Mariah Stacona has averaged 22 points in the past seven games for Madras — six of them wins.

Honestly, Madras has overachieved, at least in the eyes of White Buffaloes coach Mike Osborne.

At the beginning of the season, Madras was without all but three players from last year’s 25-win team that took fourth at the Class 4A girls basketball state tournament. Aside from those three — seniors Inez Jones and Teneasha Adams and sophomore Mariah Stacona — the roster was made up of five freshmen and two sophomores.

Before the season started, Osborne said the key to success would be how quickly this youthful, inexperienced group adapted to the varsity level, as well as to Osborne’s system.

Now, the Buffs (14-11 overall) appear to be hitting their stride, having won six of their past seven games to earn a bid in the state playoffs for the third straight season.

“I think it just comes down to their ability to learn quick and being able to go through a quality, high-intense practice and get something out of it,” says Osborne, whose seventh-seeded team visits No. 2 seed La Grande on Saturday for a 5 p.m. tipoff. “Continue on week to week, being able to improve and progress. … It’s a lot of credit to their willingness to do what I ask them to do and do it to the best of their skill set.”

Madras, which finished tied for second in the Tri-Valley Conference, has made “huge steps” throughout the season, says Osborne, who is in the first year of his second stint as Madras’ head coach 10 years after guiding the White Buffaloes to their first state championship in 26 years. According to Stacona, the Buffs have bonded as a team, come together defensively, and executed better offensively. Madras went from 20 turnovers per game at the start of the season to just 12 in last week’s 44-41 play-in victory over Ontario.

“I just think they’re playing at their potential in the sense of where they’re really at with experience,” Osborne says. “They’re finding out how not to turn the ball over, when to shoot out of our sets, how aggressive you need to be. Where they’ve come from and where they’re at in the sense of learning the game has probably improved the most.”

Before the start of the season, Stacona says, she received “a lot of grief” from naysayers, including fellow students, who doubted that Madras, which graduated all-state selection Abby Scott the previous season, could return so quickly to 4A girls basketball prominence.

“I kind of just brushed it off, just mentally (said), ‘Prove them wrong,’ ” recalls Stacona, who looks to lead the Buffs to what would be their third consecutive trip to the 4A state tournament at Corvallis’ Gill Coliseum. “We definitely surprised some people. … I guess we got to shut them up a little bit.”

Since a 10-point home loss to Gladstone on Jan. 25, the White Buffaloes have turned their season around, picking up six wins in seven games, with only what Osborne describes as a “fluke” — a buzzer-beating shot to give conference champion La Salle a 56-55 win — separating Madras from seven consecutive victories.

While maturity and development of the Buffs have factored into their recent run of success, the play of Stacona and Jones has been pivotal.

“They’re very hard-working and very specific in what they want to get accomplished as far as individual goals,” Osborne says of his stars. “They know down deep that they made huge strides. … These are my two kids, and I’m glad they’re on my team and not yours.”

Stacona has provided significant offensive firepower — as shown by her more than 22 points and seven assists per game during the past seven contests — and has stepped up defensively as well, recording six or more steals five times during the same span. Jones, meanwhile, has given Madras nearly 14 points and seven rebounds per contest during the past seven games.

“We just want to make a statement that no matter who we (play), we’re still trying to aim for that same goal,” Stacona says. “We want to be that team: ‘Uh oh, Madras is back at Gill.’ ”

Osborne’s winning resume instilled confidence into Stacona. And while his leadership has helped tone the basketball skills of Stacona and her teammates, it was another “Coach Oz” trait that earned his sophomore guard’s praise.

“There’s no words that can describe his dedication to this team, all the hours he’s put in,” Stacona says. “It’s great to have him there. … He knows how to win.”

The past two seasons under Rory Oster, now the athletic director at Madras High, the White Buffaloes twice advanced to the state tourney. A foundation of success was set within the program.

While his youthful and inexperienced roster qualifying for the state playoffs is reason enough for Osborne to consider this season a success — with anything after being what he calls the “cherry on top” — Stacona says the Buffs have yet to complete their to-do list.

“There’s more to accomplish,” Stacona says. “One more game. If we can get further in the state playoffs, go to Gill and go to that state championship, that would be great. It’s every team’s dream.”

State playoffs

First-round state basketball playoff games involving Central Oregon teams this weekend (with seeds in parentheses):

Today: Boys basketball

Class 5A first round

• (7) Corvallis at (2) Mountain View, 7 p.m.

• (6) Wilsonville at (3) Redmond, 7 p.m.

• (8) Summit at (1) Churchill, 7 p.m.

Class 4A first round

• (8) Ridgeview at (1) Cascade, 7 p.m.

• (5) Madras at (4) Sutherlin, 6 p.m.

Saturday: Girls basketball

Class 5A first round

• (5) Summit at (4) Corvallis, 5 p.m.

• (7) Marist at (2) Bend, 2 p.m.

Class 4A first round

• (8) Sisters at (1) Mazama, 7 p.m.

• (7) Madras at (2) La Grande, 5 p.m.