6A Playoffs – Lake Oswego 56, Westview 54: Ten Best
Survive and advance. On paper, it seemed that Lake Oswego as the #1 seed would have no trouble against #17 seeded Westview. But those who follow the game closely knew it would be a dogfight – and it was certainly…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingSurvive and advance. On paper, it seemed that Lake Oswego as the #1 seed would have no trouble against #17 seeded Westview. But those who follow the game closely knew it would be a dogfight – and it was certainly that all night long on Friday night. Westview kept on pushing Lake Oswego to the brink, but it wasn’t until a three-point attempt by the Wildcats bounced off the rim could the Lakers claim victory, 56-54, and earn a trip to the state tournament next week.
“This was a game where we had a cushion but those guys just refused to lose,” said Lake Oswego head coach Marshall Cho. “There were a lot of things that didn’t go well, so I’m just happy for the guys and proud of them. These guys deserve it.”
The teams battled back and forth in the first half and the score was tied at 27 at the half. Lake Oswego inched ahead in the third quarter but thanks to the brilliant play of senior guard Kobe Newton, Westview continued to hang around. But in the fourth, Lake Oswego senior guard Josh Angle made some key buckets and with 7 seconds left, Westview took the ball full court to find Juwon Esuk in the corner for a clean look at a three which wouldn’t fall. Lake Oswego advances to the state tournament and will face Oregon City on Wednesday afternoon.
Here are our 10 Best from the game.
MVP – Josh Angle (2019 Lake Oswego)
Josh Angle did end up leading the Lakers in scoring with 13 points, but it was his all-around leadership that made him the MVP of the game. When Lake Oswego needed a key bucket in the fourth quarter, it was the senior that delivered with three key baskets including a three that kept Westview at bay.
Play of the game – McKinney to Fuson for the And-One
Well into the fourth quarter, Westview was creeping ever so close and tied the game at 46. Lake Oswego’s response? Wayne McKinney made a drive to the basket and flipped it over to a cutting Grant Fuson in the lane who put the biscuit in the basket while getting fouled. Fuson’s made free throw gave Lake Oswego a lead at 49-46 it would never relinquish.
Best offensive performance – Kobe Newton (2019 Westview)
It ended up being his swan song performance at the high school level, but it was a good one for Kobe Newton to go out on. The senior was simply a gamer all night long, hitting big shots time and time again to keep Westview in the game. He ended up with a game-high 23 points, shooting 3-for-7 from three point range and 9-for-15 overall, converting at all three levels while also dishing out three assists.
Best defensive performance – Wayne Jamison (2020 Westview)
Wayne Jamison was practically connected to the hip of Wayne McKinney and really limited his scoring, keeping the super sophomore to only ten points on 2-for-8 shooting. Jamison ended up fouling out of the game but his shadowing of one of the top point guards in the state was memorable.
Best guy off the bench – Casey Graver (2020 Lake Oswego)
Never afraid to step up and hit big shots, Casey Graver was big time off the bench. He nailed a couple of threes in the first half and then hit a couple more shots in the second to finish with 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting. Graver also pulled down five boards to boot.
Best intangibles – Grant Fuson (2019 Lake Oswego)
In addition to making the big three-point play in the fourth, Grant Fuson also hit two key free throws down the stretch. He was a big factor on the boards grabbing six rebounds, four of them offensive. As he has done all season long, Fuson was often in the right place at the right time.
Best under-the-radar performance – Brandon Roberts (2019 Lake Oswego)
Brandon Roberts has always been the quintessential “glue guy” but he really stepped things up offensively against Westview. He battled on the boards as usual but was able to get some key buckets – including one drive along the right baseline finishing with his left hand high off the glass in the fourth quarter. Roberts ended up with ten points and four rebounds (all offensive) while playing gritty defense as always.
Best underclassman – Wayne McKinney (2021 Lake Oswego)
As noted previously, it wasn’t the great shooting night for Wayne McKinney. But the sophomore was definitely on point with his passing, ending up with seven dimes on the night versus only two turnovers. It was quite the day for McKinney as his recruitment was amped up a notch earlier in the day; we caught up with McKinney after the game and will have an update posted soon.
Best Quote – Josh Angle
“It’s a great feeling but at the same time we knew that if we put in the work and we executed, we knew this was where we would be at this point in the season,” Angle said. “We now just have seven days together as a group so it’s a matter of locking in and push ourselves to our highest potential.”
Best aspect of the environment – Everything
You couldn’t have asked for more from Friday night’s game. Two well-coached teams playing inspired basketball, accompanied by completely full student sections in the crowd. The noise was at a complete fever pitch in the closing minutes of the game, which ended on the results of a last second shot attempt. All for the right to make it to the state tournament. One of the best games and environments we have seen all year.