The West Albany girls basketball team is looking to win its first state title this year. (Photo from Shawn Stinson)

Records are meant to be broken, and the mark for most made 3-pointers in an Oregon girls basketball season didn’t last long.

After Clackamas’ Sara Barhoum set the mark last season with 126 makes from deep, No. 5 West Albany junior Payton Starwalt broke it in the Bulldogs’ 76-46 first-round win over No. 12 Bend last week on March 7 with her 127th make of the season.

Starwalt already helped the Bulldogs pull off the unexpected Mid-Willamette Conference title over strong opponents in No. 8 Silverton and No. 3 South Albany. Now she and the rest of the crew hope to keep surprising people with a potential OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 5A state girls basketball title, which would be the first in program history.

“We had some growing pains in the (nonleague) season, we played some tough teams,” West Albany head coach Shawn Stinson said. “We knew we were facing the gauntlet to start the (league) season with Crescent Valley, South Albany and Silverton all back-to-back. … Our expectations weren’t to sweep on that first rotation, and we ran the table. Then all of a sudden, we just started clicking.”

West Albany won that stretch of games with a 49-42 victory over Crescent Valley, a 72-56 win over Silverton, and then the big upset of preseason state title favorite South Albany with a 40-34 win. The Bulldogs took out the RedHawks again on Fen. 10 with a 60-53 victory.

The Bulldogs are sitting at 21-5 on the year with only one loss coming in league play on Feb. 6 in a 63-53 loss to Silverton. The other four losses are to 6A Sheldon by four, 6A No. 4 South Medford, Bingham (UT) and 4A No. 9 Philomath by six.

Starwalt has been the stalwart with 27 points per game along with four steals and six assists a night, earning her a spot on the all-league first-team. She’s shooting 44% from 3-point range, 57% elsewhere and 90% from the free throw line to go with her record-breaking 127 made 3-pointers, which equates to nearly five makes a game.

“She really turned the page this year and really improved,” Stinson said. “You don’t really think improvement with players that are gifted happens. You might see a little tweak here or there, but my gosh, the kid is absolutely amazing on both sides of the ball.

“Her shooting got better, her range is incredible. Her assortment of ways to get shots is incredible. The way she sees the floor, the kid is the best player I’ve ever coached, hands down.”

It takes more than 127 made 3-pointers though, so the Bulldogs have another flamethrower in junior All-Mid-Willamette first-teamer Natalie Tidwell. She’s made 71 3-pointers this year and is averaging 11 points and five rebounds per game.

One more Bulldog was named to the first-team in 6-foot junior Lola Chamberlain after she’s averaging eight points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

“(Tidwell) tied a state 5A record for a tournament game with seven threes last year,” Stinson said. “She’s been coming on and playing really well. She’s started becoming a multi-dimensional player versus just a shooter.

“Lola Chamberlain is another one, kid has improved immensely. Couldn’t hardly get her to take a shot last year, and now she’s attacking the rim and is basically a second point guard on the floor as a four.”

The fun doesn’t end there with 6-foot-3 sophomore Lily Hamblin clogging the paint for the Bulldogs. She was named to the All-Mid-Willamette second-team with 10 points and a team-high 7.7 rebounds per game. 

Senior Cate Kurth rounds out the all-league team members with an honorable mention, she is averaging six points and two assists per game.

“(Hamblin) is incredibly athletic, she can run, she can jump, she can finish,” Stinson said. “She has really improved with her basketball IQ and her footwork.”

Those players make one of the most talented starting fives fans will see at Linfield University this week when the Bulldogs begin the tournament at 3:15 p.m. Thursday, March 12 against No. 4 Crater.

The Comets took out West Albany 90-62 in the quarterfinals last season en route to winning the state title. Needless to say, the Bulldogs hope to get some revenge.

“I think they’re real excited, I think we all kind of like our matchup,” Stinson said. “They don’t have their big, 6-foot-4 girl in the middle anymore. I think that changes things a little bit, that’s our favor on the inside, we have a lot of length.”

The single-season 3-pointers made record on the boys side is only 132 set by Colby Wood of Butte Falls in 2019.

