The sixth-ranked Pleasant Hill Billie girls faced off against No. 11 Nyssa on Saturday afternoon, falling 33-22. With a strong defensive effort for both teams, the Billies’ offense was unable to break through to take the lead.
“Just really proud, and grateful to be able to coach a group like this,” Billies coach Paxton Miller said. “A group that’s willing to do the hard things, and take punches, and continue to fight. Tonight we just couldn’t put the ball in the cylinder.”
The loss caps off Miller’s first season with the team, finishing 17-7, and 12-0 in regular-season league play. While it is only the beginning for Miller, this marked the final game for the lone senior, Raigan Obie.
“She’s about all you can ask for in a senior. Talk about leadership and ways to lead, she leads by example every day. That’s what you look for in a senior. It being my first year here, I wish I could continue to coach Raigan, but I’ve told her before, and I’ll tell her again on Monday, that I am so grateful that I was able to have her for one season,” Miller said. “I want to make one thing clear to her, and anybody who is willing to listen: her impact on this program will be felt for a long time after she’s gone.”
The Billies girls trailed by as little as five points late in the fourth quarter before Nyssa pulled ahead to win by 11.
“The toughest part of this deal is that you can give everything you have, and empty your gas tank – and they tried to do everything we were asking of them today – but you can do all those things and still not get the result you want. But I’m really proud of them,” Miller said.
Looking back, Miller said this season was defined by one thing: perseverance.
“This loss stings, but the body of work and how we overcame some things that didn’t go our way (this season) was really quite remarkable,” Miller said. “One through 12 or one through 14 on our roster, they all played a huge part in that.”
Girls Basketball Recaps
■ Cottage Grove earned a postseason berth a season after winning only four games with a 54-42 win at No. 15 Scappoose in a Class 4A play-in game. The Lions were led by three players in double figures: Mariah Bailey with 18 points, Jaylee Lima with 12, and Payton Anlauf with 11. Cottage Grove outscored Scappoose 22-4 in the 3rd quarter.
■ Springfield recaptured a bit of momentum heading into the postseason with two dominant wins last week – 85-22 at Thurston and 80-41 at Eagle Point. The Millers finished the regular season at 17-8 overall and 10-2 in Midwestern League play after two losses to No. 2 Crater.
■ Thurston faced the top two teams in the league last week, losing to No. 5 Springfield 85-22 and No. 2 Crater 69-31.