West Linn’s Depth Overpowers South Medford 65-53 in CCC Final

No. 2 West Linn (5-0) defeated No. 3 South Medford (5-2) by double digits (65-53), after trailing most of three quarters in a game with six lead changes, to win the Capitol City Classic top bracket on Monday.   It was West Linn's depth of talent that ultimately gave the Lady Lions the winning edge over the Lady Panthers. Eight West Linn players contributed to the scorebook, including four who scored in double-digits.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/DSn177hkhZc/?img_index=1 </div></figure>   Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1266101' first='Claire' last='Koch'] was the spark off the bench with 13 timely points. Koch consistently attacked the rim and made clutch plays. She was named Player of the Game in the championship by the CCC.   Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='832080' first='Kaylor' last='Buse'], ranked No. 1 in Oregon's class of 2027, was West Linn's lead playmaker, tallying 11 points and 10 assists.   Washington State-commit [player_tooltip player_id='832621' first='Reese' last='Jordan'] led West Linn in scoring with 14 points. Jordan knocked down three three-pointers in three different quarters.   South Medford started strong and led the game by as many as 8 points in the first quarter after trailing 5-2 early. Sacramento State-commit [player_tooltip player_id='991248' first='Dyllyn' last='Howell'] led all scorers with 17 points, including 6 in the first frame.   San Diego State-commit [player_tooltip player_id='828956' first='Mayen' last='Akpan'] also scored 6 points in the first frame for South Medford, but was ultimately held to 8 points total before fouling out early in the fourth. The 6-foot-2 power forward finished inside on the post-up and in transition.   The Panthers won the opening frame 17-14, but Koch gave the Lions momentum going into the break, beating the buzzer with a quick coast-to-coast layup to keep the game within one possession.   Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1232847' first='Kinley' last='Buse'] held Akpan to 0 points in the second quarter, which had four lead changes. The six-foot underclassman scored 6 points inside and was a strong rebounder.   Senior [player_tooltip player_id='921399' first='Sophie' last='Maxwell'] led West Linn in scoring in the second, netting 6 of her 12 points. Maxwell was rewarded for running the floor and finding herself in the right spots.   Despite West Linn outscoring South Medford in the second frame, the Panthers maintained a one-possession lead (27-25) going into the halftime break.   South Medford increased its lead to 6 points in the third quarter, behind [player_tooltip player_id='1223937' first='Malia' last='Taulani'], who scored 7 of her 14 points. Taulani finished from the free-throw line, at the rim, and from behind the arc.   [player_tooltip player_id='832080' first='Kaylor' last='Buse'] answered in the third, contributing to 12 of West Linn's 19 points. She finished two strong takes to the rim, one over Akpan, and the other through contact and the foul, and she netted a floater off a backdoor cut, assisted by Jordan. The point guard tallied 3 assists in the same frame, including a full-court pass to Maxwell in transition to level things at 39 with about a minute remaining.   West Linn never led in the third quarter until the Player of the Game, Koch, gave the Lions Momentum going into the break, again, this time by knocking down a catch-and-shoot three-pointer, the go-ahead bucket (44-43), and topping it off by stealing the subsequent inbound pass at the buzzer.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-instagram wp-block-embed-instagram"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://www.instagram.com/p/DSlr4eskYj2/ </div></figure>   Akpan, who went to the bench late in the third quarter after committing her fourth personal foul, returned early in the fourth upon a 14-4 run by West Linn, only to foul out on her first possession back in by a charge, drawn by [player_tooltip player_id='832080' first='Kaylor' last='Buse'], during her first possession back in.   West Linn continued to build to a game-high lead of 14 points on a strong Jordan take to the bucket — the emotional dagger with 3:23 remaining. Jordan sold the pass fake to shake her first defender, sold the shot fake to blow by the second, and took the baseline. The Lions dominated the final frame 21-10.   Next up for West Linn and South Medford is West Salem and Century, respectively, at the PIL Holiday Classic on Saturday.