Clackamas handles West Linn, reaches tourney

The seniors on the Clackamas High girls basketball team were plenty nervous heading into Saturday's playoff game with Three Rivers League rival West Linn, regardless that they'd lost just one game all season.

In the final week of the regular season, they beaten the Lions just 47-42 and they were facing a program history of heartbreak.

"It was a long day, waiting for the game," senior forward Jen Reese said. "I just wanted to get on the floor so we could win and then go to the tournament."

Reese scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and senior guard Natalie Myers scored a team-high 17 points to lead the second-ranked Cavaliers past West Linn 55-35 and into the eight-team Class 6A state tournament. Clackamas is in the tournament for the second time in three years, but will play at the Rose Garden this year.

Clackamas will play St. Mary's Academy Thursday at 7 p.m. in the quarterfinals. The Cavaliers have reached the final 16 in state playoff action 19 times, but have never reached the semifinals.

Top-ranked Jesuit, the runner-up last year, played its way in as well with a 70-27 win over Barlow. The Crusaders will face South Medford in the first game of the girls tournament Thursday at 1:30 p.m.

Oregon City, Tigard, South Eugene and Beaverton also played their way in Saturday. In the Class 6A bracket, only one visiting team - St. Mary's - won in the 24 games played Wednesday and Saturday.

In Class 5A, top seeds West Albany and Springfield played their way into the tournament, which will be played at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene. All eight home teams won Saturday.

At Class 4A, top seedes La Salle and Cascade won, but Mazama and Crook County pulled upsets to reach the tournament at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis. Crook County, a No. 7 seed, is the lowest seed to play into the 6A, 5A or 4A tournament among boys or girls teams.

SATURDAY RESULTS
CLASS 6A
TIGARD 53, Tualatin 34
BEAVERTON 55, Westview 50
CLACKAMAS 55, West Linn 35
JESUIT 70, Barlow 27
OREGON CITY 42, Southridge 30
SOUTH EUGENE 55, Lincoln 29
SOUTH MEDFORD 74, Glencoe 60
St. Mary's Academy 53, THURSTON 42

CLASS 5A
WILLAMETTE 48, Liberty 45
HERMISTON 60, South Albany 33
CRESCENT VALLEY 44, The Dalles-Wahtonka 27
WEST ALBANY 47, Wilson 28
SHERWOOD 55, North Eugene 50, (OT)
SPRINGFIELD 59, Milwaukie 29
WILSONVILLE 59, Jefferson 46

CLASS 4A
BANKS 47, Philomath 40
LA SALLE PREP 70, Baker 26
HENLEY 55, Ontario 33
Mazama 60, TILLAMOOK 51
MADRAS 61, Siuslaw 31
Crook County 47, CENTRAL 42
BROOKINGS 48, Junction City 27
CASCADE 58, La Grande 44