Lake Oswego 54, Tigard 44: 10 Best
After knocking off Grant in the nightcap of the MLK Invitational, Lake Oswego had to turn right around and face Tigard on the road in a key conference battle. But despite battling through fatigue and the stress of final exams,…
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Continue ReadingAfter knocking off Grant in the nightcap of the MLK Invitational, Lake Oswego had to turn right around and face Tigard on the road in a key conference battle. But despite battling through fatigue and the stress of final exams, the Lakers dug down deep and made all the key defensive stops late in a grind it out 54-44 win to grab sole possession of first place in the Three Rivers League.
“I’m very proud of the mental toughness our guys displayed coming off this tough stretch,” said Lake Oswego head coach Marshall Cho. “Lake Oswego HS is a very demanding academic school and we expect our guys to bring the same level of focus they have in the classroom to the basketball court. This is a very coachable group of young men I get to work with everyday.”
MVP: Josh Angle (2019 Lake Oswego)
The senior is the unquestioned leader of the team and with backcourt mate Wayne McKinney not seeing much going his way, Angle took the reins on offense and took them on capably. While his three-point shot still mysteriously seems to elude him, he focused on taking the ball strong to the basket and ended up shooting 5-for-6 on two-point buckets. In the end he finished with a team-high 20 points, grabbed six boards, dished out two assists, and came up with perhaps the biggest defensive play in the game (described below) in an all-around great performance.
Play of the game: Angle Block Leads to Fuson And-One
Lake Oswego was hanging on to a five point lead and Tigard had the ball with 40 seconds to go. Jazz Ross made a drive on the left baseline and rose up for a shot but was met with a swat by LO’s Josh Angle. The ball was batted around and eventually fell into the hands of Grant Fuson, who dribbled the length of the floor to score the bucket and draw the foul. The traditional three-point play essentially closed the deal for the Lakers.
Best offensive performance: Stevie Schlabach (2019 Tigard)
Tigard continued to battle back and threaten Lake Oswego and it’s because of the play of Schlabach. To be honest, his game wasn’t anything different than what we’ve seen from the senior in the past – he scored at all three levels and did it in a variety of ways. Schlabach ended up with 28 points on 11-for-22 shooting including 2-for-3 from three-point range and pretty much carried the Tigers offensively all game long.
Best defensive performance – Wayne McKinney (2021 Lake Oswego)
It certainly wasn’t his best offensive performance – he shot 0-for-9 from the field – but McKinney stepped it up on the defensive side of the ball, grabbing three steals and goading Tigard shooter Drew Carter into some very tough shots and a 5-for-16 shooting night. McKinney has the quickness to keep up with opposing guards but also the strength and athleticism to get physical with them as well. So despite not having a great scoring night – he only ended up with two points on two free throws – McKinney (who did dish out four assists) still made a huge impact on the game.
Best guy off the bench – Grant Fuson (2019 Lake Oswego)
An argument could be made that Fuson might have been the MVP. Like he did in the game against Grant, the senior did all the little things such as set screens, play tough team defense, and hit the open shot. When it was all said and done, Fuson tallied five points, six rebounds, two assists, a block, and the three-point play in the final minute that sealed the victory.
Best intangibles – Sam Abere (2020 Lake Oswego)
We’re used to talking about Abere’s defense, and he did his best to cover Schlabach and did a credible job. But Abere contributed in all areas of the stat sheet on Tuesday night. His offense was clicking (13 points), he helped out on the boards (seven rebounds), and helped out with ball-handling duties as well.
Best under-the-radar performance – Max Lenzy (2020 Tigard)
He didn’t score a point – heck, he didn’t even take a shot – but Lenzy put in some quality minutes on the floor for Tigard and ended up playing more minutes than starters Jake Bullard and Diego Lopez. The football standout took care of the ball, dished out three assists, and provided a lot of hustle off the bench. In fact, his +/- was a team-high +5 for the game.
Best underclassman – Drew Carter (2021 Tigard)
Despite the fairly poor shooting night, Carter remains Tigard’s top offensive threat after Schlabach and there have been plenty of other nights where he’s done the damage scoring-wise. While the percentages in Tuesday’s contest may not have been there, the sophomore’s shooting form and tight rotation on the ball were very pleasant to watch and because of those things his shots almost always have a chance at going in.
Best looking guy on the bench – Trace Salton (2021 Lake Oswego)
Salton has been hurt and hasn’t played all season. So the fact he was actually dressed for the game and was out on the court during warmups was intriguing and a good sign. The talented 6-foot-4 sophomore didn’t end up playing but Coach Cho noted that Salton may play for the Lakers in their next game against Canby. When Salton shakes off the rust and gets up to speed he will definitely add depth for Lake Oswego.
Best aspect of the environment – The Tigard HS Band
The Tigard HS band provided some great classic rock tunes during timeouts and breaks in the action, with electric guitar, drums, and the works. Perhaps it shows my age a little and it is a departure from the typical hip-hop we hear at games, but it’s good to mix in a little rock-n-roll from time to time.