WEST LINN – Reigning 6A girls basketball champion Tualatin hasn't forgotten how it had to share the Three Rivers League championship with West Linn last season.
So when the No. 1 Timberwolves arrived at No. 2 West Linn on Tuesday night for the most high-profile match-up in the state this season, they had a major chip on their shoulder.
“We were super hungry,” Tualatin sophomore point guard Love Lei Best said. “This was the game marked on our calendar, for sure.”
The Timberwolves (17-1, 6-0) delivered with a dominant first half and staved off a late rally for a 63-52 win over the Lions (15-2, 5-1). Tualatin led 45-21 at half and expanded the margin to 50-21 early in the third quarter.
“I honestly don't think there are too many teams in the nation that could go into West Linn with that team and do what we did in the first half,” Timberwolves coach Wes Pappas said. “That's the best I've ever seen this group play.”
Sophomore forward Kendall Dawkins had 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists to lead Tualatin. Best had 14 points and four assists and senior guard Maaya Lucas scored 14 points, making four three-pointers in the first-half flurry.
Lucas said the game was “super important” to the Timberwolves.
“There's been a lot of talk about who's 1 and 2 in the state,” Lucas said. “I think it's just important that we proved ourselves. Obviously we have to do it again. And maybe we'll see them again at state.”
West Linn struggled to find a flow against Tualatin's zone trap, which seemed to squeeze the Lions tighter as the first half progressed.
“I think the pressure kind of alarmed us at first,” West Linn senior point guard Reese Jordan said. “They trap almost every pass, so it's just being aggressive and staying composed. We talked about it at halftime. The turnovers, that just can't happen. I think we really fixed it in the second half, and that's what showed.”
Lucas and Best hit three-pointers in a 10-0 run as Tualatin opened a 21-9 lead late in the first quarter. Lucas made three more triples in the second quarter, the last one making it 40-18.
“They were hitting everything,” Jordan said.
Dawkins scored on a drive to start the second half, and when senior guard Ries Miadich followed with a three-pointer, the Timberwolves led 50-21, and West Linn was reeling.
“We just had a lot of energy,” Lucas said. “We came out super excited. We were just flowing really well together. We were just playing fast, getting the ball down the court fast.”
Said Best: “It was everyone being locked in and playing smart basketball.”
It was a turnabout from when the teams met in the second round of league play at West Linn last season. In that game, the Lions opened a 21-point lead and held on to win 64-57, allowing them to earn a share of the league title.
“Last year we didn't play well here,” Dawkins said. “It wasn't a good game for us. We've been waiting for this day. We were so ready for it. We just came out with so much energy.”
The Lions didn't go away, though. They cut the lead to 57-36 after three quarters, and with Best sitting on the bench with four fouls, they made a furious run in the fourth quarter. When junior Kyla Buse hit a jumper with 2:12 left, they were within 60-52.
“We just needed to stay calm,” Dawkins said. “It was rough when Love got in foul trouble.”
Best re-entered the game and Tualatin closed out the win. The victory became bittersweet, though, when senior post Alex Padilla went down with an apparent knee injury with 1:07 remaining and was helped off the court. It cast a pall on the Timberwolves after the game.
“It's probably the least happy I've ever been in a victory situation,” Pappas said. “I could easily make the argument she's the most valuable kid on this team. She doesn't score a lot, but Alex defensively is a monster. She's the best defensive player in the state. We use her in so many different ways.”
Jordan made four three-pointers and led West Linn with 13 points. Junior guard Kaylor Buse added 12 points.
jerryu@osaa.org
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