Les Schwab Invitational Day 2: Top Performers (Consolation Bracket)
The 23rd annual Les Schwab Invitational continued on Thursday and fans were once again treated to eight full games full of talent, intrigue, and competitiveness. Here’s a look at the Third Session on Thursday, the Consolation Bracket games. Barlow 94,…
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Continue ReadingThe 23rd annual Les Schwab Invitational continued on Thursday and fans were once again treated to eight full games full of talent, intrigue, and competitiveness.
Here’s a look at the Third Session on Thursday, the Consolation Bracket games.
Barlow 94, Churchill 85 (OT)
In a fast-paced game from the jump, Barlow survived some hot three-point shooting from Churchill to make a second half comeback and force overtime, where some clutch play from junior guard Jesse White helped the Bruins to the win. White finished with a career-high 39 points. Churchill was led by juniors Silas Bennion with 26 points and Brian Goracke with 21 points and nine rebounds.
Skyview 67, South Salem 60
The game was close throughout, but Skyview rode the hot hand of star senior guard Alex Schumacher to the win. “Schu” finished with 26 points and junior forward Kyle Gruhler notched a double-double of 11 points and ten rebounds. South Salem placed four players in double figures, led by junior guard Trey Galbraith with 17 points.
Columbia Christian 82, Southridge 71
After a very rough game on Wednesday, Columbia Christian bounced back in a big way with a solid win over Southridge. Sophomore Ben Gregg was a big reason why, as the talented forward posted a triple-double of 36 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists to go along with four blocks and two steals. Brock Henry tallied 29 points for the Skyhawks in the loss.
Grant 73, Tigard 51
Grant cruised to an early lead and never really looked back as it cruised its way to a big win over Tigard. Aaron Deloney continued his high-scoring exploits with 33 points and backcourt mate Ty Rankin added 21. Drew Carter posted 21 points while Stevie Schlabach added 14 points for the Tigers in the loss.
Here are the top performers from those games:
Silas Bennion (2020 Churchill) – The diminutive point guard had a big game. Known as a shooter, the 5-foot-9 junior hit 4-for-7 from three point range, but also made some tough drives to the basket where he finished strong near the basket. Defensively he was extremely active with his hands. He struggled a little with turnovers but was overall solid with his decision making.
Brian Goracke (2020 Churchill) – Goracke impressed for the second game in a row and had a more productive statline against more even competition. The junior looked great on his three-point jumper (hitting three) and was strong going to the basket. In transition on one play, he caught the pass and threw down a one-handed hammer dunk while getting fouled that drew plenty of appreciation from the crowd. Goracke’s blend of athleticism and skills have several schools intrigued and we’ll have an update posted on him soon.
Jesse White (2020 Barlow) – White had a little better shooting day than he did on day one, and ended up with a career-high 39 points. He shot the ball fairly well from distance and was also able to convert on a number of drives to the basket. Also adding to his day was the fact he fought hard on the boards and contributed seven rebounds.
Evan Inglesby (2020 Barlow) – It was another day at the office for Inglesby as he filled the stat sheet in several categories – 20 points, six rebounds, six assists while shooting 50 percent from the floor, scoring both on drives to the basket and from distance. Inglesby did turn an ankle late in the game so it remains to be seen if he will play again in the tournament.
Alex Schumacher (2019 Skyview) – The 6-foot-2 senior has been very impressive in the tournament thus far and on Friday he was really on target, shooting 9-for-15 from the field (including 3-for-5 from three) on his way to a game-high 26 points. The combo guard is currently hearing from a number of GNAC programs but is still hopeful for some more serious Division I interest.
Trey Galbraith (2020 South Salem) – When you think of a guard at South Salem you’re most likely to think of Portland State signee Jaden Nielsen-Skinner, but Galbraith is a tough guard in his own right. He lacks size at 5-foot-8, but he plays with a great motor, and isn’t afraid to attack the basket against bigger players. Galbraith took great care of the ball as the secondary ball-handler after skinny and ended up with a team-high 17 points.
Ben Gregg (2021 Columbia Christian) – After a very frustrating time on Wednesday, Gregg got it done in a big way on Thursday with his triple double. He shot it from three (4-for-7), scored on drives and converted plenty of buckets near the hoop. All of his rebounds were on the defensive glass and he notched his 11 assists against only three turnovers. An added bonus for Gregg was he did this all in front of college coaches from Oregon, Oregon State, and Cal watching on in amazement.
Brock Henry (2019 Southridge) – Henry started finding his way offensively on Thursday both from three-point range (5-for-12) and on his game off the dribble. The 6-foot-3 senior also was active on defense accumulating four steals. Henry could stand to get a little more physical – he only attempt a single free throw – but as a marked man offensively he did a great job of piling up the points.
Drew Carter (2021 Tigard) – Carter shot the ball fairly well for the second straight day. The sophomore has great form on his jumper, whether it’s catch and shoot or a one-two dribble pull-up. There are times when his shot selection could be a little better but when the rest of the team was struggling shooting, it was key for him to take on the load offensively.
Aaron Deloney (2019 Grant) – If there’s a player in the state that can score in bunches as quickly as Deloney, we want to see it. Deloney wasn’t as sharp from three-point range, but he drove to the basket with reckless abandon and was able to convert a number of acrobatic layups. Deloney plays at full speed which makes him awfully hard to keep up with.
Ty Rankin (2019 Grant) – Rankin has one of the best handles in the state and it was fully on display against Tigard. He shook off defenders with his quick crossover dribble, which allowed him to penetrate and finish near the rim. Rankin was also on point with his three-point shooting, knocking down 3-for-4 from beyond the arc.