The 29th annual Les Schwab Invitational tipped off Friday, Dec. 26 at Viking Pavilion on the campus of Portland State University with one of the best matchups of the week.
Southridge (7-1), ranked No. 1 in the latest OSAAtoday 6A coaches poll, took on Oregon City (7-1), the current No. 2 team, in the first round.
After a back and forth affair, the Skyhawks were able to close out the 63-61 win thanks in part to junior Elijah Thompson scoring 20 points while dishing out seven assists and grabbing five rebounds.
The Pioneers kept it close the whole second half and pulled within one point at 62-61 with just over 11 seconds left in the game.
Southridge senior Drew Groenig was fouled with five seconds to go and hit the first free throw, but missed the second. However, with Oregon City out of timeouts, it had to go the full length of the court on the rebound and missed the near mid-court heave at the buzzer.
“We kind of took it to a different level there mid-third quarter, and now we gotta be better finishing it,” Southridge head coach Phil Vesel said. “Any time you get a win against a quality, well-coached team like that, it feels good.”
Oregon City came out swinging though, taking the lead 7-0 to start and ultimately winning the first frame 21-14.
Junior Alarion Scott hit two 3-pointers in the first and Alijah Scott scored four points and provided some tenacious defense that led to easy buckets.
Not only that, but junior Eli Hopkins had six points, four rebounds and two blocks in the first alone.
In the second, Southridge swung back by winning it 19-11 and taking a 33-32 halftime lead.
Junior Brooks Fortune and freshman Judah Hardt came off the bench to help provide that spark. Fortune did it with tough defense at the top of the key and hitting some big shots, meanwhile Hardt did his work down in the paint using his big frame.
“Our guys off the bench sparked us really well, (Fortune and Hardt),” Thompson said. “(Fortune) came in and hit an and-one three that sparked us a little bit and from there he got us going.
“(Fortune) brings a lot, it feels like we have six or seven starters really. When he comes there’s no let off, no drop off.”
Fortune had 12 points at the break while Thompson had nine, meanwhile the two Scotts each had eight points at the break for the Pioneers.
Oregon City once again came out of the gates hot to start the second half, pushing in front for a moment before Southridge once again got its spark.
Fortune forced a steal near the sideline that turned into an easy layup for Thompson on the other end, helping create a 48-46 Southridge lead heading to the fourth.
“I have six starters, (Fortune) is a guy that’s been a team player and bought into being the microwave,” Vesel said. “Nothing surprises me (Thompson). He’s a gym rat, he’s in the gym 365 days a year, works on his game. He rises in these moments and he finally gets to show that.”
What Thompson showed was his closing ability in the fourth as Oregon City continued to stay close.
Hopkins and Alijah Scott each hit a 3-pointer to start the fourth, but the Skyhawks got a couple buckets from Ryder Zanon and Thompson to stay in front by two.
Then, Thompson hit a difficult 3-pointer and then bullied his way into the paint for a layup on the next possession, putting Southridge up 62-56 with two minutes to go.
“You gotta close it out, gotta get a bucket, you gotta be able to close games,” Thompson said. “That’s my big thing: It’s not how you start games, it’s how you finish them.”
Oregon City was able to close the gap on a layup from Alex Hoff and one made FT from Hopkins before forcing another Southridge turnover.
The Pioneers had a couple shots to try and tie the game, plus some offensive rebounds to try and get another bucket but couldn’t hit.
With less than 32 seconds to go, OC inbounded the ball and eventually found Alijah Scott who was fouled on a 3-pointer.
The senior made the first two before missing the third, forcing the Pioneers to foul Groenig but only left five seconds to go.
Thompson finished with a game-high 20 points while Fortune chipped in 17 points and three steals, and Hardt had 10 points and three rebounds.
The win marked the fourth tight game won by the Skyhawks this year who also took down Tualatin 61-56 and Central Catholic 76-72 prior to the LSI.
“I think we share it and we trust each other,” Vesel said. “One thing we do is we never hang our heads, it’s a tough-minded group that way. It’s kind of an old school, throwback situation where the majority of the guys grew up playing together. So you have this brotherhood that’s been in place for years and they’ve always been successful.”
