When you’re looking to make history, it requires an historic performance.
With No. 2 North Clackamas Christian girls basketball looking for the program’s first-ever state title, the Saints turned to twins Keslynn and Kaylee Turner and they delivered.
The two combined for seven made 3-pointers while little sister Melia Turner, a freshman, made one and sophomore Lexis Devries made another for nine on the night for the Saints.
Those triples gave NCCS the early lead and it never relinquished it at the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 1A girls basketball state title game Saturday at Baker High School, downing No. 1 Imbler 60-48.
“We talked about this from our first day of practice starting the season that this was our goal, we all thought it was possible and attainable,” Saints head coach Alicia Meuser said. “That’s fun to see that come to fruition for girls who’ve worked hard all season, super exciting and a little bit surreal.”
Points were hard to come by to start the game for both sides until Melia Turner hit her three, but was met immediately by Imbler sophomore Whitney Haddock hitting a triple herself.
Imbler got another bucket to go up 5-4, but the Panthers never saw the lead again as the Saints’ march started from there.
Kaylee hit a three, followed by a bucket from Keslynn and then another Kaylee three to suddenly make it a 13-5 Saints lead. Kaylee scored inside and then it was Keslynn from deep to make it 18-6 NCCS after the first quarter.
“I thought, ‘I’m glad this is the night,’” Meuser said of the shots falling. “We, historically and statistically, are a pretty decent shooting team. We’ve had nights where we don’t find the bottom of the net for sure. But to drop them like we were in that first half, in that venue, I can’t ask for a lot better.”
The heatcheck continued into the second quarter where now it was Devries turn to get in on the fun, hitting her 3-pointer, followed by another triple from Keslynn to make it 24-8 Saints.
Imbler sophomore London Kunz tried to will her team back into it, hitting a 3-pointer and getting another bucket inside the arc, but Keslynn just went back to hitting threes to make it 32-13 Saints with 3:04 left in the half.
NCCS added two more points to take a 34-19 lead into halftime.
“There was just a couple adjustments I wanted to make on our defense from their high post feeding to the block and just positioning,” Meuser said of the halftime talk. “The more paint touches we get, the wider our shooters are going to get so keep attacking and getting those paint touches and moving the ball and protecting it.”
Each Imbler made shot in the third quarter had a response from the Saints, including another three from Kaylee to put NCCS up 41-25 with 4:52 to go in the frame.
London Kunz made a three and two free throws from Haddock cut the deficit to 41-30 and looked as if the Panthers might have a potential run in them.
But those hopes quickly evaporated as the Saints started forcing some misses and hitting free throws, three of them from Melia, plus a bucket each from Devries and Kaylee to make it 51-33 Saints after three.
“We do rely on our shooting, but when the shots aren’t dropping we’ve got to get other ways on the scoreboard and holding defensively is one of them for sure,” Meuser said. “They did everything they needed to do and didn’t feel as rushed in the second half to pull up those deep threes as quickly, use a little bit of clock.”
The shooting from the Saints cooled down in the fourth, but by then it was a little too late for the Panthers.
London Kunz hit another triple and Haddock one more, but the latter of those shots only made it a 54-43 Saints lead with less than three minutes to go.
The three Turners all hit some free throws in those closing three minutes to seal the deal and secure NCCS’ first state title in program history with the 60-48 victory.
“Melia was here last year, she was sitting behind the bench and she was like, ‘I wanna play,’” Meuser said. “(Keslynn and Kaylee) are definitely ballers, you can see that. They’re wonderful off the court as well, crazy maturity from the older twins and the growth they’ve had this year. They stepped into a leadership role as sophomores because they were so young and just really matured so much through the year.”
Keslynn Turner finished with 22 points on four made 3-pointers while twin sister Kaylee Turner was right behind with 21 points on three made threes. Kaylee also had 14 rebounds while Melia Turner had seven points and seven rebounds. Devries had eight points and four rebounds.
London Kunz made three 3-pointers of her own to finish with 14 for Imbler, Haddock had 11 points and five rebounds.
NCCS shot 46.3% from the field and 42.9% from 3-point range while holding Imbler to 31% and 37.5% in the same categories.
It’s been a steady rise under Meuser as the Saints went 13-10 four seasons ago and lost in the first round of the playoffs. In 2022-2023 they were bounced in the first round again at 15-10 before making the quarterfinals the past two years. The Saints lost in the quarters both years.
Not only was it the first state title for the Saints, but it was the first time the girls team had ever made the semifinals and championship game. It’s also the first girls team state title in any sport at NCCS.
“They’re already trying to figure out where they’re going to hang that board,” Meuser said.
After the game the team was picking up snacks to celebrate, but reality started to set in about overdue homework from the weekend.
But when you bring back the first blue trophy in program history, getting a break from those assignments is another well-earned part of the victory.
“Our principal (Sherri James), I talked to her after the game and I said, ‘I’m pretty sure you could write an excuse so these girls don’t have to do their homework,” Meuser said. “She actually told me, ‘Yeah, they don’t have to do any of it.’ I gotta hold her to that.”
Girls placement games
Fourth/sixth place
No. 3 Country Christian 58, No. 8 Powers 50: Trailing by five early in the fourth quarter, the Cougars needed a big frame if they wanted to come away with the consolation bracket win.
So that’s exactly what they did in a 23-11 advantage to close the game out over the Cruisers and end the season with a bang.
Emma Seubert had nine of her 15 points on the night coming in the fourth while Grace Colvin scored all seven of her points in the final eight minutes. Seubert also had 12 rebounds while Kaze Ethington had 10 points and nine rebounds.
Powers, in its first state tournament in 30 years, still leaves with the sixth place trophy as Danika Bushnell closed the season with 17 points and six rebounds. Starlena Pina had 12 points and four rebounds, and Kendra Bushnell had 11 points.
Third/fifth place
No. 6 Echo 54, No. 12 Crane 49: A high-flying fourth quarter wasn’t enough for Crane to comeback as Echo held on for bronze out in Baker.
Emily Clark tied things up for the Mustangs at 41-41 with 4:47 to go, but that was met with a 3-pointer from Jaycee Campbell to put Echo back in front 44-41, a lead it didn’t lose again.
Kenzie Hendrix had two buckets and a free throw in the final four minutes for the Cougars to help seal the deal to finish with 12 points and five rebounds. Campbell was the leading scorer with 14 points and also had 10 rebounds.
Also contributing big for the Cougars was Cam Estes with six points and 12 rebounds, as well as Lilah Miller with six points and 10 rebounds.
Crane was led by Clark in scoring with 15 points and six rebounds. Kamryn Dunten had 12 points, 14 rebounds and four steals, meanwhile Ava Bowen had 13 points and five rebounds.
austinw@osaa.org
Subscribe
