South Medford shoots past Benson

The Panthers run wild in the second quarter and hold on for title victory

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PORTLAND - South Medford used a 14-3 run in the second quarter to build a 17-point lead in the third quarter, then staved off a comeback bid on the way to a 48-38 victory over Benson in the title game of the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union Class 6A girls basketball state tournament.

The Panthers, who lost in the final to Clackamas last year, led 8-7 at the end of the first quarter, but steadily pulled away to a 29-12 lead at 2:!5 of the third. Benson got within six points midway through the fourth quarter, but no closer.

Taylor Young and Sara Schmerback scored 15 points each to lead South, the top-seeded team in the playoffs.

The title was the second for the program, which also won in 2012.

Benson missed its attempt to win a second title in five years.

Eboni Clay scored 16 points to lead Benson, which gave up 11 offensive rebounds and had 17 turnovers.

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Indoor

Championships

Cliff Pfenning

Cliff is a lifelong resident of Oregon and has four decades of experience as a writer, photographer, videographer, broadcaster and now producer. He's a grad of Benson High in Portland and the University of Oregon. His writing background includes stints at The Oregonian, The Register-Guard, The News-Review in Roseburg, The Portland Tribune, The Portland Observer as well as regular contributions to The Medford Mail-Tribune and Willamette Week. He was set to be a content provider for Action Sports Cable Network if it had began operations in 2000. He also has taught sports broadcasting through the high school program at KBPS in Portland.

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