From the archives ... Saturday, April 04, 2009

Franklin's Shoni Schimmel drives the basket Mar. 4 in the Quakers' 76-42 loss to Oregon City in the 6A girls quarterfinal match at the University of Portland. Schimmel, who sat out most of the season with a foot injury, led the Quakers with 21 points but also gave up 13 turnovers in the loss. It was the team's first appearance at the state tournament since 1988.

We're backtracking a bit in this post to publish some photos that didn't make it onto the blog last month during the girls basketball tournament.

One of the more anticipated games of the tournament was the quarterfinal match between Shoni Schimmel Franklin and Oregon City. For those of you not familiar with the story, let me recap:

Shoni Schimmel is probably the top-rated girls basketball player in Oregon today. In her first two years of high school, she carried Hermiston to the 5A tournament, finishing fourth and second in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Over the summer her family moved to Portland, and she and her sister Jude now play at Franklin High School, where their mother is now the coach.

However, Shoni injured her ankle early in the season and sat out most of the team's games. Fortunately for her and the team, Franklin plays in the PIL league, traditionally one of the weakest in the state. With a bunch of other players graduating or transferring out of that league this year, Franklin was virtually assured a berth in the state tournament.

Franklin's Jude Schimmel brings the ball upcourt in the Quakers' quarterfinal match at the University of Portland. The 2009 tournament was the sophomore's first real opportunity to show off her skills to a statewide audience. She shot just 1-14 in the game and gave up 10 turnovers as the Quakers were overmatched by Oregon City.

Oregon City, meanwhile, is a traditional powerhouse in girls basketball, holding more state titles than any other school. So when the two teams met in the first round of the state tournament, it was a chance to see whether Schimmel had recovered well enough to play 100% and whether her supporting cast was able to hold back the Pioneers.

As it turns out, this was not the case. Schimmel led the Quakers with 21 points (mostly from 3-point range) but cause 13 turnovers. Her younger sister Jude shot 1-14 in the game (including 0-10 from beyond the arc) and gave up 10 turnovers. Oregon City won 76-42, and three days later won their 11th state title in the last 18 years.

Hopefully Shoni Schimmel will be injury-free next year and show the state what she can really do on the court. And with more experience behind her, Jude should make that easier by giving the opposition something else to worry about.

Taylor Belmont of Oregon City (no. 31) puts in a layup in the third quarter of the Pioneers 76-42 win over Franklin at the Chiles Center.

Oregon City back on top Tuesday, March 10, 2009

The Pioneers celebrate after Oregon City beats South Eugene 46-37 in the 6A girls basketball final Mar. 7 at the University of Portland.

Oregon City claimed its record 11th state basketball championship Mar. 7 with a 46-37 win over South Eugene. The Pioneers, whose titles are spread over just 18 years, had been kept off the top step of the podium since 2004.

[right] South Eugene junior Sasha Teninty steals the ball from Oregon City's Melair Holterhoff in the first quarter.

After beating four-time defending champions Southridge Feb. 27 in the second round of the playoffs, Oregon City was nearly ousted by Central Catholic in the semifinals, holding on to win in triple overtime.

In the final, the Pioneers met previously-unbeaten South Eugene. The game was close throughout, and tied at the end of the third quarter. Oregon City opened up a bit of space with about two minutes left, though, and made their free throws as the Axemen were forced to foul.

[left] Mackenzie Kerins of South Eugene shoots a jumper over Oregon City's Ashley Reed.

Free throws were the difference in the game. Oregon City's aim was true on their first 21 attempts of the game. South Eugene shot well from the floor, but was only 9-18 at the line.

[below left] Oregon City sophomore Ashleigh Anderson fights for control of a rebound with South Eugene's Ellen Cook. [below right] Apparently the game was a bit tiring for at least one fan.

Willamette beats North Eugene for second title in three years

Just catching up with some basketball photos from last weekend's big-school girls tournament at the Chiles Center.

In the 5A game, Willamette beat North Eugene 49-33. It was the fourth game of the year between the cross-town rivals, all of which ended with the Wolverines on top.

If the past three years are any indication, whoever wins the semifinal match between Willamette and Jefferson will go on to take the state title. In 2007 the Wolverines beat the Demos 64-45 en route to their first championship. Last year Jefferson ended their season in the semifinal round. This year nobody could stop the Wolverines, who finished with a perfect 27-0 record.

