PORTLAND – One year after making a miraculous comeback to win the state championship, Tualatin's girls basketball team found itself on the other end of a seemingly impossible finish Friday night at the Chiles Center.
South Medford senior post Mayen Akpan caught a lob pass by senior guard Dyllyn Howell from about 35 feet away and scored at the buzzer to give the Panthers a 56-55 win over the Timberwolves in the semifinals of the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union 6A tournament.
Tualatin sophomore point guard Love Lei Best made two free throws with 5.3 seconds left to put her team ahead 55-54. After a timeout, the Panthers inbounded and senior Jordan Barlow passed to Howell, who dribbled just past half-court and heaved the ball toward the basket. The 6-foot-3 Akpan was waiting to redirect the ball into the hoop as she fell to the floor.
Bedlam ensued as the Panthers swarmed Akpan.
“It just felt like it was in slow motion,” Akpan said. “I knew I could catch it, it was just depending on if it would go in or not. But all those missed layups, that one made up for it.”
The play worked out just like South Medford coach Tom Cole drew it up during the timeout. Cole said he knew the Panthers had enough time for about five dribbles.
“If you get two of them before you cross the half-court, you've got a chance to make a reasonable pass of 30 feet or less,” Cole said. “We knew that the backside was going to be open because they were going to pressure. We were able to make one extra pass, and Dyllyn made an unbelievable pass, and Mayen executed it.”
No. 4 South Medford will go for its second title in three seasons when it meets No. 2 West Linn (25-3) in the final at 9 p.m. Saturday. For top-seeded Tualatin (25-2), which suffered its first loss to an Oregon team this season, the dream of a repeat came crashing down.
“It was great for girls basketball. It was a great game,” Timberwolves coach Wes Pappas said. “Everybody will remember where they were when Mayen Akpan made that shot. It was one of the most incredible finishes that we've seen. When (Howell) released that thing, I was like, 'Game over.'”
The San Diego State-bound Akpan was sensational, dominating inside with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Howell added 17 points, leading a second-half comeback with four three-pointers.
Tualatin led by 12 points in the first half and went into halftime ahead 24-16. But the Timberwolves couldn't pull away from the Panthers, who stayed within striking distance.
“We were able to just kind of chip back and chip back,” Cole said. “Then I felt in the third quarter, they started believing.”
The Panthers were behind 33-23 in the third quarter when Howell caught fire. She made all four of her three-pointers in a two-minute, 16-second span to cut the lead to 38-37. Senior guard Malia Taulani drove for a basket to give South Medford its first lead at 39-38 late in the third quarter.
The hot streak was nothing new to Howell, who has had games of nine and seven three-pointers this season.
“I feel like after I made my first three, I was like, yep, it's like it's go-time,” said Howell, a Sacramento State commit.
The Panthers went on an 8-0 run to lead 50-44 with 3:59 left. They got two baskets from Akpan, a three-pointer by Taulani and a free throw from Howell in the surge.
But the 5-7 Best – who led Tualatin's comeback from a 19-point, third-quarter deficit to beat Clackamas in last year's final – appeared as if she was going to will the Timberwolves to the victory. In the final four minutes, she scored nine points and made an assortment of other plays to wipe out the six-point deficit.
On Tualatin's last possession, she drove and drew a foul on junior Payton Andersen, then calmly dropped two free throws to put her team ahead.
“I knew we were capable,” said Best, who finished with a team-high 18 points, six assists and six steals. “I believe in the girls. We all believe in each other. We just kept grinding and fighting. We thought we had it, but ...”
Howell's pass caught the Timberwolves by surprise.
“I didn't even know she was throwing it to anybody,” Best said. “I thought she was chucking up a shot.”
Said Pappas: “When she released that thing, I was like, 'Game over.' … It was like a one-in-ten-thousand play.”
The win was redemption of sorts for South Medford, which lost to Tualatin in the quarterfinals last season. The Panthers came to the Chiles Center with a bit of a chip on their shoulder.
“They were what everyone picked to win the state championship,” Cole said of the Timberwolves. “They were the perennial No. 1 all year long. I felt like our kids had something to prove tonight, that we belong at least in the conversation....
“I felt like, in the end, the better team won tonight.”
South Medford must refocus and get ready to face West Linn in the final. When the teams met in the Capitol City Classic on Dec. 22, the Lions won 65-53.
No. 2 West Linn 55, No. 3 Benson 44: The Lions (25-3) dominated the second half to defeat the Astros (25-3) and earn a berth in the final. They were runners-up to St. Mary's Academy in their only other finals appearance in1985.
Senior point guard Reese Jordan, a Washington State commit, had 16 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead West Linn. Junior guard Kaylor Buse had 14 points and eight rebounds and senior guard Ayla Arnold added 10 points and three steals.
“We played really good defense, and just locked them down,” Lions coach Brooke Cates said. “And we were pretty aggressive on offense, too. We just played with a level of confidence that you need when you're at the Chiles Center.”
Cates said her players have grown since losing in the quarterfinals last year.
“These kids are a year older and they're playing with a different level of maturity,” she said.
Benson, bidding to play in the final for the second time in three years, struggled on offense, shooting 29 percent (15 for 51). Sophomore guard Kemara Phillips (10 points), senior guard Kelyn Johnson (nine points, five rebounds) and senior forward Samarah Massey (eight points, 11 rebounds) led the Astros.
Benson 6-2 sophomore post Jayla Lackey, who had 25 points and 20 rebounds in a quarterfinal win over Oregon City, finished with six points on 2-for-3 shooting. Cates credited the defense of 5-10 sophomore post Kinley Buse on Lackey.
“Kinley is an exceptional defender, and tough,” Cates said. “:And we had good weak-side help. It's a team effort when you have a player like her. The team rotated well. We knew where she was all the time.”
The Astros led 9-5 before West Linn took the lead for good. Sophomore guard Brie Balensifer hit a three-pointer in an 8-0 run as the Lions pulled ahead 13-9.
Jordan, Buse and senior wing Sophie Maxwell had baskets to extend the lead to 19-11 in the second quarter. Benson closed the gap to 28-25 at halftime.
West Linn made its break by scoring nine consecutive points in the third quarter to open a 45-30 lead. Arnold, Buse, Jordan and Balensifer each had baskets in the flurry.
jerryu@osaa.org
Subscribe
