Bates, Ranstrom move on
Alan Dale/Columbia Basin Herald<br> Big Bend's Jeff Ranstrom (left) and Dana Bates have parlayed strong basketball careers at the school into scholarship offers at NAIA schools to continue their careers next season.
MOSES LAKE — Big Bend Community College basketball players Jeff Ranstrom (left) and Dana Bates announced their future intentions recently about where each plan to continue their careers.
Bates, has signed with NAIA Division 1 program, Westminster College of Salt Lake City.
The Warden native will pursue a Market Management major and a lot of rebounds for her new team, coming off of a 27-7 and Sweet 16 national tournament appearance.
J.D. Gustin, Westminster’s coach, said, “Dana has a special ability to rebound the ball and her toughness is really going to help us.”
Bates averaged 17.4 points-per-game and 10 rebounds-per-game for the Lady Vikings this recently completed season.
“Westminster has a good team and a good coach and they play my style,” Bates said. “They like to run and fast break. They’re a good team so I will have to work hard to get playing time.”
Ranstrom plans to continue his career with his wife Ivory at Eastern Oregon University in LaGrande, Ore.
The bruising forward liked the EOU program’s discipline and their intentions to have him face up more while helping him build toward a professional education career.
“It is a better fit for me and my wife and I felt like they ran a program like how I’d run one some day,” Ranstrom said. “The coaches told me to work on shooting a lot of jumpers this summer so I will probably be facing up a lot more and it will definitely be different than what I am used to. It will definitely add a different aspect to my game.”
Ranstrom will hope to help along a team coming off of a 23-9 season in NAIA play and a run to the second round of the national tournament.
Ranstrom noted the school’s location as important to he and his wife who are from Eagle, Idaho and Warden respectively, and their families being close by to come watch him play.
Ranstrom averaged 15.8 ppg and 8.5 rpg while shooting 50 percent from the field and 62 percent from the free throw line this season for the Vikings which finished their season at the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) championship tournament.
“I really enjoyed my time here,” Ranstrom said. “I really feel it was a blessing for me to attend Big Bend these last two years and play for this program.”