With only five more makes, Stalwart can claim she’s had the best 3-point shooting season in Oregon high school basketball history, hands down.

But more importantly than that, Stinson wants to see his team play with a confidence that they found during league play.

“I just want to see them play with confidence and play with that grit that they possess,” Stinson said. “Early in the season I think we struggled with that. We’d walk out and I’d know they’re the best team in the gym, but I don’t know if they believed it. I think they’ve begun to start believing it now, so hopefully that carries over.”

The goal when you get to state is always winning a state title, but with a core of juniors and growing confidence, Stinson just wants to see his team leave it all out on the floor and see what happens.

But at the same time, the head coach knows this is a talented team that’s more than capable of being the program’s first to hand some new artwork on the gym walls.

“That’s been the talk since day one, I just told them, ‘Hey, there’s something on the wall up there that’s missing,’” Stinson said. “‘And I think you guys have a great opportunity to put one up there.’”

Boys quarterfinals Wednesday, March 11

No. 9 Crater (19-6) vs. No. 1 Crook County (24-1), 1:30 p.m.: Crater returns to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2022 when the Comets took fourth in 5A. They’ve never reached a state title game. The Comets won on the road at No. 8 Wilsonville in the first round, ending the Wildcats season short of the state tournament for the first time since 2008. Senior Tucker Hopkins led the way with 20 points while junior Malachi Barlow had 12. Crater is 2-2 against quarterfinalists, all four games coming up in league. The Comets beat No. 7 North Eugene twice and lost to No. 4 Thurston twice. … Crook County is the top seed and is back at the 5A state tournament for the first time since 2020 when the tournament was canceled halfway through due to COVID. The Cowboys have never played in a state championship game. Leading the way is senior IMC Player of the Year Bryce Lowenbach who averages 23.3 points, 14.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 blocks and two steals per game for the Cowboys with his 6-foot-10 frame. Helping Lowenbach is All-IMC first-teamer Jace Jonas, a senior, who averages 15.7 points, three assists and 2.7 steals per game at the guard spot. Another 6-foot senior is Hoyt Kudlac, an All-IMC honorable mention, who “does all the little things” according to head coach Jason Mumm. Kudlac averages 5.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. The Cowboys have five more seniors on the team in Gabriel Lopez, Graeme O’Gorman, Ke’nan Twigg, Donnie Kerr and Ryan Quinn. Their one loss this season was 85-60 on the road to No. 5 Summit, but they still won the IMC to break the Storm’s streak of IMC titles. The Cowboys didn’t play any other 5A quarterfinalist squads.

No. 5 Summit (19-6) vs. No. 4 Thurston (20-5), 3:15 p.m.: Summit has made four consecutive state championship games, the last three at the 5A level. The Storm won their first and only state in 2024 at Linfield. Summit has a pair of All-IMC first-teamers in seniors Foster Kettering and Matthew Tompkins. Kettering led the team in scoring with 19.4 points per game while also grabbing 8.5 rebounds and handing out 5.2 assists per night. Tompkins averaged 16.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game and also made the second most 3-pointers on the team with 45. Leading that 3-point category is senior Caleb Branch who hit 50 deep balls this season and averages 12.5 points per game, earning him second-team All-IMC. Junior Andy Bledsoe (5.2 points, 3.9 rebounds per game) and senior Abe Taylor (8 points, 3.1 rebounds per game) were all-league honorable mentions. Summit is 2-2 against quarterfinals teams this year, splitting a set with No. 1 Crook County after beating No. 15 Centennial 70-64 on Dec. 21 and falling to No. 7 North Eugene 61-56 on Dec. 22. … Thurston is looking for revenge after falling to Summit in the quarterfinals last year 54-46 as the higher seed. The Colts have one state title in program history, which came back in 2018. Senior Lucas Labounty powers the Colts as the now two-time Midwestern League Player of the Year. He averaged 24.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game and set the school record for points in a season with 607. Sophomore Treyson Hill is another vital Colt who averaged 13.9 points, four rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this year and earned All-Midwestern first-team honors. Another sophomore in Leofatu Filipe was named a second-teamer with 12.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Senior Logan Piquette was named the Midwestern League Defensive Player of the Year and an honorable mention all-leaguer. Thurston allowed the fewest points of any 5A team this year with 1,117 points against, which equates to only 44.7 points per game. The Colts went 3-1 against their fellow league foes at the state tournament in Crater and North Eugene. The lone loss was to the Highlanders by a 48-46 margin on Feb. 3 after beating them in the first matchup 65-47 on Jan. 13.

