Boys Basketball
UMATILLA 63, WESTON-MCEWEN 43 — Micheal Montez had 29 points and five steals as the Vikings remained perfect on the season with a victory over the TigerScots at Stanfield High School.
The game was moved from Umatilla because of the school’s holiday concert.
Weston-McEwen got off to a good start, leading 20-14 after the first quarter and 30-29 at the half.
The Vikings came out in the second half on fire. Montez scored 17 of his points in the second half as Umatilla outscored the TigerScots 20-4 in the third quarter to pull away for good.
David Garcia added 14 points and three assists for the Vikings (7-0), while Mike McGee had eight points, seven rebounds and three steals.
Dylan Monaco led the TigerScots (3-3) with 23 points and four rebounds. Lokaa Tso chipped in nine points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots.
Girls Basketball
WESTON-MCEWEN 41, UMATILLA 39 — The Vikings put together a 26-point fourth quarter, but fell short against the top-ranked TigerScots at Stanfield High School.
“They rose to the challenge,” Umatilla coach Marisa Gonzalez said of her team. “Weston-McEwen is playing well and scoring a lot of points. We didn’t give them too many second chances.”
Weston-McEwen led 41-37 with 14 second left in the fourth, and the Umatilla converted two free throws, but it could not completely erase a 34-13 deficit after three quarters.
“We let our defense create our offense to get back in the game,” Gonzalez said.
The TigerScots (6-0) held an 8-6 lead after the first quarter, then went on a 10-5 run in the second for an 18-11 lead at the half. W-M went on a 16-2 scoring spree in the third for a commanding 34-13 lead.
Umatilla’s Ruby Chavez scored all 13 of her points in the fourth quarter to rally the Vikings (6-2).
Charlotte Hansell led the TigerScots with nine points, while Kylie Kramer had eight, and Kelsey Graham and Manaia Wolf each had six.
Shay McCallister added 10 points for Umatilla, with Alyiah Howard and Jordan Escamilla each chipping in eight.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Gonzalez said of her team’s performance this season. “It’s nice to see the girls grow and do good things. As long as we see the improvement, that’s what matters.”