Top performers from the PIL Showcase
The best league in Oregon, 6A’s PIL, displayed its talent at the PIL Showcase at Marshall High all day Saturday. Each PIL team, save for Benson, participated. Wilson started the day by beating Franklin 67-53, Lincoln followed by edging Roosevelt 55-54 and Madison topped Cleveland 68-64. Then, there was the big one. In the most highly anticipated game of the day (season?) Jefferson beat Grant in an 81-80 overtime thriller. The two teams proved why they’re the state’s best. Here are the top performers from the day.
(Pictured: Lincoln warms up before their victory over Roosevelt.)
Marcus Tsohonis, Jefferson junior
In the marquee game, it was Tsohonis who especially showed out. The most talented player in the class of 2019, Tsohonis racked up 35 points including eight in overtime to lead the Democrats past the Generals. His runner late in overtime proved to be the game-winning basket.
Ty Rankin, Grant junior
Prior to their first matchup, many thought Grant couldn’t hang with Jefferson. The Generals have proved them wrong–but they haven’t been able to beat the Democrats, twice falling in narrow contests. On Saturday, it was Rankin who led the way with 21 points. Grant has a variety of offensive weapons (Aaron Deloney, Darius Guinn and Kelton Samore can all score), but it was Rankin, an athletic wing, who paced them in their overtime loss.
Tre Ratcliff, Madison junior
The Senators topped Cleveland in an exciting 68-64 game on Saturday and it was Ratcliff who provided 32 points to propel them to victory. Madison might be the surprise of 6A. Although they’ve played a relatively soft schedule, the Senators have started 10-1, with their only loss being to Grant.
Rowan Anderson, Cleveland senior
The Warriors lost, but Anderson put up an impressive performance, totaling 31 points. One of the better scorers in the PIL, Anderson hit six treys. Said coach Dondrale Campbell before the season of his prized lefty: “He is a creative scorer who can score from anywhere on the floor.”
Bryce Sloan, Lincoln senior
Lincoln returns their entire team from last season; none more important than Sloan. In a tight game against Roosevelt, Sloan totaled 19 points despite sitting the second quarter with foul trouble. He didn’t hit his three-pointers, but he played well inside the arc and iced the game with two game-winning free throws with four seconds left.
Jaylen Lyday, Roosevelt senior
Lyday might be a surprising name to find here, but he was Roosevelt’s top performer on Saturday. On a night when Roughrider star Bostyn Holt wasn’t quite himself (recovering from pneumonia), Lyday stepped up with 17 points. His two field goals in the final two minutes gave Roosevelt a 53-49 lead, but Roosevelt couldn’t quite hang on to beat Lincoln.
NEXT: There’s more PIL action on Tuesday. Madison plays at Wilson, Grant at Benson, and Franklin will be at Roosevelt. The most intriguing matchup might be Lincoln at Jefferson. The Democrats are likely to run away with it (they could win by 30), but if everything goes perfectly for the Cardinals, it could be a close game.
Follow more prep hoops coverage from Hayes Gardner on Twitter, @HayesGardner.