Girls basketball: Barlow holds on to edge South Medford in 6A semifinals, will face top-seed Beaverton in title game

The Bruins transformed vital no cost throws as time wound down to survive and progress to the condition championship activity.

No. 7 Barlow (24-3) defeated No. 3 South Medford 44-42 in the semifinals of the OSAA 6A Girls Basketball Condition Championship event Friday night time at the Chiles Heart at the College of Portland.

“We really labored hard for this one particular,” mentioned Barlow junior Annie Koenig. “We’ve been placing in so considerably time and so a great deal effort. It is been great.”

Barlow will confront match best seed Beaverton (25-1) in the 6A championship sport Saturday night at the Chiles Heart.

“I think we’re likely to perform as tough as we can and participate in our sport, engage in our basketball,” Koenig stated of the future title match. “We’re going to function as a crew and see what occurs.”

Koenig led the workforce with 20 details. Bruins junior Kennedie Shuler experienced 12 details.

“I’m just tremendous enthusiastic for our group. They’ve been fighters all year long,” stated Barlow mentor Nick Hudson. “We talked about staying resilient all time prolonged, and that is what I stated to the group in that last timeout. They (South Medford) tied it up and took away all of our momentum in the fourth quarter, and just reminded our group to continue to be resilient and end out the recreation, and we did it.”

Barlow began rapidly out the gates and took a 17-point direct in the 1st half.

South Medford (24-3), even though, did not go away quietly. The Panthers would claw their way back and inevitably tied the score close to the finish of the fourth quarter.

Holding on its slimming lead, Barlow in the course of the fourth quarter took numerous minutes off the activity clock on one particular possession.

“All the credit score to them and (South Medford coach Tom Cole). They are a really very good team,” Hudson said. “We talked at halftime that if our lead shrinks, we ended up likely to have to switch our protection up. We did suitable at the conclude of the match when they tied it up. It’s nerve-wracking. You’re viewing your direct dwindle down, but just attempted to concentration on holding the girls concentrated on possessing one particular superior possession and one great prevent at a time.”

Later on in the remaining time period, after South Medford tied the score at 40-40, Koenig and senior Lindsay Barden converted free of charge throws down the stretch for a 44-40 direct with seconds still left.

Barden ended with 6 factors for Barlow.

“It’s tough. You just received to genuinely dial in and focus,” Koenig explained of stepping up to the totally free toss line at that instant. “We set in a great deal of reps at the totally free toss line, and this was why.”

After beating South Medford and defeating No. 2 seed Jesuit in the quarterfinals, Hudson mentioned his group is far better than what currently being the No. 7 seed may suggest.

“We saw our ranking fall at the end of the regular league year. We were being a minor upset about it, but we employed it as commitment,” he explained. “Like, ‘Hey, if they’re likely to fall our seed, then let’s go out there and exhibit them that we have earned to be a increased seed.’ And, it’s paying off. I believe the team is truly inspired.”

The Panthers took gain of turnovers to tie the score at 40-40 late in the fourth quarter when junior Donovyn Hunter built two quickly crack layups.

“I are living for these games—the hype, the nervousness, the exertion, nearly anything. Clearly, it didn’t close in our favor,” Hunter stated. “The crew tends to appear out and make dumb selections. Everyone does, which includes me. And then, we choose it up. I just want to give a shoutout to my group. We had been down 6-23, came back again and dropped by two. Naturally, it stings. But in these online games, you can only target on what is following, and we have a sport tomorrow.”

Hunter included that getting on the big phase perhaps led to the team’s slow start off in the game.

“The nerves, the environment, the newness,” she reported. “Whether we played a sport very last night time, it’s also like, ‘This is our to start with semifinal match,’ for some of these persons. So, I feel not automatically self-doubt, but the jitters acquire in excess of, you begin to overthink, and you’re not assured within just on your own. I think which is what transpired.”

Hunter led the subject with 24 factors on Friday.

South Medford will enjoy Clackamas (24-4) for 3rd place Saturday night time at the Chiles Centre. Clackamas missing to Beaverton in the semifinals 41-28 on Friday.

Hunter hopes to stop the year with a earn for the team’s 3 seniors.

“I at least want to gain this very last recreation for them,” she explained. “I got just one extra year. There’s no guarantees whether or not we make it back to the Chiles Heart, but we despise losing twice. We loathe getting rid of in basic. So, we’re likely to do regardless of what we can. We shed to Clackamas in overtime by one particular final time. So, it will be a fantastic game, but our motivation will be for the seniors.”