No. 6 Canby (18-7) vs. No. 3 Parkrose (23-3), 6:30 p.m.: Canby is back in Linfield after making a miraculous run to the semifinals last season as the No. 14 seed. The Cougars have never made a boys basketball state final. Senior Jaxon Lawson is the engine, now a three-time All-NWOC first-teamer and last year’s NWOC Co-Player of the Year. Lawson averaged 14.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.6 steals in league play this season out of the guard spot. Junior Ben Twitchell was named to the league’s second-team after scoring 10.9 points per game and grabbing six rebounds a night in league play. Junior Cooper Cousin was the team’s second leading scorer with 12.4 points per game and he also contributed 3.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists a night, earning an honorable mention. Seniors Cohen Vandecoevering (7.3 points per game, 25 made 3s) and Dane Edwards (8.4 points, 5.9 rebounds per game) were two more honorable mentions for the Cougars. Canby played in the Les Schwab Invitational this season and is 3-1 against 5A quarterfinalists, which includes two wins over No. 15 Centennial and one over No. 3 Parkrose. The Cougars are the only 5A team to beat Parkrose this season thanks to a 62-61, double overtime road win on Feb. 9. … Parkrose is back at the state tournament for the first time since 2017 when the Broncos finished in third place. They have three state titles to their name, but the last came all the way back in 1982. Senior Adrian “Fuzzy” Montague “was the leader of the team” according to first-year head coach Kendrick Williams, and Montague was named the NWOC Player of the Year. Montague was one of five guys on the team who averaged double figures in scoring along with sophomore Jayden Hall, freshman Victor Norris, senior Varryk Hardges and junior Keone Gates. Parkrose scored the most points in 5A with 1,989, which is 76.5 per game. Hall and Gates were both named All-NWOC second-teamers and Hall shot 50% from the field, 40% from three and 90% from the line. Senior Keion James is another starter who does the dirty work and “was the heart and soul of the team” according to Williams. Norris, Hardges and James were all named All-NWOC honorable mentions. Parkrose also played in the LSI this year and won a couple games over 6A’s Nelson and Barlow. The Broncos three losses are to national-ranked Columbus (FL), 6A quarterfinalist Tualatin and Canby, the latter of which they also beat 72-50 on the road on Jan. 9.

No. 15 Centennial (14-12) vs. No. 7 North Eugene (22-4), 8:15 p.m.: Centennial is the new blood to the 5A state tournament this year, making its return to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1978. The Eagles have never made a state championship game. Sophomore Drake Walsh, an All-NWOC first-team selection, does a little bit of everything for the Eagles with a team-high 14.5 points and 3.3 assists per game, as well as grabbing 7.5 rebounds per game at the guard spot. Another sophomore in 6-foot-11 Dakari Mitchell leads in rebounding with 9.1 a contest, and he is second on the team in scoring with 12.2 points per game. Mitchell was named to the All-NWOC second-team, along with senior Sincere Powe who averaged 11.3 points per game and shot 35.6% from deep. Four Eagles also grabbed honorable mention honors in seniors JeMel Baker (12 PPG, 5.2 RPG), Quentin Neal (7.5 PPG) and Harold Turner, and junior Darius Andrews (10.1 PPG, 2.1 APG). The Eagles got here by pulling off the big 15-over-2 upset of West Albany in the first round 89-74. Centennial is 0-5 against fellow 5A quarterfinalist squads, dropping two games to Canby and Parkrose each and a 70-64 decision to Summit on Dec. 21. The Eagles also played three 6A quarterfinalist teams in their nonleague slate, dropping all three to Tualatin, Oregon City and Grant. … North Eugene returns to Linfield after a one-year break, last making it to the quarters in 2024. The Highlanders have the most state titles of the eight programs left with five under their belt, the last coming in 2007. They won in the first round over No. 10 Central behind 21 points from senior Jordan Gray, an All-Midwestern League first-team selection. The other Highlander on the first-team is senior Zach Fisher. Sophomore Damon Keith was selected to the league’s second-team and the two other starters in junior D’Mariyae Ireland and senior Jayden Robinson were honorable mentions. North Eugene went 2-3 against quarterfinalists, four in league play. The Highlanders beat No. 5 Summit 61-56 on Dec. 22, but lost to Crater twice. They split with No. 4 Thurston 1-1.

