Stockton Hoffman works against a defender on the edge of the paint.
Stockton Hoffman works against a defender on the edge of the paint. CUJ Photo/Megan Van Pelt

Pendleton boys, girls finish IMC; prepare for round-one playoffs

PENDLETON – Dakota Sams broke his father’s school record for the most three-pointers in a game Feb. 25 when he hit nine against Ridgeway High School in Redmond.
The 95-58 win for Pendleton High School was the final Intermountain Conference game for the Bucks, which won the league title and will play Willamette on the road Saturday, March 7.


Pendleton finished the regular season with a record of 7-2 in league and 18-5 overall.


Ryan Sams, who is an assistant coach, held the record with eight three-pointers set in a game during the 1991-92 season.


Ryan Sams happened to have done it twice – on back-to-back nights in Central Oregon against Crook County and Mountain View.


Ryan Sams said it was nice to witness Dakota break his 28 year old record.


“Having your son beat your record is something special,” Ryan Sams said.


The young Sams went 9 for 14 on his long shots, made one two-pointer and was 5 for 6 from the line to lead the Bucks with 34 points.


Ryan said his shooting percantage wasn’t nearly as good as his son’s.


In the game Feb. 21, Sams scored 18 points in the second half and led Pendleton’s fourth quarter rally over The Dalles Riverhawks. The Bucks outscored The Dalles 29-14 in the fourth period to take a 79-65 win. Sams scored 11 points in the final eight minutes.


On the girls’ side, Pendleton finished the season 8-2 in the IMC and 16-6 overall, upsetting Ridgeview in their final game at home, 60-52. The win avenged an earlier 9-point loss on Ridgeview’s court earlier this year.


Pendleton took a brief lead in the third quarter after three-pointers by Muriel Hoisington and Sami Spriet, but then went scoreless for almost six minutes and trailed by a dozen with just over a minute left in the third quarter.


A 12-0 rally started with a three-pointer by Hoisington and the Bucks grabbed a six point lead, 55-49, with about a minute to go.


Chloe Taber led the Bucks with 16 points while Hoisington, a tribal member, added 14 and added eight assists.


Pendleton girls will be on the road for their first round playoff game Friday, March 6.


Much of this information was garnered from East Oregonian.