[left] Willamette's Sunny Greinacher grabs a rebound in the second quarter of the Wolverines' 49-33 win over North Eugene in the girls 5A basketball finals Mar. 7 at the University of Portland. The 6-4 German exchange student led all players with 24 points and 12 rebounds in the game, and was a unanimous selection for the first all-tournament team.

[right] Alyxe Bruns of Willamette fights off the half-court trap of Kelsie Knight (left) and Yvonne Couts. [below left] A.J. Smith (no. 5), Alyxe Bruns, Alyssa Garner, Katie Collins and Tori Mahaffie celebrate as time runs out in the Wolverine's 49-33 win over North Eugene. [bottom right] Willamette senior Alyxe Bruns is all smiles as she brings the first place trophy back to her team.

OSAA State Basketball Tournament (girls) Thursday, March 05, 2009

A quick post with some photos from this week's action at the 6A and 5A girls state basketball tournament at the University of Portland (left).

The tournament started Wednesday with the 6A quarterfinals. The 5A quarterfinals started today. Up-to-date scores and stats are on the OSAA website. More photos to come ...


[left] South Eugene players storm the court after Ellen Cook sank a three-point buzzer-beater to tie the game at 50. South Eugene beat Jesuit 59-53 in overtime. [below, right] Sasha Teninty (left) hugs Elizabeth Severson after the Axemen won in overtime.

















[above, left] Shayla Ball of Hillsboro (right) stretches for a loose ball around Ashland's Allison Gida Mar. 5 in the Spartans' 58-46 loss in the quarterfinals of the class 5A state basketball tournament in Portland.

[right] Allison Gida of Ashland (right) drives in on Hillsboro's Shayla Ball in the third quarter. [left] Brenna Heater (left) and Allison Gida celebrate Mar. 5 after Ashland comes from behind to beat Hillsboro. [below] Brenna Heater shoots from inside the paint. The senior, who scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, was named player of the game for the Grizzlies.

Girls basketball playoffs Saturday, February 28, 2009

Brooke Davis of Hermiston dribbles around Cleveland's Joanie Pioli in the second quarter of the Bulldogs' 72-31 win over the Warriors in the first round of the playoffs Feb. 25 in Portland. Hermiston plays Willamette (23-0) Saturday in Eugene.

We're just getting into one of the two best times of year for sports fans. Some might prefer October when baseball playoffs coincide with the beginning of the basketball and hockey seasons and the heart of football season, but I'm partial to the spring, when pro hockey and basketball are heading into the playoffs and baseball is beginning again, not to mention the NCAA's March Madness. Add to that high school playoffs for wrestling and basketball (and swimming) and you have a steady stream of high-intensity sporting action (balanced by the laid-back atmosphere of baseball's spring training). And for those living in Canada, there are major curling bonspiels as well.

I've been busy shooting high school sports this week, including the first playoff game for the Hermiston girls basketball team in the post-Schimmel era. (Shoni Schimmel, the sophomore who led the Lady Bulldogs to the state final last year, transfered to Franklin in the off-season along with her sister Jude.)

The Bulldogs (10-14) easily beat Cleveland, 72-31, but they face a much tougher opponent today when they travel to Eugene to play Willamette. The Wolverines have not lost any of their 23 games this year and are ranked no. 1 in the 5A polls. The results will be posted here.

PCC Panthers vs. Umpqua Sunday, February 22, 2009

[left] Portland's Toni Davis-Fields (left) beats Cassandra Tiggett (center) and Ally Burger to a rebound Feb. 14 in the Panthers' 105-52 loss to Umpqua. [below] Shardai Ducksworth led all players with 26 points.

I've been a bad blogger lately. I have been shooting a variety of assignments and working on a handful of other projects, but not getting around to putting much online. Tonight I'm trying to catch up a bit.

These images are from the basketball games I shot for Portland Community College last weekend.

In the first game of the day, the women got thumped by Umpqua 105-52. To be fair, though, Umpqua is the top team in the NWAACC's South Division. Portland only dressed seven players for the game, one of whom appeared to be playing through an injury. Then, midway through the first half, two of Portland's players succumbed to ankle injuries in the span of about 30 seconds. One of those returned in the second half; the other was out for the game.

[left] Carl Appleton shoots for two of his 13 points Feb. 14 in the Panthers' 90-85 win over Umpqua. The 6-4 freshman led Portland with 13 rebounds.

In the men's game, the Panthers fared better. They led by 10 at halftime, and by as many as 15 later in the game. Umpqua didn't give up, though, and fought to within two points. But Portland held on for a 90-85 win to improve their league record to 3-8. Umpqua fell to 1-10.

