Sabrina Hoffman comes to a stop before shooting in a Feb. 16 loss to Burns in John Day. The Eagle/Luke Johnson

JOHN DAY – It’s been a season of steady improvement for the Grant Union girls, but the gains weren’t enough to top a formidable Burns team in the final home game.

The Feb. 16 game ended with the Prospectors losing 34-64 to the Hilanders, the best team in the Eastern Oregon League.

The Hilanders came into the game scoring fast, and the Prospectors were in a 16-5 hole at the end of the first period.

The Prospectors worked hard to handle the Hilanders’ full-court press but couldn’t contain the scoring attack. Burns’ standout senior Jessica Clemens led the visitors to a 33-11 halftime lead.

The Prospectors found their offense early in the second half as Jacee Retherford stole a pass and drove the length of the court for a short jumper. Hilary Ashmead followed with another basket, and Grant Union closed the gap to 33-15.

Burns reeled off an 11-2 run behind two three-pointers by Clemens and led 46-19 going into the fourth quarter.

Grant Union continued to play hard the rest of the way but it was an uphill battle.

Despite the loss, Grant Union Coach Ryan Carpenter was pleased the with the improvement shown by his team throughout the season.

“I thought our team ended the season on a good note,” said Carpenter. “They handled the trap well, and Hilary had the game of the season – which she really deserved because she played very hard.

“As a team we were calm and composed and that came with maturity. Things finally clicked and I just hope we can carry that into the summer and play well next year.”

Senior Sarah Cary had mixed emotions about playing her last game as a Prospector.

“It’s really sad because this is the last time I’ll ever play high school basketball,” said Cary. “I’m just glad I got to finish it with the teammates that I had. I wish I had five more years with them.”