Girls quarterfinals Thursday, March 12

No. 8 Silverton (19-7) vs. No. 1 Redmond (24-1), 1:30 p.m.: Silverton is back in Linfield after making the tournament last year and winning the title in 2024. The Foxes are hunting title No. 5 in program history this week. Leading the way are two All-Mid-Willamette Conference first-team selections in senior Allie Mansur and junior Karlee Martirano. Mansur averages 10 points per game along with three assists and two steals. Martirano is the top scorer with 12 points and nine rebounds per game while shooting 80% from the free throw line. Junior Marley Wertz is an all-league second-teamer with 10 points and four rebounds per game while shooting 45% from the field. Freshman Chloe Kuschnick (9 PPG, 39% from 3), freshman Emery Yant (7 PPG, 4 RPG) and junior Ashlyn Davisson (6 PPG, 5 RPG) were honorable selections. The Foxes are 1-5 against fellow quarterfinalists this year, four of those coming in league play. They were the only team to beat No. 5 West Albany in league play, splitting their series. Silverton lost both games to No. 3 South Albany and also fell short against No. 2 Springfield (54-48, Dec. 11) and No. 1 Redmond (54-51, Dec. 13). … Redmond is one of seven returning teams from last year’s state tournament, but the Panthers are looking for their first state title and have never made the final game. Senior Mylaena Norton is now a two-time Intermountain Conference Player of the Year after earning it last year and this season. Norton broke the school record for points scored in a career with 1,187 to her name after averaging 15.3 points per game this season. She also averages 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals a night. On the other end of the spectrum is freshman Kodee Kimball, who scored 36 points in a game this year to break the Redmond record for points scored in a game. Kimball was the Panthers’ leading scorer with 16.4 points per game while also getting 2.9 assists and three steals per game. She was named to the All-IMC first-team. Junior Freya Snow was named the IMC Defensive Player of the Year and to the second-team behind three steals, 9.4 rebounds and 10.2 points per game. Junior Addie Ring is another record-breaker, picking up nine blocks in a game this season for most in school history for a game. Ring averaged 2.4 blocks per game to go along with 6.9 points and 5.8 rebounds to end on the All-IMC second-team. Sophomore Bergen Porter (10.4 PPG, 6 RPG, 2.7 SPG) was named an honorable mention. The Panthers scored the most points in 5A this season with 1,839, which is 73.6 per game, and allowed the fewest with 878, which is 35.1 per game. Redmond went 12-0 in the IMC and its one loss was the first game of the season against Henley on Dec. 4, the No. 5 seed in the 4A state tournament. Redmond has three wins over No. 7 Crook County this year, along with a win over No. 11 Oregon City who will compete in the 6A state tournament.

No. 5 West Albany (21-5) vs. No. 4 Crater (22-4), 3:15 p.m.: For more on West Albany, read the section up top. … The defending state champions in Crater have returned and are looking to repeat and make the final for the third consecutive season. Senior Taylor Young is the engine, as seen by her first round performance in a 90-30 win over No. 13 Canby. Young had 35 points, 12 steals and seven assists in just three quarters of play. Freshman Brynlee Young and senior Jazmine Fernandez had 19 and 18 points, respectively, in the win. The Comets are 1-2 against 5A quarterfinalists, splitting two games with league-foe South Albany and falling to No. 3 South Albany 58-49 back on Dec. 9. They also have two wins over 4A No. 5 Henley.

