PORTLAND – Less than 24 hours after its reigning 6A champion girls basketball team suffered a devastating semifinal loss at the buzzer, Tualatin's boys delivered with one of the most stunning victories in state championship game history Saturday at the Chiles Center.
Down by five points with nine seconds left, junior guard Pat Vialva Jr. made two three-pointers to give the fourth-seeded Timberwolves (24-5) a dramatic 70-69 win over No. 2 Central Catholic (24-6) in the final of the OSAA/On Point Community Credit Union 6A tournament.
“I'm built for moments like this,” Vialva said. “The moment makes it better.”
The title is the third in five seasons for Tualatin, the champion 2022 and 2023, and lifted the school's spirits after the girls crushing loss.
“Last night was so heartbreaking,” Timberwolves coach Bubba Lemon. “The girls looked at me today when I saw them in the gym, and they said, 'Go get it for us, please.' I said, 'We got you.'”
Tualatin trailed by seven points with 57 seconds left and was down 69-64 after Central Catholic senior Donovan Miller made two free throws with nine seconds to go. But the Timberwolves refused to go quietly.
“I told the team, 'Don't give up, play until the end, no matter what,'” senior guard Jemai Lake said.
After a timeout, the Timberwolves passed it up the floor to the 6-foot Vialva, who hit a three-pointer while drawing a foul from Rams 6-7 senior Jalen Nicholson with six seconds left, making it 69-67.
“I knew right then and there we were going to win the game,” Vialva said.
Vialva missed the ensuing free throw on purpose, and Tualatin 6-6 junior forward Damian Olvera tipped the ball out to junior guard Carter Lemon behind the three-point line. Lemon misfired on a three-pointer, but the officials had stopped play because the clock did not start on Olvera's tip.
The Timberwolves were given the ball on the side with 5.8 seconds on the clock. They plotted for the final shot.
“Junior said, 'I want to shoot the three,' and I said, 'Win the game, baby,'” Bubba Lemon said. “We both knew that he or Jemai was going to hit it. If they were going to take away Jemai, we were going to find a way to get it to Junior.”
Olvera received the inbounds pass and flipped the ball into the corner to Vialva, who made a fading three-pointer over Nicholson for a 70-69 lead with 1.2 seconds to go.
“I have long hair, so my hair was in my eyes,” Vialva said. “And Jalen's a tall guy, so he had a hand in my face. I'm short, so I've got to get up as high as I can to extend over him. … I knew it was going in. It was cash.”
Lake was an option on the final play, but the Rams took away his cut for a layup, so the Timberwolves turned to Vialva.
“They covered 'Mai, so I got the ball,” Vialva said. “One-two, pull-up three, the rest is history. Ball game.”
Lake said that Vialva has been clutch all season.
“I trust him with a lot of shots,” Lake said. “He hits them, so I'm going to keep trusting him. I'm going to miss playing with him, but it was a great season.”
Central Catholic senior point guard Zamir “Bam” Paschal missed on a three-quarter-court heave at the buzzer, setting off a wild for Tualatin,which got payback for a 59-53 loss to the Rams in December.
Lake and Vialva each scored 27 points to lead Tualatin. Lake shot 8 of 15 from the field, including 2 of 6 from three-point range, and hit all nine of his free throws. Vialva went 8 of 13 from the field, making 5 of 8 from behind the arc, and added seven rebounds.
Bubba Lemon marveled at how Lake and Vialva – both 20-point-per-game scorers – played off each other this season.
“It's something special,” Lemon said. “You can't replicate that. They're definitely the best backcourt in the state. There's no doubt about it. Those two, they play for each other and love each other.”
Vialva, who transferred to Tualatin from West Linn as a sophomore, said that Lake is the best player he's ever played with.
“He's a really awesome guy,” Vialva said. “He's humble. I love that guy so much. I learn from him. He's my big brother at this point.”
One night after Paschal scored 19 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter for a come-from-behind semifinal win over Jesuit, it appeared as if he was going to carry the Rams to their second title in three seasons.
After going scoreless in the first half, the 6-1 Paschal scored 23 points in the second half, 15 coming in the fourth quarter. He made four consecutive free throws in the final 31 seconds to keep the lead at six points.
“He's a phenomenal player,” Bubba Lemon said of Paschal.
But Central Catholic's imminent celebration was foiled by the heroics of Vialva. The Rams and their boisterous throng of supporters were left stunned by what unfolded in the final nine seconds.
“Tough way to lose. Tough way to go out,” Rams coach David Blue said. “I feel bad. … But things happen. Kids are competing. They made some big shots at the end. You've got to give them credit.”
jerryu@osaa.org
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