To take the next step in its evolution as a girls basketball contender, Nelson knew that at some point it had to take down neighborhood rival Clackamas.
Since the Happy Valley school opened in 2021, the Hawks represented little more than a speed bump for the powerhouse Cavaliers, who won each of the first eight meetings by at least 24 points.
That changed Friday, though, when 6A No. 9 Nelson thumped visiting Clackamas 66-40 to end the Cavaliers' Mt. Hood Conference winning streak at 58. The Hawks (9-6, 4-0), whose only conference losses the last two seasons came against Clackamas, now hold a one-game lead over the No. 10 Cavaliers (11-3, 3-1) and Central Catholic (6-8, 3-1).
“I think they may just be coming true to the fact that we did it,” Nelson coach Kasima Knight said. “For some of them, there seems to hold a general notion in their mind that it's this big dragon. They needed to have confidence in themselves. They've trusted the process, and here we are.”
The Hawks got contributions throughout their lineup in Friday's win. Junior guard Nylah Webster (20 points, seven rebounds) and junior post Love Forde (11 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, three blocks) led the way. Freshman forward Aubrey Pentecost (13 points, five rebounds) and senior guard Tatiana Harris (12 points, three assists, three steals) also were integral.
Nelson has won seven in a row since a 2-6 start that included losses to No. 4 Benson, No. 7 Sherwood, No. 3 South Medford, 5A No. 4 South Albany, 5A No. 7 La Salle Prep and St. Joseph's (Calif.).
“It took us a while to get some pieces together,” Knight said. “We definitely needed leadership on the court. It's good to see things starting to click. Confidence of some of the players is starting to come through. Still some stuff to work on, but we're definitely in a very good position.”
The Hawks, who came within one win of making the eight-team state tournament the last two seasons, believe they have the ingredients to not only win their first Mt. Hood title, but contend at state.
“I think we do have a shot at a state title this year,” Knight said. “It's my responsibility to make sure I'm filling the gaps.”
The 6-foot-2 Forde, a third-year starter, is a physical force that anchors the team on both ends of the court. She is averaging 11.2 points and 6.5 rebounds.
“Her numbers across the board have been tremendous,” Knight said. “She's reading the floor very differently.”
The 5-9 Webster, the daughter of former Portland Trail Blazer Martell Webster, provides perimeter scoring. She is putting up a team-high 12.3 points and 3.9 rebounds.
“This is definitely her breakout season,” Knight said. “She had a lot of big numbers last year, but this season she's starting to fill out that stat sheet in ways that truly matter. She's not just seeing herself, she's seeing opportunities for everyone else.”
Webster's freshman sister, Payton, has worked into a starting spot at point guard and is averaging 6.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.7 steals. The 6-1 Pentecost (6.9 points, 6.0 rebounds) and senior point guard Simone Sideris (7.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 2.0 steals) round out the starting lineup. Harris (8.3 points, 2.5 assists) has been steady in running point for the second unit.
Four of Nelson's losses to Oregon teams came by an average margin of 5.3 points. In their other Oregon loss – a 71-50 defeat to South Medford in the Capitol City Classic – the shorthanded Hawks “ran out of legs,” according to Knight.
“Put us back in that scenario again with a full team, I believe that game comes down to the last minute,” Knight said.
Amity deals Regis first loss
Senior Adie Nisly scored 22 points as host Amity knocked off previously unbeaten Regis 64-56 in a nonleague battle between small-school powers Wednesday.
The Warriors (16-2), ranked No. 2 in the OSAAtoday 3A coaches poll, started strong in the first and third quarters and survived the frantic pace of the 2A No. 1 Rams (17-1). Senior Eliza Nisly scored 10 points and seniors Alyssa McMullen and Kylie Wilson added nine points each in the win.
“They’re a very fast team, and we haven’t gotten used to that, so we were really tired,” Wilson said. “We really had to dig deep and hang on to secure the win
“It was really good for us. … We learned that we’re really out of shape and we need to run. We’re going to have to get into better shape for the upcoming games.”
Amity jumped ahead 11-1 and led 22-9 after one quarter. Regis pulled within 35-32 at half behind senior Clara Persons, who scored 11 of her team-high 24 points in the second quarter.
The Warriors scored the first seven points of the second half and extended the lead to 14. The Rams once again fought back, coming as close as 57-53 with 2:24 left in the game, but could not catch up.
Freshmen Lexi Lulay and Frankie Koehnke added 14 and 10 points, respectively, for Regis.
The Rams rebounded to defeat Sheridan 81-20 on Friday and Oakland 66-27 on Saturday.
-- Jeremy McDonald contributed to this report
Notes: Mapleton junior Lucie Burruss has surpassed 1,000 career points. Burruss, who is averaging 20.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.6 steals per game, reached the milestone Jan. 12 in a 1A nonleague win over Triangle Lake when she had 28 points, eight rebounds and eight steals. … Umatilla freshman Peytan Fullerton scored a school-record 37 points to lead her team past McLoughlin 62-29 in a 3A Eastern Oregon League game. She also had seven rebounds, two assists and three steals. … Senior guard Kiana McNeil of 2A Waldport followed a quadruple double Jan. 13 against Toledo (13 points, 12 rebounds, 13 assists, 10 steals) with a triple double Jan. 16 against Monroe (18 points, 12 rebounds, 12 steals). Her team won both games. … In three wins last week, Dufur junior Hailee Pechanec racked up 70 points, 40 rebounds and 11 steals. For the season, she is averaging 18 points, 13 rebounds and four steals per game for the 1A Rangers.
jerryu@osaa.org
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