[below] Portland's Tom Creasey (right) gets some help from Mike Richmond (no. 3) as he breaks away from Jordan Black in the first half. Creasey led the Panthers with 26 points.

Sunset vs. Westview: away from the action Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Westview fans razz Sunset's Wade Moyer as he waits to inbound the ball in the second quarter of the Apollos' 58-55 win over the Wildcats Jan. 9 in Beaverton.

Since Westview and Sunset are just three miles apart, both high schools had a lot of fans in attendance at last week's basketball game. And with such a close game between the rivals, there was a lot of emotion on and off the court. Here are some non-action photos from the game.

[below] Sunset fans participate in a group cheer in the fourth quarter.






[left] Sunset coach Todd Sherwood gives directions to his team in the fourth quarter.

[right] Westview junior Hayes Garrity appeals to the referee after being called for an offensive foul in the fourth quarter.





[left] Westview coach Pat Coons wonders what's going on. [below] Sunset cheerleaders and fans react after Wade Moyer sinks a three-point shot to put the Apollos in the lead with 14 seconds left in the game.
















[right] Sunset fans stream onto the court to congratulate the players after the Apollos came from behind to upset Westview 58-55 Jan. 9 in Beaverton.

Metro League basketball: Sunset vs. Westview Monday, January 12, 2009

Sunset guard Anthony Holton drives past Westview's Tim Coons Jan. 9 in the second quarter of the Apollos' 58-55 win over the Wildcats. The eighth-ranked Apollos came from behind to beat no. 2 Westview in the first game of the 2009 Metro League season.

In the powerful Metro League every game is a must-win situation, and the Sunset Apollos got the season off on the right foot last Friday night with a 58-55 win at home against Westview.

Sunset, ranked 8th in the state, took control of the game in the second quarter. But second-ranked Westview carried momentum into the break as senior Tim Coons drained a 70-foot shot at the buzzer.

Over the next 8 minutes, the Wildcats outscored Sunset 16-7 to carry a 5-point lead into the final frame.

But they couldn't finish off the Apollos. Westview missed several key free throws in the final minutes, and was unable to contain Sunset at the other end of the court.

[right] Senior Wade Moyer was the hero for Sunset, sinking a 3-pointer to give the Apollos the lead with 14 seconds left to play. The guard played for Westview in his freshman and sophomore seasons.

The packed house went wild as senior Wade Moyer (who used to play for Westview) put the Apollos up 56-55 with a 3-point shot with 14 seconds left on the clock. Wes Wenzel rounded out the scoring with a pair of free throws.

The teams will face each other twice more in the regular season.

[left] Ryan Kroon (right) of Sunset tips the ball away from Westview's Robert Casteel in the first quarter.

[right] Westview junior Hayes Garrity elevates for a shot in the third quarter. Garrity scored 17 for the Wildcats.

[below, left and right] Westview's Austin Kuemper draws a crowd of defenders every time he touches the ball. Even so, the 6-10 sophomore scored 15 points in the game including 8 in the third quarter.

More on the NBA experience Monday, December 29, 2008

As a follow-up to yesterday's post, I thought I'd write a bit about shooting pro basketball (now that I have all that experience under my belt).

This was the first basketball game I've shot since last March, so I expected to be a bit rusty. My reactions were a bit slow, and there were some things I kind of forgot about until partway through the game.

For the most part, though, it went really well for me. To be honest, in most respects I found shooting the game a lot easier than shooting high school hoops. Why? Let me tell you.

Shooting NBA is easier than HS because:

1. The lighting is better. It's brighter than a HS gym—two full stops better than some gyms I've been to. And the lighting is even across the court—no dark spots. Most of the light comes from the outside, so you can see the faces of the players when they're looking at the hoop. Every lamp gives off the same color of light—a pretty decent color at that—and, best of all, they don't flicker. Not only does the bright light allow for a faster shutter speed and lower ISO, it also makes it easier to focus.
   
2. The background is better. The fans aren't as brightly lit as the court, and most of them a lot farther away from the action than at a typical high school gym. Yeah, you have to put up with some advertising in the photos, but it beats fluorescent lights and steel girders.
   
3. The NBA 3-point line is farther from the hoop. That spreads everybody out, leaving more room for them to drive to the basket and more room for me to shoot between them.
4. The players are better. They're bigger, they're stronger. They jump higher and seem to hang there longer. They make—or at least attempt—amazing plays on pretty much every possession.

Having said that, there are some challenges in shooting the NBA that you don't face with high school hoops.

