South Medford senior Joey Clevenger has returned after missing a month with a broken foot. (Photo by Brandon Fullenwider)

Prior to last season, South Medford ruled 6A Southwest Conference boys basketball, running the table for three consecutive seasons.

The Panthers had a 37-game conference winning streak before it ended last year at the hands of Sheldon, which completed its own perfect run in claiming the Southwest title.

So Friday, when South Medford dominated the second half to beat visiting Sheldon 62-50 – ending the Irish's 19-game conference winning streak and getting payback for a Jan. 8 road loss by the identical score – the Panthers sent a message.

“We want the league back,” South Medford coach James Wightman said.

South Medford (15-6, 7-1) and Sheldon (15-6, 7-1) are tied for first place with four games remaining. The Panthers must finish out their schedule with four road games, but after seven consecutive wins, they are surging with momentum.

“We're trending in the right direction,” Wightman said. “We set a goal before the season, 'We can go 10-2 in league, and if that wins it, that wins it.' Now the boys are like, 'We're not going to go 10-2, it's 11-1.'”

South Medford's chances at a Southwest title were in serious jeopardy Friday when Sheldon scored the last 11 points of the first half to lead 33-25. Wightman challenged his players at halftime.

“I said, 'You guys are talking about winning a conference title, and you don't look like real contenders, you look like fake contenders,'” Wightman said. “I don't think they liked that very well.”

The Panthers turned the tide in the third quarter behind a spark from freshman point guard Jorge Pacheco. The 5-foot-9 Pacheco, who sat with foul trouble during Sheldon's late run in the first half, scored his team's first seven points after the break and recorded 11 of his 13 points in the third quarter.

“Jorge was like, 'All right, I'm going to go out there and show you,'” Wightman said. “They kind of jumped on the shoulders of the freshman. We all kind of started gelling.”

South Medford took the lead midway through the third quarter. Senior guard Joey Clevenger took it from there, scoring nine of his team-high 14 points in the fourth quarter as the Panthers pulled away.

“That's the best we've played by far, especially in the second half,” Wightman said. “After the game, the guys were giving me heck, like, 'Oh yeah, see James? Fake, huh?' It was all in love.”

The return of the 6-1 Clevenger, the team's leading scorer with an 11.7 average, has given South Medford a jolt. He suffered a broken foot in a game Dec. 20 and missed a month after having surgery.

With Clevenger out, the Panthers went on a four-game losing streak that culminated with the loss at Sheldon. He returned for a Jan. 20 game against North Medford, but after two games, had foot discomfort and went back to wearing a boot. He came off the bench Feb. 3 against North Medford and returned to the starting lineup against Sheldon.

“He's still not himself. He's probably 85 percent,” Wightman said.

South Medford has three returning starters from a team that finished 11-13 last season in Clevenger, 6-5 senior wing Jed Johnson (11.6 points, 7.1 rebounds) and senior guard Quinton Ritchie (7.7 points, 3.7 assists).

They have been joined in the starting lineup by Pacheco (7.3 points, 3.4 assists) and 6-0 senior wing Jake Von Strahl (7.3 points, 39 three-pointers). Scottie Miller, a 6-2 freshman guard, is averaging 9.4 points off the bench.

South Salem overcomes West Salem

The 6A Central Valley Conference also has a tie for first place after South Salem rallied to beat visiting West Salem 80-77 on Friday.

The Saxons (16-4, 6-1) cut a 17-point, third-quarter deficit to 63-62 entering the fourth quarter and made the key plays down the stretch to turn back the Titans (10-9, 6-1).

Senior guard Teagan Scott made two free throws to break a tie in the final minute and senior forward Brayden Fleener split two free throws to make it 80-77 with six seconds left. The Saxons sealed the win by stealing the ensuing inbounds pass.

The 5-11 Scott scored 18 of his team-high 32 points in the second half. Junior guard Brett Gill made four three-pointers and added 14 points for South Salem, which avenged a 78-75 loss at West Salem on Jan. 20.

Sophomore guard Jonah Munns led West Salem with 30 points, scoring 13 in the first quarter, when he hit three three-pointers. Senior guard Jack Lapray made three three-pointers and finished with 16 points for the Titans.

Adrian takes down No. 1 Union

Unranked Adrian upset No. 1 Union 76-67 in overtime in a 1A nonleague game Thursday, ending the Bobcats' 18-game winning streak.

Junior center Braysen Jordan scored 23 points to lead the host Antelopes (18-3), who have won 12 in a row. Senior forwards Brooks Martin and Silvestre Rico added 16 and 15 points, respectively.

Adrian led 37-26 at half and 48-40 after three quarters before Union (20-2) came back to force overtime behind senior guard KJ Klebaum, who scored 11 points in the fourth quarter. In overtime, the Antelopes got four points from Rico and three points from junior guard Trey Bayes.

Klebaum scored 30 points to lead the Bobcats, who also got 17 points from junior forward Landon Fratzke.

Notes: Nixyaawii sophomore guard Kash Bronson set a school record by scoring 47 points to lead a 71-66 home win over Cove in a 1A Old Oregon League game Feb. 3. … Senior Josiah Jackson of 1A St. Stephen's Academy put up 33 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, six steals and three blocks as his shorthanded team overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to win at Damascus Christian 54-51 on Feb. 5. Jackson, who passed 1,000 career points this season, is averaging 22 points, nine rebounds, four assists and three steals.