free-throw line by making 15 of 17, an 88.2% success rate.
Stearns, one of eight seniors on the varsity roster, believes the team can do better than what the Warriors showed against Estacada.
“We need to not play down to our opponents so much and just keep playing to our maximum abilities and continue to get better each week,” Stearns said.
The team continues to evolve into a more complete package but work remains to be done.
“I think that’s slow to get there,” Stearns said when asked about week-to-week improvement. “I think there’s a lot more, a ton more work to be done in and outside.”
Stearns has seen more minutes than ever this season and was a player the coach singled out a few weeks ago in an interview as a hard worker in practice. How does he feel about making progress?
“I think I’m still developing a little bit,” he said. “My defense is a little bit better than most but I’m still trying to develop a shot and be a good scorer for the team.”
Philomath’s game scheduled for Thursday at Madras was canceled because of the weather. The Warriors plan to host 6A Roseburg at 7 p.m. Friday.
