5A State Tournament Match-ups
Day one at Gill Coliseum for the 5A State Tournament was a high octane, thrilling event as things got going on quite a note before they ultimately came to a halt the next day. Silverton illustrated a commanding victory over…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingDay one at Gill Coliseum for the 5A State Tournament was a high octane, thrilling event as things got going on quite a note before they ultimately came to a halt the next day. Silverton illustrated a commanding victory over Ridgeview in a masterful 73-26 display of defense and team oriented play. Crater had an exciting close victory over league opponent Churchill in a game that came down to the last possession. La Salle and Wilsonville both came out victorious, setting up a similar scenario as La Salle defeated Wilsonville 73-63 in the semi-finals of the 2019 5A State Tournament to advance to the final. Here is a look at the match-ups that would’ve transpired on the second day of action at Gill.
La Salle versus Wilsonville
The Falcons had another successful season under Coach Kelli Wedin as they orchestrated a 25 win season. In their season they traveled to Southern California for the Peyo Tip-Off Classic, where they met a tough St. Patrick St. Vincent team that made it to the CIF-State Division III Quarterfinal. La Salle is led by Addison Wedin Addison Wedin 5'11" | PG La Salle | 2021 State OR , the smooth operating guard that can dictate and leader a team as well as score from all three levels. Emily Niebergall is a solid guard that plays well within their aggressive half court sets and finds ways to contribute for their team. This group is very athletic, dynamic, and team oriented as seen through their length, defensive schemes, and overall willingness to play with one-another. This can be especially seen through their 2023 core group, one that rightfully displays all of these characteristics. Rhyan Mogel Rhyan Mogel 5'10" | SF Clackamas | 2023 State OR showed that she isn’t afraid to be active on the offensive rebounds and makes quick decisions with her instinctual moves to the basket. Ella is another trademark Wedin player, mixing her size with her offensive arsenal that includes dribble penetration and shooting skills. The Falcons move the ball exceptionally well, finding players at their spots for an easy shot, however, they are also dangerous on the offensive boards, where they found high-percentage second chance attempts.
The Wildcats are familiar with the Falcons, as this would have been their third match-up with their league rival adversaries this season alone. Coach Justin Duke led Wilsonville to a 26-win season, where they challenged South Medford in the final of the Portland Holiday Classic, just coming up short to the 6A juggernaut. They split the series with La Salle one apiece, as both teams are familiar with their opposition and their play styles. Sydney Burns Sydney Burns 5'8" | PG Wilsonville | 2021 State OR is a fearless floor general that can create plays both for herself and others and is a gritty competitor that seeks to get the job done by any means necessary. Down low, they have Emilia Bishop Emilia Bishop 6'1" | PF Wilsonville | 2021 State OR , who is just as much as a team player. Bishop displayed her court vision and used the wide dimensions of Gill Coliseum to her advantage, as she made several full-court outlet passes to jump start the offense. Her combination of height, size, coordination, and strength proved to be difficult for La Salle during their two earlier matches. The Wildcats are a very focused group defensive that gets a lot of their points on that end of the court, as it translates to transition offense. The semi-final between La Salle would have been a game of enormous dynamics, as this game itself was worthy of the State-Final and would’ve presented itself as such.
Silverton versus Crater
The Foxes were another great story as they enjoyed a tremendously successful season, defeating South Medford on their home court earlier in the season. Silverton didn’t make a pilgrimage to a big tournament, as they found victory to be achievable within their home State. Their loss to Lebanon in the regular season showed truly how wide open the 5A State Tournament was, an event filled with so much diverse talent. The Foxes really get after it in their zone defense, where they make use of Truitt Reilly Truitt Reilly 6'1" | PF Silverton | 2021 State OR ’s high IQ in the middle. Reilly’s athleticism, awareness, and length result in deflections, steals, blocks, and overall trouble for opponents in the middle. This translates to possessions for the Foxes, where they are especially altruistic, moving and passing the ball until they come up with a favorable shot. Riley Trager is a mobile, physical post that finds ways to score inside, whereas Lilly Horner is the hot shooting point guard that came off the bench to hit some huge shots in their opening round win over Ridgeview. The Foxes will make you hurt from all over the court and the most dangerous part is that offensively you won’t know where or who it will come from.
The Comets, winners of the nineteen of their last twenty-one games, were another team that saw a spectacular season as seen through their 24-3 overall record. They came off a gritty victory against a very good Churchill squad, a team that they battled back and forth with in their league. The game was a back and forth physical affair in which the Comets survived a scare from the Lancers and their super sophomore, Danika Starr. The Comets were a relatively young group that had only three seniors, led by their two best players who were underclassmen. All-league first teamer McKenzie Hirsch McKenzie Hirsch 5'11" | SF Crater | 2022 State OR is a versatile player that plays with a high motor and can truly do it all, starting with her pesky defense and rebounding. Madison “Ducky” Dutkiewicz is their second best player, who is similar to that of Hirsch in the sense that she has different wants to contribute to team success. Crater’s noticeable team characteristic is their physical team defense, which pushes the opposition to the three-point line and make it difficult to get any sort of score.