Portland hoop fans go all in with prep finals weekend
Portland basketball fans showed themselves off as being ready to celebrate story-lines during the weekend at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center.
In the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union Class 6A Boys and Girls Tournaments, not only did two programs win their first title, but the boys final featured a coach celebrating a title after guiding his team for 42 years, while the girls final featured a 19-point, second-half comeback Saturday
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Barlow of Gresham had alums on hand from five decades of Tom Johnson’s coaching for the Bruins’ 61-55 victory over Jesuit in the boys final. Among the graduates were Freddie Jones, who helped the program to the ‘96 state final before playing at the University of Oregon and then in the NBA.
Tualatin rallied from behind 54-35 with 2:32 left in the third quarter to beat Clackamas, 63-58, in the girls final - the Timberwolves’ first trip to the championship game. The boys’ program, which played in the fourth-place game Saturday morning, won the title in 2022 and ‘23, and was ranked second in the playoffs this season.
North Portland’s Jefferson High celebrated a 60-48 girls victory over Willamette of Eugene Saturday to finish in third, it’s highest placing at Class 6A, and top finish since winning the 5A title in both 2008 and ‘10. Seniors Chauncey Andersen and Abrianna Lawrence were named to the All-Tournament Team for the Democrats.
Jefferson’s girls program played before numerous large crowds this season thanks to rivalry games with Benson and then the semifinals featuring Clackamas and USC-bound guard Jazzy Davidson. The Cavs won 77-57 Friday thanks in part to attempting 27 more free throws.
Jefferson’s win over Willamette put them at 28-2 with losses to just Clackamas and Tualatin in December.
“We got to end our careers here together on a win, that makes it really special,” said Andersen, one of six seniors on the roster. “Now it’s time to look toward college basketball and the pros. The pro game is becoming so much more exciting, 1,000-times more exciting in just the past couple years.”
Portland will join the WNBA in 2026 with an expansion franchise. Jefferson coach Andre Lawrence said the graduating seniors are leaving the program in fabulous shape after playing into the tournament the past two years, especially after claiming a trophy this year.
“This senior group is such a leadership group - they played their butts off to get here,” Lawrence said, “it’s amazing to see what they’ve accomplished. The sophomores and freshmen we have coming back have a lot to look up to.”
Tualatin has a lot to look up to as well. Timberwolves’ freshman guard Love Lei Best earned a unanimous selection to the all-tournament team, and was the top scorer in the final with 26 points.
The WNBA begins with preseason games on May 2. Regular-season games start on May 16.