La Salle Hangs On to Upset Nelson 51-43

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>No. 10 La Salle Prep (5A) came from behind in the fourth quarter to defeat No. 6 Nelson (6A) 51-43 in its season opener at home on Tuesday.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior [player_tooltip player_id='832586' first='Ava' last='Bergeson'], signed with UNLV, led all scorers with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nelson looked dangerous from the tip and led most of the game, but had a bad shooting night (28% from the field). Still, the Hawks led by 5 points halfway through the fourth quarter, but never shut the door on the Falcons.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='832046' first='Love' last='Forde'], a top-ranked power forward in the state, got into early foul trouble and sat for the Hawks in the second quarter. Nelson led 10-5.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Forward [player_tooltip player_id='1264971' first='Maggie' last='Puent'] got things going early for La Salle inside. Puent tallied 4 points, 5 rebounds, and a block in her freshman debut.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Falcons won the second frame to level the score at 20 going into the half.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>La Salle kept the score within one possession through the third frame, which Nelson finished on top 35-33.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Forde fouled out early in the fourth.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1223909' first='Simone' last='Sideris'], who was getting things done on both ends for the Hawks, hit a corner three from a baseline out-of-bounds set and finished a tough take to the rim through traffic to put Nelson ahead by 5 points with 4:15 remaining in the fourth quarter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sideris, who also fouled out in the final frame, led Nelson in scoring with 12 points. Senior Jasmine Nita added 8 points and 5 rebounds.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>La Salle responded and took the lead with a full-court press-break inbound pass assist to junior Norah Hudson, who absorbed the defensive contact and finished at the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bergeson went on to knock down four free throws, and junior Ella Manson hit a dagger three in front of her bench.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The final score: 51-43.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Manson scored 9 points with 3 rebounds. Hudson added 8 and 5.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Next up for La Salle is North Eugene on Friday. During the winter break, the Falcons are scheduled to compete in the Nike Interstate Shootout at Lake Oswego and in the Holiday Classic Jade bracket at Lincoln.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Meet La Salle's Starting Five Against Nelson</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["832586"],"_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-693a667a39799"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">2025 NWOC co-Player of the Year [player_tooltip player_id='832586' first='Ava' last='Bergeson'] signed with UNLV in November. The 6-foot-1 senior forward/guard is a three-level scorer and a versatile defender. Bergeson led all scorers with 20 points, 9 rebounds, 5 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocks in La Salle's season opener against Nelson. She took shifts running the point and took care of the ball. She was a creative and elite finisher around the rim. Bergeson never gave up and fought to keep her team in it through four quarters. She was the top performer on the court on Tuesday night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Ella Manson","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2027","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12121","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"La Salle Prep","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-693a667a39974"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Junior Ella Manson is a shooter with a high game IQ who sealed the deal for La Salle against Nelson with a dagger three in front of the Falcons' bench. She had a nice pull-up middy and attacked the rim. Manson scored 9 points with 3 rebounds and 1 assist in the season opener. The co-captain has stepped up to take over point guard responsibilities and is committed to developing her ball-handling skills. She's La Salle's highest percentage shooter at practice and is looking to translate that performance onto the game stage this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1312949"],"_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-693a667a39a53"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1312949' first='Nora' last='Hudson'] is a strong defender who moved from the wing to the post for La Salle. Hudson put in work in the offseason with Oregon Overtime to level up her physicality. She can shoot and drive it, and she's a natural post roller with a good sense of angles. The co-captain had 8 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block against Nelson in her first game of the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Morgan Young","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2028","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12121","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"La Salle Prep","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_program":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-693a667a39be6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Sophomore Morgan Young is a speedy multisport athlete with a nice stroke and good handles. She scored 7 points in La Salle's upset against Nelson. Young can hit from three. She is explosive on the catch and has a quick first step to blow by and attack the rim. She uses that speed to be an effective on-ball defender as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["1264971"],"_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":1510283,"_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-693a667a39cb6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Freshman forward [player_tooltip player_id='1264971' first='Maggie' last='Puent'] started for La Salle against Nelson and tallied 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 assist in her debut game for the Falcons. Puent had a strong start inside on both ends against the Hawks. She has a great touch around the rim, good hands on the roll, and a nose for rebounds. She showed her ability to protect the rim, run the floor, win offensive boards, and finish putbacks. Puent also put in work in the offseason with Oregon Overtime. She should be on the 2029 watchlist.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->