The Skyhawks have made the 6A quarterfinals at the Chiles Center the last two years behind the wave of talent they’ve had come into the high school program.
That level of success has raised the expectations and they are proving why that No. 1 belongs next to their name with another win over a top-10 opponent.
“Most of our guys, we’ve known each other since fourth grade,” Thompson said. “We have that chemistry and we’re all friends on and off the court, we hang out on a regular basis. The chemistry is just on a different level.”
Oregon City falls to the consolation side where it will take on Jesuit at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27 after the Crusaders dropped a 6A title game rematch with Barlow 77-72.
The reward for Southridge is a date with Rainier Beach (WA) which features the No. 1 recruit in the nation in Tyran Stokes, along with former NBA star Jamal Crawford’s son JJ Crawford.
That matchup is set for 6:45 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 28 after Rainier Beach got a bye in the 18-team tournament due to being eligible for only three games instead of the normal four.
The Skyhawks know they’ll have their hands full, but so far in 2025, they’ve proven they’re the best shot Oregon has at pulling the upset.
“Definitely try to win,” Thompson said of the matchup with Rainier Beach. “It’s the same mindset as we go into every game, gotta win, try to set the tone a little bit. Just win, that’s always the goal.”
More LSI day One highlights
Barlow 77, Jesuit 72: After trailing at halftime and heading into the fourth, defending 6A champion No. 7 Barlow (5-1) won the title-game rematch with No. 6 Jesuit (5-2) 77-72. Bruins junior Stan Bozhduga led the way scoring with 21 points and also had 12 rebounds, meanwhile junior Maddyn Cummings chipped in 18 points and four assists. Major Williams led the game with 25 points for Jesuit with four made 3-pointers.
Parkrose 77, Nelson 51: Despite a slow start, 5A No. 1 Parkrose (6-0) dominated most of the afternoon against 6A No. 8 Nelson (6-3), who was still playing without star guard Braylon Gaines. Broncos senior Adrian “Fuzzy” Montague had a game-high 22 points along with seven assists, meanwhile sophomore Jayden Hall hit three 3-pointers and scored 21 points. Ashton Cantwell led Nelson with 13 points.
Roosevelt 63, Westview 58: Roosevelt (1-3) and Westview (5-2) got the day started with the Roughriders picking up their first win during a difficult nonleague slate. Senior Andrew Kim was big in the paint, scoring 12 points along with 11 rebounds and five blocks. Freshman TyVelle Hill, little brother of former Roosevelt star Terrence Hill, had 10 points, six assists and four steals. Westview’s Dayton Jenkins had a game-high 16 points.
Central Catholic 66, Canby 35: Central Catholic, No. 3 in 6A, had no issue with 5A No. 7 Canby, cruising to a 66-35 victory. Senior Robbie Long, a Loyola-Maryland commit, did a little bit of everything with 12 points, eight assists and six rebounds while fellow senior Jalen Nicholson had 14 points and seven rebounds.
Tualatin 59, Pace (GA) 51: No. 4 Tualatin (6-2) grinded out a 59-51 win over Pace (GA) to be the first local squad to take out an out-of-state team this tournament. The Timberwolves didn’t hit a single 3-pointer (0-for-14), but their star guards still found ways to score with senior Jemai Lake posting a game-high 17 points and junior Pat Vialva Jr. scoring 16. Junior Carter Lemon played bigger than his 5-foot-11 frame as well with 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Sierra Canyon (CA) 79, Clackamas 41:
Day two matchups
Gresham vs. Westview, 10:30 a.m.
Roosevelt vs. Clackamas, noon
Oregon City vs. Jesuit, 1:30 p.m.
Canby vs. Pace (GA) , 3:30 p.m.
Columbus (FL) vs. Grant (round one), 5:15 p.m.
Central Catholic vs. Tualatin, 6:45 p.m.
Barlow vs. Sierra Canyon (CA), 8:15 p.m.
austinw@osaa.org
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