Oregon basketball playoffs reach critical stages

While the 3A tournament enters its final week of games with finals March 3-5, other classifications for the Oregon state basketball tournaments kick off play mid-week.

For 6A girls, who begin play March 2, Jesuit (Portland) (22-1), Clackamas (23-1), South Eugene (20-5) and Tigard (21-4) received the top seeds in their quarters of the bracket. For the boys, who began play March 1, it was Jesuit (Portland) (21-2), South Medford (20-4), North Medford (17-5) and Lincoln (Portland) (18-6).

Second round 6A games are March 4-5 with the final eight teams in each classification advancing to the Rose Garden in Portland March 9 and the finals are slated for March 12.

MaxPreps Oregon boys basketball playoff brackets
MaxPreps Oregon girls basketball playoff brackets

The 5A boys and girls tournament will feature 16 teams opening in first round games March 4-5 when winners advance to the Matthew Knight Arena at the University of Oregon in Eugene, March 9-12.

The 4A boys and girls tournament opens March 4-5 with 16 teams playing and the eight winners will advance to Gill Coliseum at Oregon State University, March 9-12.

The final eight for the girls 2A tournament March 3-5 in Pendleton includes Scio vs. Enterprise, Regis (Stayton) vs. Yoncalla, Pilot Rock vs. Riddle, and Riverdale (Portland) vs. East Linn Christian Academy (Lebanon). The final eight boys squads are Enterprise vs. Weston-McEwen (Athena), North Douglas (Drain) vs. Western Mennonite (Salem), Stanfield vs. Central Linn (Halsey) and Days Creek vs. Knappa (Astoria).

In the 1A tournament at Baker High School March 3-5, the top eight girls teams include Elkton vs. Crane, Hosanna Christian (Klamath Falls) vs. Columbia Christian (Portland), Mohawk (Marcola) vs. Nixyaawii Community (Pendleton) and Imbler vs. Perrydale (Amity). For the boys, the final eight are paired with No. 1 McKenzie (Finn Rock) vs. Elkton, Horizon Christian (Tualatin) vs. Wallowa, Triad (Klamath Falls) vs. Crane and Siletz Valley vs. Damascus Christian.

3A BOYS STATE BASKETBALL HIGHLIGHTS
The favored teams did what was expected of them by winning first round games and earned spots in the quarterfinals to be played at North Bend High School March 3.

For the boys, opening round winners include Blanchet Catholic (Salem) (25-1 and one of two No. 1 seeds), Valley Catholic (Beaverton) (23-4), defending champion Horizon Christian (Hood River) (24-4 and No. 2 seed), Sheridan (20-7), Santiam Christian (Corvallis) (20-6), Illinois Valley (Cave Junction.), Harrisburg (22-5) and the other No. 1 seed Dayton (22-6), last year's state runnerup.

The semifinals/finals will be played March 4-5 at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay.

* Dayton and Horizon Christian have met seven times in the last two years with HC winning four, however, Dayton defeated HC 10 days ago, 61-57, to earn the top seed from the West Valley League.

* Both the West Valley and PacWest leagues have three teams each in the 3A boys final eight.

* Catlin Gabel (Portland) reached the state boys 3A playoffs for the first time in 28 years. Despite going 6-10 in the Lewis & Clark League, the Eagles won their final three games to earn a berth at state.

* Nyssa had to travel 433 miles for its first round boys game against Blanchet.

In the 3A girls first round, seven of the top seeds won with only Blanchet losing to Burns, 38-31. St. Mary's (Medford) remained unbeaten (23-0) and top seeds Vale and Umatilla won by large margins. Others advancing include Clatskanie, Salem Academy, Burns, Coquille and Portland Adventist Academy.

STORM (WEATHER) FORCES FORFEIT TO STORM (TEAM)
The boys basketball season ended for Springfield with a forfeit of its Class 5A state "play-in" game at Summit (Bend) on Feb. 24 because the Springfield school district would not allow the team to travel because of "hazardous" conditions.

According to the Springfield athletic director, the team also looked into chartering a bus to travel around the storms to Bend or to have parents drive, but the school district declined.

Ironically, Summit is nicknamed The Storm.

TOP PERFORMANCES
* In a 65-33 win over Woodburn, Springfield's Mercedes Russell totaled 36 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks. Top-seeded Springfield (23-2) opens the Class 5A state playoffs March 4.

* Junior Jordan Wiley scored 40 points to lead the unbeaten and top-ranked McKenzie boys to a win over Umpqua Valley Christian, 64-44, and send the 26-0 Eagles to the Class 1A state tournament at Baker City.

* Kory Kirwin matched his season's average with 26 points to give the Glencoe boys a 63-56 overtime win over McMinnville and a share of the Pacific Conference title with McMinnville.

* Sophomore Gabrielle Heehn set two school records as Pendleton's girls defeated St. Helens, 67-21. Heehn scored a season-high 28 points and sank eight 3-pointers for a single-game record. She also set a record for treys in a single season.

* Alicia Scafidi scored 32 points and grabbed 20 rebounds to lead the Barlow (Gresham) girls to a 67-49 win over Corvallis.

* Freshman center Jaime Nared scored 32 points (15-for-17 from the foul line) leading No. 10 Westview (16-7) past No. 4 St. Mary's (20-4), 64-59.

* Hayley Reynolds scored 26 points, grabbed 21 rebounds and blocked eight shots as Yoncalla beat Gold Beach 44-39.