PORTLAND -- Two things were abundantly clear during Southridge’s 55-50 win over Benson in the Diamond bracket final of the Pacific Office Automation Holiday Classic girls basketball tournament on Saturday night at Franklin High School.

First, No. 3 Benson has considerably closed the gap on the No. 2 Skyhawks from last season, when it lost to them twice, including a 19-point defeat in the 6A final. Second, Southridge still has a major advantage over its challengers in the form of Cameron Brink.

The 6-foot-5 junior put the Skyhawks (8-3) on her back in the second half, scoring 20 of her game-high 33 points. For the game, Brink made 10 of 14 shots, 13 of 14 free throws and had 12 rebounds and three blocks.

“She is so evolved,” Benson coach Eric Knox said of the Stanford-bound Brink. “I love her game. She’s got the whole package. She’s got the turnaround. She can put it on the floor. She’s a great player, and I enjoy competing against her.”

Brink and the Skyhawks cruised to the 6A title the last two years, but they aren’t as dominant so far this season. They lost to No. 1 Tigard – their first 6A defeat in the Brink era -- and trailed in the fourth quarter Saturday.

“We’re not underdogs, but it kind of feels like it right now,” Brink said. “We’re not used to losing, and this year it’s kind of a little bit of a rough bump. But I feel like we’re getting more confidence.”

Other 6A contenders sense that the Skyhawks are more vulnerable.

“And everyone’s so good this year,” Brink said. “Individually and as a team, everyone’s gotten better.”

What did Southridge coach Michael Bergmann take from the tournament, which included eight of the top 10 teams from the OSAAtoday 6A coaches poll?

“I take what we thought, and that is that the state’s good,” he said. “A lot of teams have made up a lot of ground, and we have a lot of growing up to do because we need to keep getting better.”

Southridge led Benson (5-4) by seven points in the second quarter and five points in the third quarter, but the Techsters surged ahead 42-40 in the fourth quarter, getting a tying three-pointer from senior Makenzy Porter and a go-ahead score by senior Tayler Lyday off a feed from senior Ciera Ellington.

The Skyhawks responded with baskets by Brink and junior Kyla Vinson, then got a clutch three-pointer from junior point guard McKelle Meek to open a 47-43 lead with 3:03 left. Meek had missed her first seven three-point attempts before hitting the shot.

“That was huge,” Bergmann said of the shot by Meek, who saved the day Friday with 28 points in an overtime win over La Jolla Country Day (Calif.). “I love her attitude, just keep shooting, because she’s a great shooter.”

The shot was enough to provide separation down the stretch for Southridge, which made six free throws in the final minute to offset two three-pointers by Ellington.

“I feel like we just kept our composure the whole game,” Brink said. “Even though they were hitting tough shots, we just kind of moved on, next-play mentality. Kept a steady mindset the whole game.”

Porter said the Techsters didn’t have the right mental approach.

“Letting the other team get in our head, letting it be too big of a moment, playing for the crowd and not each other,” Porter said. “Also just playing against name-brand Southridge and not the players on the court, that’s probably what cost us the most.”

Porter doesn’t want her team to get psyched out by Southridge.

“I don’t see Cameron Brink as anybody too difficult or somebody we can’t guard. I just feel like she’s another name that just has a jersey on,” Porter said. “She ties her shoes and puts her jersey on just like the rest of us. So we’re going to be able to stop her.”

According to Knox, Saturday’s game was similar to when Benson played Southridge in the summer.

“We took them all the way to the end, and they just scored a little bit more than us,” Knox said. “I think we most definitely closed the gap, and I think we can push them down the road, if everything works out.”

Said Bergmann: “It’s a real close matchup now. They’re all so long and such great athletes. And there’s so much discipline now. They’re really, really improved. They’re such a great team now.”

Meek had 11 points and sophomore Kilyn Dawkins had seven rebounds for Southridge, which shot 43.6 percent, including 1 of 12 from three-point range.

Lyday had 19 points and six rebounds and Ellington added 13 points and four assists for Benson, which shot 38.6 percent, making 7 of 25 from deep.

“We definitely closed the gap from last year, and I don’t think anybody else can close it on us,” Porter said. “We’re always going to be fundamental, but they can’t match our athleticism and our talent that we have. So nobody else is going to be able to beat us this year.”

The Techsters got a bonus Saturday with the return of junior guard Bria Dixson, who missed three games after injuring a finger on her shooting hand. The sharpshooting Dixson, a transfer from Franklin, made 2 of 8 three-point attempts and finished with six points.

“She’s a go from here,” Knox said. “She’s going to help us tremendously. I’d like to see where we’re at once we have Bria a couple more games, and then we play a team like Southridge.”