With just 15 seconds left in the game, Willamette’s Brynn Smith had secured a layup to tie the game up at 55-55 against Jesuit. The top-seeded Crusaders had the ball and just a few ticks left before the final buzzer.
Emma Sixta stood on the Portland Pilots’ anchor logo in front of the Jesuit bench. As the buzzer sounded, Sixta shot sailed out of her hands. It was good.
• You can watch the Class 6A girls basketball games live, and watch more Oregon high school basketball state championship games on NFHSnetwork.com
The Jesuit fans seated behind the basket erupted as the shot lifted the Crusaders to a 58-55 win over the Wolverines in the OSAA Class 6A girls basketball state quarterfinals at the Chiles Center on Wednesday.
Sixta said the play, where she took the ball up the court, passed the ball to Sofia Bell, who passed it to Tessa Randall, who found Sixta for the shot, is one that Jesuit always has at the ready.
“It’s a shot that we like to focus on,” she said. “It’s a good shot for us.”
Bell was the top scorer for the Crusaders, with 25 points and seven rebounds in her debut in the Chiles Center. Sixta ended the game with 13 points. Kendra Hicks was a point away from a double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds.
The Crusaders came flying out of the gate early, outscoring the Wolverines 6-0 in the opening minutes. But the Wolverines came fighting back with physical defense keeping the Crusaders from getting good looks. Isabella Harms scored nine points in the first quarter alone and had 15 by halftime.
The Wolverines carried their momentum into the second quarter, with tough shooting leading the way for Willamette. In the first half, Willamette made five of 11 three-pointers and 57.1% of shots from the floor of their while Jesuit made three of 14 three-pointers and 35.7% of their total shots.
Jesuit was able to get its act together in the third quarter, coming out with physical defense to limit Willamette’s looks. Avery Edwards hit a three-pointer — her first points of the game — while Hicks and Randell were able to get more involved in the offense.
Jesuit was able to take a quick lead late in the quarter, but Victoria Nguyen hit a last-second three pointer to make it a 44-42 Willamette lead going into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter was a full offensive display by both teams. It opened with a three-pointer by Jesuit’s Edwards, which was followed by a three by Willamette’s Smith. Each team had an answer for the other. Hicks hit a second-chance layup. Then Nguyen hit a three-pointer.
With a 54-50 lead, Jesuit coach Jason Lowry called for his team to kill the clock with just over four minutes left. Willamette had a chance to tie up the game in the final minute, but Mimi Baldwin got in the way of a pass for a crucial steal.
After that, the Wolverines needed to foul in order to preserve the clock.
Harms led the Wolverines with 21 points, making three of four three-pointers. Smith scored 14 points and Nguyen added 11 points. As a team, Willamette made 50% (nine of 18) of its three-pointers, but struggled at the free throw line, making four of 10.
“They were great,” Sixta said of Willamette’s play. “They were well prepared. I thought that they executed really well and they hit all their shots. They did a really good job offensively.”
The finish was a little extra special for Sixta and the returning Jesuit seniors. The Crusaders were the No. 2 seed in the state tournament last season, but went 0-2 in the Chiles Center. This win was the first in the quarterfinals for the crew of Jesuit seniors, and was a major point of redemption for the team this year.
“It feels great,” Sixta said. “Knowing that last year didn’t turn out the way that we wanted, I think that it gives us a slight chip on our shoulder. It gives us some more motivation and I think that being able to win on such a big stage is really big for us.”
How to watch live stream online: Can’t attend the tournament games in person? You can watch the Class 6A, 5A and 4A basketball state championship tournaments live on NFHS Network. It costs just under $12 for one month of access. That should cover the OSAA basketball state championships and more. Or, you can save money by signing up for a year (annual plan is $79.99/year) if you plan on watching more Oregon high school sports in the future, like when high school football is back in the fall.
