PORTLAND -- Jefferson’s boys basketball season could have taken an ugly turn Thursday against rival Grant.
The host Democrats, who needed a win to pull even with the Generals atop the Portland Interscholastic League standings, trailed by seven points in the third quarter, and with star senior guard Marcus Tsohonis having an off night, a chance at the league title was slipping away.
Jefferson desperately needed someone to step up, and senior guard Trevon Richmond and freshman guard Lamar Washington answered the call.
Richmond made three three-pointers in a turnaround third quarter and Washington was the catalyst for a fourth-quarter run as the No. 2 Democrats (14-5, 9-1) pulled away for 73-66 win over the No. 6 Generals (13-6, 9-1) in a packed, raucous Jefferson gym.
“That was great,” the Washington-bound Tsohonis said of the way his teammates responded. “They knew I was struggling, missing layups, and just off a bit. It was good that they came up in the clutch.”
Said Jefferson coach Pat Strickland: “We’re 10, 12 deep. We needed it tonight.”
The Democrats got some payback not only for an 83-82 loss to Grant on Jan. 5, but for a 63-62 defeat to the Generals in last year’s 6A final.
“The first time we played them, we should have won, but we had slippage at the end,” Richmond said. “This game, we turned it around a lot.”
Grant took a 41-34 lead midway through the third quarter on a three-pointer by explosive senior guard Aaron Deloney, who scored 30 points, one below his average.
That’s when Jefferson took control. Richmond hit two three-pointers, the second one drawing the Democrats even at 46-46 after three quarters.
“It’s about time. It’s been a while,” Richmond said of finding his stroke. “This game, the crowd was with us. I just shot it with confidence. My teammate, my brother, Marcus, he just told me, ‘When you get it, don’t hesitate, just shoot it.’”
The burly, 6-foot-3 Washington heated up to lead a pivotal fourth-quarter surge. He had eight points, including two three-pointers, and a big steal and assist as Jefferson outscored Grant 17-3 to take a 63-51 lead with 3:50 left.
What turned it for the Democrats?
“Defense, intensity and picking our heads up,” Washington said. “We talked as a team and played as a team. Passed the ball, shared the ball, got the ball inside.”
Grant converted back-to-back steals into baskets by senior guard Ty Rankin to get within 69-65 with 43 seconds to go. But the Democrats made 4 of 6 free throws to hold on.
Richmond led Jefferson with 15 points, with 13 coming in the second half. Tsohonis had 14 points and 16 rebounds, but shot 6 of 23 from the field and 2 of 6 on free throws.
“He was off. Everything was short,” Strickland said of Tsohonis.
Washington, who began the season on JV, finished with 13 points. The freshman looked to be right at home in the frenzied atmosphere.
“I’ve been teetering with starting him,” Strickland said. “He sees it. He played AAU basketball against the best kids in the nation at his age. He’s going to be a special one. I’m glad I get an opportunity to work with him for the next three years after this one.”
Sophomore post Kamron Robinson, who had 11 points and eight rebounds, said Washington’s contribution was key.
“It’s good for him to come off the bench and bring a scoring boost like that,” Robinson said. “If he does that every game, there’s not many teams that can beat us.”
The Democrats – with the 6-8 Robinson, 6-5 Tsohonis and 6-7 sophomore Nate Rawlins-Kibonge – bullied the smaller Generals on the boards.
“We’re so much bigger than them,” Robinson said. “We’re one of the biggest teams in the state, if not the biggest. We can do that to a lot of teams. We just need to have the will.”
After Deloney, Grant got 12 points from Rankin and 10 points from junior LaQuandre Taylor. The Generals shot 31.9 percent, including 2 of 25 from three-point range.
“This one was there for the taking. Honestly, I’m very disappointed,” Grant coach Robert Key said. “We missed shots and we still led. We didn’t play our best basketball and we were ahead until the fourth.”