First of all, the access is much more restricted. For high school games, you can pretty much shoot from any position outside of the court, as long as you don't block the team benches or scorer's table. For my game at the Rose Garden, I was assigned shooting lane no. 20—that's third from the right side of the court on the south baseline. It's a pretty decent place to be, but it doesn't offer you much variety. Between the court sweepers, Blazers Dancers, the Reuters photographer, the AP photographer, the team photographer, TV crew, and other media photographers, there isn't much room to move.

With so many other shooters in the house, the other problem you face is shots overexposed due to other photographers' flashes. Some of the guys who shoot regularly at the Rose Garden have strobes up in the rafters that give the court even more light. That's fine, except when they fire at exactly the same time as you—mostly at the key moment of big plays. That's what happened with all of the examples in this post. It's hard to believe that you could pick the same 1/800th of a second to shoot as the guy next to you, but it happens.

I imagine I'll be shooting a bunch of high school games over the next few months—I'm looking forward to fighting through the challenges that brings and making great images in spite of them.

For a limited time only, you can see more of my images from the Trail Blazers game on my SportsShooter page.

Blazers burn Raptors, 102-89 Sunday, December 28, 2008

LaMarcus Aldridge rejects Chris Bosh's layup attempt in the first half of the Trail Blazers' 102-89 win over Toronto Saturday night in Portland.

The Portland Trail Blazers faced Toronto Saturday night at the Rose Garden, and I had the opportunity to shoot the game. It was a pretty exciting assignment for me as I'd never shot any of the four major pro sports before.

The Trail Blazers have been playing pretty well this year, but many of the key players have not been playing up to their potential recently. Saturday night, though, they were firing on all cylinders.

Toronto came out firing in the first half, building a 57-49 lead at halftime. (They should have had a 11-point lead, but Travis Outlaw launched a Hail Mary from the center line just before the buzzer.)

The Blazers took control of the game in the third quarter, though, outscoring Toronto 20-10 and taking a 2-point lead into the final frame.

The Raptors, who had played the night before in Sacramento, completely lost their legs in the fourth quarter. Brandon Roy tore up the court scoring 18 of his 32 points in the last 12 minutes.

LaMarcus Aldridge and rookie Greg Oden both had their best games in a while for Portland. Aldridge scored 21 points and grabbed 9 rebounds for the Blazers. Oden recorded his team-leading ninth double-double, with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

When the final buzzer sounded, Portland won 102-89 to improve their record to 19-12 and move within 1/2 game of Denver for first in the Northwest Conference. Toronto fell to 12-18.

[left] Portland's 7-0 center Greg Oden puts a hook shot up over Toronto's Andrea Bargnani in the second quarter.

[right] Brandon Roy fakes an outlet pass as he drives the lane against Toronto's Jermaine O'Neal.

[below left] Steve Blake (no. 2) chases a loose ball in the third quarter.

Read the full game story here.

Girls basketball championships Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Ariel Reynolds leads a stream of Jefferson players and fans onto the court after the Democrats clinched their first state basketball championship Mar. 8 with a 67-58 win over Hermiston.

OK, these are a little after-the-fact but as they say, better late than never. The girls' 5A and 6A state championship games were played back-to-back on Mar. 8 at the Chiles Center. In the opening match, Jefferson came back from a 12-point halftime deficit to win 67-58 over Hermiston in the 5A class. The win capped an amazing 27-0 season for the Lady Demos. (Sidenote: Jefferson also won the boys 5A title this year, the first time one school has won both the boys and girls since Stayton won both 3A titles in 1995.)

[left] Jefferson's Denaya Brazzle had a big night off the bench. The sophomore scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Demos in the 5A state championship game. [below] Jefferson fans mob the team after the Lady Demos won their first state basketball championship.














Melair Holterhoff of Oregon City draws a foul as she tries to split the defense of Allie Brock and Michelle Jenkins Mar. 8 in the third quarter of the 6A state championship game. Though the Pioneers kept the game close, Southridge led start-to-finish en route to a 49-43 win. [below] Michelle Jenkins (left) and Alex Earl celebrate their fourth state basketball championship Mar. 8 at the Chiles Center in Portland.

The nightcap was a rematch of the 2006 big-school final. Between them, Southridge and Oregon City have won 14 of the last 17 state titles—the first 10 of those for Oregon City and, after this year, four consecutive for Southridge. Alex Earl and Michelle Jenkins have been a part of all four of those teams.

[left] Senior Kiara Tate scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Southridge in the 6A championship match. (Michelle Jenkins led the Skyhawks with 15 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.)