Saturday basketball previews: Four county teams tackle league foes

Published 4:30 am Thursday, January 18, 2024

A busy weekend continues Saturday, Jan. 20, for four Wallowa County basketball teams, weather permitting — the lineup contains two games that already have been postponed twice due to treacherous travel conditions. Here’s are previews of Saturday’s games (records are current as of noon Friday):

Irrigon girls at Enterprise

When: 4 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 20.

Records: Irrigon 2-13 overall, 0-3 2A Blue Mountain Conference; Enterprise 10-6 overall, 3-0 2A Blue Mountain Conference.

OSAA rankings: Irrigon is 34th. Enterprise is ranked 13th.

This matchup, like the boys’ game that will follow it, has been postponed twice due to weather.

The Lady Knights have struggled this season, only collecting wins over Grant Union and a second victory over a Washington state team. Irrigon makes the trip to Enterprise after dropping their last two league contests, both by over 25 points.

Media outlets around the state are beginning to take notice of the Outlaw girls. An upset win over Stanfield on Jan. 13 raised the Enterprise team up one spot in the state rankings and placed the Lady Outlaws on top of the conference standings.

Irrigon boys at Enterprise

When: 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 20.

Records: Irrigon 1-14 overall, 0-3 2A Blue Mountain Conference; Enterprise 10-6 overall, 0-3 2A Blue Mountain Conference.

OSAA rankings: Irrigon is 36th. Enterprise is No. 19.

Irrigon’s lone victory this season was a Dec. 8 game in nonleague play versus 1A Trout Lake.

Since that game, the Knights have struggled; in their last outing, the Knights lost by 53 points to Weston-McEwen.

The Outlaws will be coming off a Friday night game against Weston-McEwen. A win Saturday night should help keep Enterprise ranked in the top 20.

Wallowa girls at Powder Valley

When: 4 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 20.

Records: Wallowa 10-6 overall, 1-2 1A Old Oregon League; Powder Valley 9-6 overall, 2-1 1A Old Oregon League.

OSAA rankings: Wallowa is 25th. Powder Valley is 19th.

A busy weekend (weather permitting) continues for the Lady Cougars as Wallowa hits the road to North Powder to meet the Lady Badgers of Powder Valley. It’s the third of five straight road games for Wallowa, all of them league contests.

Powder Valley is back home after a Friday game in Joseph versus the league-leading Lady Eagles. As of Friday afternoon, the Badgers were tied in the league standings with Nixyaawii.

Wallowa boys at Powder Valley

When: 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 20.

Records: Wallowa 8-9 overall, 2-1 1A Old Oregon League; Powder Valley 7-9 overall, 1-2 1A Old Oregon League.

OSAA rankings: Wallowa is 44th. Powder Valley is 42nd.

A game of two pretty evenly matched teams will take place in the Powder Valley gym, with Wallowa making the trip in Old Oregon League action.

The Cougars have been on a winning streak lately: Heading into their Friday game at Cove, they’ve notched victories in seven of their last games. Like the girls’ team, the boys will spending a lot more time over the next two weeks on the road — the team doesn’t have another home game scheduled until Feb. 1.

Heading into its Friday night game against Joseph, Powder Valley has dropped five of its last six games.