Eli Thomas
BOYS BASKETBALL RECAPS
THURSTON defeated South Eugene 69-61 on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Lucas LaBounty led the Colts with 23 points. Treyson Hill added 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, while Leo Filipe scored 15 points. Add in Ridge Lindsay’s 11 points, and four Colts players scored 65 of the team’s 69 points. Thurston has defeated the Axe three years in a row. … Thurston lost to Tualatin 79-58 on Thursday in the Capitol City Classic at Willamette University. The Colts are 1-2 in three games against Class 6A opponents. … Thurston defeated Western Christian 68-43 on Saturday in the consolation bracket of the Capitol City Classic. LaBounty had a season-high 27 points and 7 rebounds. He has 20+ points in four games this season. Hill had 15 points, including 10 in the third quarter. Parker Reed led the Class 2A Pioneers with 20 points.
PLEASANT HILL defeated East Linn Christian 62-60 on Tuesday, Dec. 16. The Billies responded to a 28-point loss in the previous game with a close win against a Class 2A powerhouse. Doug Green led the Billies with 21 points, and controlled the offense throughout. The game was close the whole way. Noah Johnson scored 15 points and Jacob Neely had 10. … The Billies defeated Cascade 47-35 on Thursday in its opening game of the Battle of I-5 Tournament. The Billies’ two returning starters shined: Landen Melvin scored 15 points while Jacob Neely had 12. The Billies took an early lead and never looked back. The Billies are 4-0 at home this season. … Pleasant Hill beat Cottage Grove 60-50 in the semifinal of the Battle of I-5 on Friday. Melvin set a season-high with 29 points, helping bring his team back from a six-point halftime deficit. A 21-10 third quarter turned the game for the Billies.
Trevor Cooper scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds for the Lions. … The Billies beat Marist Catholic 58-39 in the Battle of I-5 title game on Saturday. Melvin scored 27 points to lead the Billies. After losing to the Spartans in the semifinals of this tournament last year, the Billies controlled this one throughout. The Billies have won the Battle of I-5 two of the past three years.
COTTAGE GROVE lost 54-41 to Hidden Valley on Tuesday, Dec. 16. Neither team shot well from 3-point range, but the Mustangs were much more efficient on 2-point attempts. Part of that came from creating 21 turnovers and taking the resulting fast break opportunities. Trevor Cooper scored 23 of the Lions 41 points, and added 3 blocks. … The Lions defeated Brookings-Harbor 70-40 on Thursday. This was the Lions’ highest-scoring game by 14 points, and the program’s largest margin of victory since its season opener in 2021. The Lions won the “points in the paint”W battle 36-10. Cooper had 18 points and 5 steals, and Ethan Valdez had 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.
SPRINGFIELD lost to Bend 66-36 on Thursday, Dec. 18. Bend took a 23-3 first-quarter lead, and never relinquished it. Spencer Dildine led the Lava Bears with 17 points, 13 of which came in the first quarter. Noah Solo led the Millers with 13 points. … Springfield lost to McMinnville 59-29 on Saturday. After hanging close with a 14-12 first quarter, the Millers were limited to 17 points the rest of the game. Bryce Herrick led the Grizzlies with 17 points, 15 of which came from five 3-pointers. Turnovers (22 total) and 8-of-18 shooting from the free throw line hurt the Millers.
BOYS BASKETBALL PREVIEWS
PLEASANT HILL
Tipping off: The Billies (8-2) have moved up to No. 3 in Class 3A after winning the Battle of I-5 Tournament. On Monday, Dec. 29, the Billies play the Burns Hilanders (6-1). The Hilanders are No. 7 in Class 3A after starting 6-1 for the second consecutive year. Pleasant Hill won this matchup 59-46 last season. Landen Melvin will look to stay red hot for the Billies, after scoring 29 and 27 points in his past two games.
THURSTON
Tipping off: The Colts (3-3) play three games in three days at the Abby’s Holiday Classic at South Medford High School. The first is Saturday, Dec. 27 against Class 6A North Medford (0-7). Next is Sunday against Class 6A Grants Pass (0-6). On Monday, the Colts face Class 6A host South Medford (6-2). Last year in this event, the Colts went 2-1, including a 54-43 win over South Medford. Lucas LaBounty comes into the game off a season-high 27 points against Western Christian.
SPRINGFIELD
Tipping off: The Millers (1-5) travel to Stayton for the SCTC Holiday Tournament. Class 3A Yamhill-Carlton (4-3) is its first opponent on Monday, Dec. 29. The game will be the first Class 5A opponent of the season for the Bulldogs. The Millers’ second game is Tuesday, and the opponent will be determined by how the first game goes. The opponent on New Year’s eve in its third and final game of the tournament is yet to be determined.
COTTAGE GROVE
Tipping off: The Lions (1-7) meet the Molalla Indians (6-0) in the opening game of the SCTC Holiday Tournament in Stayton. The game is Monday, Dec. 29 and the Lions’ difficult early season schedule continues. The Indians are the No. 1 team in Class 4A. The blistering start for the Indians is unusual, considering the program has not had a winning record since 2013. The Lions’ next two games are Tuesday and Wednesday. The opponents are to be determined
CRESWELL
Tipping off: The Bulldogs (5-3) will host the Newport Cubs (4-1) on Monday, Dec. 29. These two were supposed to meet in the opening game of the Battle of I-5 Tournament on Thursday, Dec. 18, but weather conditions kept the Cubs from traveling to Creswell. The Cubs have moved from No. 11 to No. 8 in Class 4A in the last week despite not playing a game. Bulldogs junior Emerson Valerde will hope to keep building on back-to-back positive games. Creswell coach Jesse Thomas said junior Mason Schartz might make his first appearance.
– Capsules by Eli Thomas, The Chronicle