No. 6 Wilsonville (23-3) vs. No. 3 South Albany (21-4), 6:30 p.m.: Wilsonville is in the quarterfinals once again and is chasing the third state title in program history, the previous two coming in 2001 and 2002. The Wildcats also made the 2010 championship game. Senior Gabi Moultrie, a Utah Valley commit, was named the NWOC Player of the Year and is four-time all-league first-teamer. Moultrie averages 23.4 points, 5.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 3.2 steals per game and makes just under four 3-pointers per game. Senior Fareeda ElManhawy was also named to the All-NWOC first-team after averaging 10.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game while shooting 60.9% from the floor. Senior Finley Blankenship is heading to Concordia Irvine University to play lacrosse but not before she takes her 8.1 points and 2.6 steals per game to Linfield. She was named to the All-NWOC second-team. Sophomore Addi Smith (6.6 PPG, 6.5 RPG) and senior Kaia Hix (5.5 PPG, 2.8 SPG) were honorable mentions. Wilsonville didn’t play any of the 5A quarterfinalists this year but did play some of 6A’s best in No. 1 Tualatin, No. 2 West Linn and No. 5 Sherwood, all losses. … South Albany won the 2024 state title at Linfield and fell to Crater in the final last season. The RedHawks are looking for a second state title. Mid-Willamette Player of the Year Taylor Donaldson is the catalyst for them, a University of Wyoming commit. She’s averaging 24.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and two steals per game and has over 2,000 points scored in her career. Senior Kaylee Cordle was a unanimous first-teamer and was named the Defensive Player of the Year behind 14.4 points, six rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. She’s committed to Lewis and Clark State in Idaho. On the second-team is senior Maddie Angel with 5.8 points, 2.2 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Senior Neveah Ukaoma was an honorable mention with 5.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. South Albany is 3-2 against 5A quarterfinalists, four coming in league with two losses to No. 5 West Albany and two wins over No. 8 Silverton. The RedHawks also beat No. 4 Crater 58-49 on Dec. 9 and have a win over 6A No. 10 Nelson 46-42 back on Dec. 22. 

No. 7 Crook County (18-7) vs. No. 2 Springfield (23-3), 8:15 p.m.: Crook County returned to the 5A level this season and didn’t miss a beat, making the quarterfinals at 5A for the first time since 2022. The Cowgirls made it in 4A last season. Crook County has two girls basketball state titles, the last came all the way back in 1983 however. Freshman McKinley Sloper has been a sensation, making the All-IMC first-team as she leads the team in scoring (18 PPG), rebounds (9.4 RPG) and steals (5 SPG). She has 12 double-doubles this year and a triple-double according to head coach Bob Boback. Junior Anna Bales is a team captain and averages six assists per game, meanwhile sophomore Hayden Decker was named to the All-IMC second-team with 55 made 3-pointers this season and she’s “capable of a double-double every game” according to Boback. The Cowgirls fill in with some tough defenders in junior Grace Henderson, another captain, the lone senior in Harper Smith and sophomore Leila Acuff, the latter of which is a state-champion barrel rider and a true Cowgirl. Crook County is 0-4 against 5A quarterfinalists, three of those losses coming to No. 1 Redmond and the other to No. 2 Springfield, its upcoming opponent, 73-55 back on Dec. 13. … Girls basketball powerhouse Springfield is back from a quarterfinals appearance last season and is in search of the program’s fourth title, first since 2023. Freshman Nuari Filipe led the Millers in scoring with 20 points per game, along with eight rebounds and three assists a night. She made the All-Midwestern League first-team alongside junior Sailor Hall who had 16 points and five rebounds per game, and senior Darissa Romero-Ah Sam who had 11 points, six assists and four rebounds per game. Romero-Ah Sam was also named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. The Millers are 3-1 against 5A quarterfinalists, two coming in league play with a split against No. 4 Crater. They also took out No. 8 Silverton 54-48 on Dec. 11 and No. 7 Crook County 73-55 on Dec. 13.