Boosted by two impact freshmen, Sherwood's girls basketball team appeared ready to make a jump last summer when it led reigning 6A champion Tualatin at halftime.
“That was definitely one of those moments where everybody was kind of looking around going, 'We're good,'” coach Matt Sanders said.
Sure enough, the Bowmen have been turning heads all season. After finishing 10-15 last year, they are 19-3 overall, 9-0 in the Pacific Conference, and No. 7 in the OSAAtoday 6A coaches poll.
The two freshman starters – 5-foot-10 point guard Zoe Sanders and 5-10 guard Audrey Poulivaati – have combined with 6-2 senior wing Tenley Bozeman and 5-5 senior guard Natalie Romig to turn Sherwood into a force that is demanding attention.
“The real question mark was the freshmen,” Matt Sanders said. “I'd be lying if I said I thought we'd be 19-3. We're better than I thought we were going to be. The freshman impact is more than I anticipated.”
Sherwood is getting stellar play from senior captains Bozeman and Romig. Bozeman, committed to Division II Colorado School of Mines, is leading the team in scoring (16.2), rebounding (8.5) and blocked shots (3.1). Romig is putting up 8.6 points and has made a school-record 55 three-pointers, shooting 35 percent from behind the arc.
The freshmen are filling up the stat sheet. The left-handed Sanders is averaging 11.0 points, 6.0 assists and 3.4 steals and has made 41 three-pointers. Poulivaati is contributing 7.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.8 steals and 2.1 blocks.
Sanders, the coach's daughter, puts consistent pressure on the defense by attacking the rim.
“Her impact is through the roof,” Matt Sanders said. “Zoe's motor is elite. She doesn't get tired.”
Poulivaati has become a defensive stopper for the Bowmen. In both of Sherwood's conference wins over second-place Century, she has held her own inside against Jaguars senior Kiara Green, a 6-5 Stanford commit. She helped limit Green to 12 points in Friday's 55-40 home win.
“She's so strong and agile,” Matt Sanders said of Poulivaati. “We've got like six or seven defensive wizards, but Audrey is in a league of her own.”
Sanders and Poulivaati, longtime club teammates at Northwest Select, are part of an outstanding freshman class. Last year, Sherwood eighth-graders (minus Poulivaati) left their club teams and combined forces to lead the Bowmen to a state championship.
“They wanted to play one year of Sherwood girls basketball for their school team,” Matt Sanders said. “They kind of showed the state, whoa, Sherwood's got some girls coming up.”
The deep freshman class has bolstered Sherwood's JV team, which has won all but one game this season.
If that's not encouraging enough, more help is on the way in 6-0 guard Flo Borchardt, an eighth-grader who already has an offer from Stanford. She is the daughter of former Stanford players Curtis Borchardt and Susan King. Her fifth-grade sister, Franci, also is a standout player.
“I think we've entered a new era of Sherwood girls basketball,” Matt Sanders said. “We've got our youth really dialed in. We've got kids at every level. It's super competitive, and the community is all bought in. I feel like we're going to be really good for a very long time.”
Sherwood has two losses to Oregon teams, both at home. The Bowmen fell to No. 4 Benson 62-46 in their season opener and No. 6 Southridge 60-47 on Jan. 6. In the latter, they led by three points in the fourth quarter before going cold.
Sherwood holds win over three conference leaders. The Bowmen went on the road to beat 5A co-No. 6 Wilsonville 54-49 and 6A No. 8 Nelson 67-64 early in the season and topped 6A No. 9 West Salem 58-46 at home Jan. 30.
Sherwood is looking to lock up its second Pacific title in three seasons, then can turn its attention to the 6A playoffs.
“I think we've got a chance to make a run at the Chiles Center,” Matt Sanders said. “I feel like we're really going to make a run at state next year.”
Starwalt pours in 51
West Albany junior point guard Payton Starwalt recorded the 21st 50-point game in state history when she scored 51 points to lead the No. 4 Bulldogs to an 81-26 win at Corvallis in a 5A Mid-Willamette Conference game Friday.
Starwalt shot 20 of 30 from the field, including 5 of 11 from three-point range, and made all six of her free throws. She also had six assists, seven steals and five rebounds.
The 5-7 Starwalt raised her season scoring average to 27.1. She is shooting 49 percent from the field, including 43.6 percent on three-pointers (95 for 218), and 90 percent on free throws. She averages 5.5 assists and 3.4 steals.
Starwalt's 95 three-pointers ranks No. 6 on the state's all-time single season list. Sara Barhoum of Clackamas set the record by making 126 last season.
No. 1 Country Christian flexes
Country Christian showed why it is No. 1 in the OSAAtoday 1A coaches poll with an impressive 45-30 win over 2A No. 4 Bandon on Saturday, ending the Tigers' winning streak at 13.
The Cougars (22-3) raced to a 15-3 lead after one quarter, and after Bandon (22-3) pulled within five points after three quarters, Country Christian closed out the victory in the neutral-site game played at Umpqua Valley Christian.
Seniors Cara Mulhern (12 points) and Emma Seubert (11 points, seven rebounds, four assists) and freshman Adelynn Smith (12 points, five rebounds, four steals) led the Cougars, who won their ninth consecutive game. Senior Kaze Ethington pulled down 11 rebounds and played strong defense on Bandon senior Caitlyn Michalek.
It was the final regular-season game for both teams. On Friday, Country Christian won at 1A No. 10 Umpqua Valley Christian 60-41.
jerryu@osaa.org
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