Top-ranked Joseph wins rubber game with Imbler

Joseph’s Nicke Parks drove for a basket over the defense of Imbler’s Madeline Nilsson Saturday. (Baker City Herald/Kathy Orr)

Each team had won one game against the other during the Old Oregon League season. So Saturday’s title matchup was the rubber game for Joseph and Imbler.

In the end, top-ranked Joseph ran away with a 52-37 win over second-ranked Imbler at Baker High School.

Joseph actually trailed the Panthers 20-15 with 2:39 left in the first half. That’s when the Eagles soared like a bird — Anna Bird, that is.

Bird, who had missed most of the first period after bloodying her nose banging heads with a teammate while diving for a loose ball, turned red hot from beyond the three-point arc. Over a period of about a minute Bird hit three consecutive three-point baskets to lift Joseph to a 24-20 halftime advantage.

Bird had 11 of the Eagles’ 24 first-half points on 3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.

Bird then connected on her fourth straight three-pointer to open the third quarter. Jesse Kohlhepp added a basket to complete a 14-0 run by the Eagles and a 29-20 lead 50 seconds into the second half.

Joseph went on to outscore Imbler 28-17 in the second half and defend its district title.

Bird finished with 19 points and eight rebounds. Paige Bailey and Nicke Parks each added 10 points. Bailey added seven assists. Shelby Harshman had 12 rebounds.

Kiley Dewey led Imbler with nine points. Reva West added four assists. Kira and Chelsea Poe each grabbed nine rebounds, and Sarah Bowers eight.

Imbler hosts Sherman Wednesday in the first round of the Class 1A state playoffs. Joseph hosts the winner of Wednesday’s Columbia Christian-Nixyaawii contest on Friday.

Imbler    13    7    8    9    — 37

Joseph    8    16    13    15    — 52

Imbler (37) — West 2 0-0 6, Dewey 3 3-6 9, Thompson 1 1-2 3, S. Bowers 3 0-0 6, C. Poe 2 1-2 5, Anthony 0 0-1 0, K. Poe 2 1-1 5, A. Bowers, Tally, Crow, Bingaman 0 1-2 1, Nilsson 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 7-14 37.

Joseph (52) — Harshman 1 0-1 2, Bailey 4 1-2 10, Bird 6 2-2 19, Je. Kohlhepp 3 0-0 6, Parks 1 8-10 10, Jo. Kohlhepp, Warnock 2 1-2 5, Williams. Totals 17 12-17 52.

Three-point goals — West 2, Bailey, Bird 5. Fouled out — Thompson. Total fouls — Imbler 15, Joseph 17. Technicals — none.