MLK Holiday Invitational: Top Performers
The MLK Holiday Invitational took place on Monday and local hoops fans were treated to a day full of competitive basketball action, for the first time at the Viking Pavilion on the campus of Portland State University. We were able…
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Continue ReadingThe MLK Holiday Invitational took place on Monday and local hoops fans were treated to a day full of competitive basketball action, for the first time at the Viking Pavilion on the campus of Portland State University. We were able to catch the final three games of the showcase, which featured five Oregon teams who figure to be state tournament contenders.
Barlow 74, West Linn 67
Barlow used some great shooting from the field and big games from standout juniors Jesse White and Evan Inglesby to slowly inch past West Linn in the first game of the afternoon. Inglesby was the story in the first half for the Bruins and White the second, as between them they scored 51 of the team’s 74 total points. West Linn put three players in double figures, led by Bryson Crockett with 22 points.
“I was pleased with the way we took care of the ball,” said Barlow head coach Tom Johnson. “I thought we executed fairly well offensively and I was pleased with how we defended. I was pleased with the effort, I really was.”
Jefferson 65, Rainier Beach 59
Jefferson built a solid first-half lead, but survived a shaky third quarter to make a late comeback and hold off Rainier Beach in a grind-it-out type of win. The Democrats shot well in the second quarter and closed the period with a 14-4 run to build an eight point lead at the half. But the Vikings had a run of their own, running off the first 14 points of the second half and the teams fought tooth and nail until the end when Jefferson got some key defensive stops at the end for the victory. Marcus Tsohonis led Jeff with 22 points and Rainier Beach was paced by Marjon Beauchamp with 17 points, eight rebounds, and six assists as Portland can claim a win over Seattle in 2019.
“I felt like we just kept on pushing and playing our game,” Tsohonis said. “It was the little things that just added up for us to get the win. It was fun to be able to beat them and get bragging rights.”
Lake Oswego 78, Grant 65
Lake Oswego lived up to their current number one ranking and slowly cruised past a poor-shooting Grant team in the night’s finale. The game was a dogfight early with multiple lead changes and no team really seemed to take control. But the Lakers started to assert themselves in the second half with solid ball movement while the Generals were shooting blanks from the field and Lake Oswego won the game going away. Josh Angle led four Lakers in double figures with 20 points and 12 rebounds while the backcourt duo of Aaron Deloney and Ty Rankin scored 19 points each for Grant.
“Every year we’ve been a part of this we’ve been grateful for the opportunity,” said Lake Oswego head coach Marshall Cho. “As we move forward now with this target on our back as we make these accomplishments, those are positive things. So what’s next – our focus, our teamwork, our camaraderie, our trust in each other has to be greater than what’s gotten us here.”
Top performers from the three games include:
Jesse White (2020 Barlow) – Stats: 31 points on 11-21 fg, 5-12 3pt, 3 reb, 3 ast
Things started off a little slow for White as he only tallied nine points in the first half. But it definitely turned around quickly in the third quarter as the junior started to take control offensively. White started to sink his catch and shoot threes and also converted on a couple of drives to the basket. When White gets hot from the field he’s very difficult to contain and West Linn found that out very quickly on Monday night.
Evan Inglesby (2020 Barlow) – Stats: 17 points on 5-9 fg, 1-3 3pt, 4 reb
The majority of his damage was done in the first half with 15 points, but we continue to be impressed with Inglesby every time we see him. The junior lets the offense come to him but at the same time is capable of quick bursts of offense. He was good at catching and shooting but also creating space off of the dribble and finish near the rim. Inglesby didn’t get as many touches in the second half, but was solid on the boards and on defense.
Bryson Crockett (2020 West Linn) – Stats: 22 points on 9-16 fg, 3-4 3pt, 3 ast
Crockett had a solid game offensively as his shot from all three levels seemed to be on target. The junior hit some open looks but also created off the dribble and hit a few jumpers of the step-back variety. West Linn outrebounded Barlow and Crockett did his part with seven boards, including four offensive rebounds.
Marcus Tsohonis (2019 Jefferson) – Stats: 22 points on 7-16 fg, 1-4 3pt, 7-11 ft, 5 reb, 3 ast
Tsohonis has largely been out of action resting a nagging sprained ankle but he brought it full speed against Rainier Beach. The senior’s outside shot wasn’t quite cooking so he focused more on taking it to the basket and also got a number of buckets by posting up whenever he was guarded by one of the Vikings’ smaller guards.
Nate Rawlins-Kibonge (2021 Jefferson) – Stats: 3 points on 1-9 fg, 1-4 ft, 6 reb, 3 ast, 5 blk
Offensively, it was a struggle for Rawlins-Kibonge – although it must be said he posted up strong and had some solid moves, the ball just wasn’t falling in. So it was in other areas the sophomore big man made his biggest impact – especially on defense. Rawlins-Kibonge protected the paint with five blocks, but one of the biggest plays in the game was when he took a charge in the game’s closing minutes as the Demos were nursing a lead. He also dished out three assists as Jefferson effectively ran the high-low on a few plays.
Marjon Beauchamp (2020 Rainier Beach) – Stats: 17 points on 6-15 fg, 1-6 3pt, 4-7 ft, 8 reb, 6 ast
While he didn’t shoot particularly well overall, Beauchamp had a solid all-around game for Rainier Beach. Extremely long and lanky, he used his length to create off the dribble to get to the basket and shoot over defenders. While he struggled a little with turnovers (six), he capably ran the point – especially in the second half – and found open teammates for baskets.
Josh Angle (2019 Lake Oswego) – Stats: 20 pts on 6-14 fg, 1-5 3pt, 7-8 ft, 12 reb, 2 ast
We’ve anointed Angle the best shooter in Oregon – and while we still believe that the senior is, the percentages haven’t quite reflected that this season. But while the three may not be falling with as much regularity, give Angle some credit as he looks at other ways of scoring. He has been taking the ball very confidently to the hole and when not finishing, is drawing fouls. Angle has also been extremely big on the boards, which has been a huge addition to his game.
Fred Harding (2019 Lake Oswego) – Stats: 15 pts on 7-10 fg, 1-2 ft, 7 reb
Harding was indeed big for Lake Oswego as he was near unstoppable when he got the ball in the right position to score. The senior big man has always been good at running the floor and getting into the right spots but his touch was a little lacking at times. That wasn’t the case on Monday night as he nimbly converted several shots near the basket including a nice dunk in the second half.
Grant Fuson (2019 Lake Oswego) – Stats: 13 pts on 5-5 fg, 1-1 3pt, 2-2 fg, 6 reb, 4 ast
The raw numbers weren’t necessarily huge but there may have been no player with a better all-around game on Monday than Fuson. A self-described glue guy, the senior was constantly in the right place at the right time to hit open shots, grab a rebound, or pass the ball to an open teammate for an easy score. A high academic student, Fuson is considering a number of Division III options.