The Philomath High girls basketball team blew open what had been a competitive game in the first half by outscoring visiting Astoria by 27 points over the third and fourth quarters on Saturday afternoon for a 64-30 nonconference victory.
Junior Jordyn Hood scored a team-high 18 points, junior Reagan Heiken added 13 and senior Isabelle Muir came off the bench to contribute 11. But it was the defense that really shined through, limiting the Fisherman to just two field goals and eight points in the second half.
Gallery: PHS girls basketball vs. Astoria (Jan. 24, 2026)
A collection of photos from Philomath High’s 64-30 girls basketball win at home over Astoria on Saturday.
“We just stepped up our intensity on defense,” PHS coach Ben Silva said. “Give them some credit, they did some good things on offense and executed their offense pretty well.”
The Warriors came out for the third quarter and immediately put points on the board to up their lead to double digits. Heiken forced a turnover on defense and moments later on the other end, junior Annaleise Brown found Hood for a layup. On Astoria’s next possession, senior Shaylee May stole an in-bounds pass and got the ball downcourt where Brown eventually drew a foul and sank a pair of free throws for a 33-22 lead.
The Fishermen didn’t score in the second half until Philomath had gone on a 10-0 run and built a 17-point lead.
Astoria, a team that now has a 4-10 record, turned heads in the first half and trailed by just four points with 4:38 left in the second quarter. The Warriors ended up with a seven-point lead at the half thanks to a couple of Hood baskets but the game by no means was in the bag just yet.
“They came out and hit a couple of shots early and built some confidence and then were able to hit some other shots,” Silva said. “In the second half, we were able to get after them a little bit more to make those shots more difficult. They didn’t hit any and the confidence goes in the opposite direction.”
Muir said the coach’s halftime discussion revolved around the team simply not playing up to its potential.
“It was kind of like, ‘I believe you guys can do better and you guys should believe that, too,’” Muir said. “So I think that really impacted us.”
Muir had the hot hand late with three straight 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.
“I think I started to feel more comfortable,” Muir said. “With the game of basketball, it’s really high intensity usually and so you’re kind of stressed out. But I’ve got some good girls around me and they bring it down for me.”
Brown, Heiken and Hood each had six rebounds in the victory. Brown and Hood were especially effective on the offensive glass with five each. Brown also had four assists. As a team, Philomath had a 41-21 advantage on the boards.
Sophomore Kyah Gohr led Astoria with 11 points.
Muir believes Philomath can go far this season with hard work and the right attitude.
“We’re all working really hard, even with each other, building each other up,” she said. “That’s something that we’ve been working hard on. I think that’ll take us far.”
The team had some mental challenges to work through while playing a very challenging nonconference schedule.
“Like every athlete, like with every team, you go through those highs and lows,” Muir said. “It’s a very long season, so I think we hit maybe a low for just a little bit but we were able to bring each other out of it.”
Silva said one of the coaching staff’s big messages to players this season has been to make sure they’re having fun.
“Let’s go out and enjoy the time together and enjoy each other on the court,” said Silva, providing an example of what he tries to get across to players. “That’s when we’re playing at our best, when we’re having fun. As a coaching staff, we’ve been encouraging it but at the same time, putting in the work.”
Philomath’s next game is scheduled for Tuesday at home against Cascade. The Cougars will bring records of 7-7 overall and 2-0 in the conference into the PHS gym. Cascade scored 84 points on Friday night in a 53-point victory at Newport and even more impressively, defeated then-No. 1 and defending state champion Stayton on the road earlier in the week, 41-35.
The Philomath-Cascade girls matchup is scheduled for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
Philomath 64, Astoria 30
Saturday, Jan. 24, at Philomath HS
ASTORIA (30)
Kyah Gohr 3 5-6 11, Kate Barendse 2 0-0 4, Sofia Nygaard 0 0-0 0, Kilee Svensen 2 0-0 5, Maggie Falleur 2 0-0 5, Kysa Whitsett 0 0-0 0, Lucy Jannusch 1 3-5 5, Zoe Wright 0 0-0 0, Ayla Gustafson 0 0-0 0. Totals 10 8-11 30.
PHILOMATH (64)
Libby Kramer 2 0-0 6, Annaleise Brown 1 5-6 7, Shaylee May 1 2-2 4, Jordyn Hood 8 0-0 18, Reagan Heiken 5 3-3 13, Reagan Nuño 2 0-0 5, Isabelle Muir 4 0-0 11, Khali Toombs 0 0-0 0, Bethany Cannon 0 0-0 0, Parker Maxey 0 0-0 0, Sienna Bushnell 0 0-0 0. Totals 23 10-11 64.
Team 1 2 3 4 F Astoria (4-10) 13 9 6 2 30 Philomath (9-7) 20 9 24 11 64
3-Point Goals—Astoria 2 (Svensen, Falleur), Philomath 8 (Muir 3, Hood 2, Kramer 2, Nuño). Fouled Out—None. Total Fouls—Astoria 10, Philomath 14. Technicals—None.