Barlow Trail: First Team All-Tournament

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Barlow High School hosted the Beaverton Beavers, West Salem Titans, and the defending state champions South Medford Lady Panthers in the Barlow Trail girls basketball tournament Dec. 6-7.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>OSAA No. 2 ranked South Medford won both of its games, beating Your Oregon Sports No. 11 ranked Beaverton 67-32 and No. 15 ranked West Salem 63-49. Beaverton won its consolation game against host Barlow 53-46 to take third.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thirty-eight Oregon high school players competed in four games. Here are Prep Girls Hoops picks for First Team All-Tournament:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["828956"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-675c9fc9b0f35"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Mayen Akpan is my pick for Barlow Trail MVP. Akpan had a huge presence in the key for South Medford in both games. The 6-foot-2 center posted back-to-back double-doubles—12 points and 10 rebounds in the first game, and 15 points and 12 rebounds in the final. While Akpan gets most of her points in the paint, she sunk a confident nothing-but-net baseline middy that didn't go unnoticed. I'll be watching for her midrange game this season. Akpan is an automatic offensive rebounder. As a sophomore, she broke Cameron Brink's 6A girls basketball single-tournament record in rebounding with 51 total boards. Her recruiting blew up over the summer and she's back at it starting her first two games of the season adding 22 more boards to her high school career tally.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["502352"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-675c9fc9b0ff3"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='502352' first='Emma' last='Zuniga'] was on my MVP watch after her first game. She's a dawg, she never gives up, and she's gets points when it matters most. In West Salem's first game of the season, junior forward Zuniga scored 12 points, including 5 crucial ones in the fourth quarter from two strong drives to the basket, and one through contact and the foul. Zuniga's late-game two-versus-one transition bounce-pass assist was the dagger against Barlow. In the final game against South Medford, Zuniga fought to the very end and led all scorers with 21 points, 10 of which came in the fourth quarter, including two 3-pointers. Many of Zuniga's points came from strong drives down the middle of the key as she tucked the ball like a running back to drive the paint and bang in buckets cleanly off the glass. Zuniga is also a good defender, making steals and blocking shots, and she has a next-level physicality to her game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["833633"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-675c9fc9b106e"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">[player_tooltip player_id='833633' first='Sara' last='Schmerbach'], committed to Santa Clara, was also an MVP contender after two games. The 5-foot-10 shooting guard scored in the double digits in both games. Schmerbach is a well-rounded player and finds many ways to contribute on both sides of the court. In the final against West Salem, Schmerbach set the pace for South Medford, leading the Lady Panthers in scoring (20), steals, and transition points. She had 16 points in the first half alone. In her first game, Schmerbach scored 11 points and led in assists with 6. Schmerbach is an athletic and competitive playmaker and defender for South Medford. I predict she will rise in the rankings this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["582887"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-675c9fc9b10e6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Five-foot-11 [player_tooltip player_id='582887' first='Maddy' last='Warberg'] is a shooter. In South Medford's first game of the season, transfer Warberg led all scorers with 19 points, including five made shots from the arc. Warberg is a transfer from Willamette and brings senior leadership to South Medford. Warberg stretches the floor for the Lady Panthers, which could be a deadly dimension with Mayen Akpan at the center.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["921583"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-675c9fc9b115c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">West Salem junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='921583' first='Chica' last='Casas'] is small but mighty. In the first game against Barlow she led all scorers with 15 points, consistently beating defenders on the dribble and finding lanes to the basket for a scoop layup or swish floater in the key. She contributed one 3-pointer in each game. Casas finds the cheeky bounce pass to beat taller defenders. She's also a menace on defense, picking up players full-court and beating them to their spot. In the final, Casas struggled early against defending champion South Medford's full-court press and zone defense with 5 turnovers in the first half. But that's to be expected against a top team early in the season. Don't sleep on Casas or West Salem.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->