Photos by RHETT LANDON

The 2022 OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 1A Girls and Boys Basketball State Championships were held Saturday, March 5 in Baker City. Both the Crane girls and boys teams emerged victorious. The lady Mustangs ended their season 30-1, and the Mustang boys ended with a perfect 31-0.

Crane girls cap off season with another title

The Crane girls basketball team ended their season with another state championship by winning the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 1A Girls Basketball State Championship in Baker City on Saturday, March 5, by defeating Damascus Christian 56-47.

Crane faced off against Damascus Christian in the finals to avenge their only loss, earlier in the season.

The first quarter ended in a 9-9 tie, as neither team could pull away. With 6:51 left in the second quarter, Crane went on a 23-0 run to widen the gap and prevent Damascus Christian from taking the lead.

Twelve of the 23 points came from senior Dani Clark who sank four three-pointers. The Mustangs led at the half 34-15.

Damascus Christian clawed their way back to stay within seven points late in the fourth, but the Mustangs were able to hold off the advance to come out victorious. 

The icing on the cake to a magical season came when Crane senior Kelsie Siegner subbed in the final seconds of the game. Siegner was fouled with 11 seconds left to play and swished both free throws to end the season.

Clark earned Player of the Game against Damascus Christian by scoring 14 points, 12 from the three-point line. She also contributed three assists, one steal, and one rebound. 

Kortney Doman led the Mustangs with 19 points, eight rebound, and seven steals. Taylor Joyce scored seven points and nabbed three rebounds. Leslie Doman finished with six points and three rebounds. Skye Miller scored three points along with five rebounds. Alexia Ballard finished with two points and grabbed six rebounds.

The Mustangs finished the game shooting 41 percent, while holding Damascus Christian to just 33 percent.

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Crane boys take down Redsides for first championship

The Crane boys basketball team won their first state championship by defeating the South Wasco County Redsides 62-53 in the 2022 OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 1A Boys Basketball State Championship held in Baker City on Saturday, March 5.

Coming into the game, both teams posted undefeated records. South Wasco posted at 25-0 record, and Crane was sitting at 30-0.

South Wasco’s Brock LaFaver scored the first points of the game with 7:02 minutes left in the first quarter, giving the Redsides their first and last lead of the game.

Three-pointers by Jared Zander, Mitch Clark, and Carter Nichols gave the Mustangs a 21-12 lead at the end of the first quarter.

South Wasco was able to battle back in the second quarter, closing the lead down to three, but a jumper by Nichols and a three-point shot made in back-to-back possessions pushed the lead back to eight. The Redsides were able to get back within four points, but a last-second jump shot by Ty Taylor gave the Mustangs a six-point lead heading into halftime, 34-28. 

With 3:05 minutes remaining in the third quarter, South Wasco fought back to tie the game at 41-41. Cody Siegner scored on consecutive possessions, along with a Zander three-pointer, putting the Mustangs back on top, 49-42 to end the third quarter.

LaFaver was able to get the Redsides back within one point with 5:31 minutes left in the fourth, but a three-point play by Nichols, two three-pointers by Zander, and a jump shot by Siegner all but sealed the game for Crane’s first championship trophy and capped off their 31-0 perfect season.

Jared Zander was named Player of the Game, as he hit four out of nine three-pointers to lead the Mustangs scoring with 16 points, Zander also grabbed six rebounds.

Nichols finished the game scoring 15 points. He also had four steals and nabbed three rebounds. Clark and Siegner finished with 11 points each, with Siegner grabbing eight rebounds. Taylor ended with five points, four rebounds, and two steals. Taylor Kruger scored four points, three rebounds, and two steals.