TIGARD – Three-time reigning 1A boys basketball champion Crane took advantage of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday to travel six hours for a litmus test Monday.
And the senior-dominated Mustangs looked every bit like a seasoned state championship team, extending their winning streak to 43 by cruising past 3A No. 7 Dayton 66-45 in the first game of the MLK Showcase at Westside Christian High School.
Senior forward Joah Friedrichsen scored 19 points and senior post Cody Siegner had 17 points to lead No. 1 Crane (16-0), which raced to a 25-7 lead late in the first quarter and never looked back, leading by as much as 34 points The Mustangs smothered the Pirates (10-6) on defense and were clicking on offense, hitting four three-pointers in the first quarter.
“We came out with energy they didn't match,” Siegner said. “Our defensive intensity was something I don't feel they were ready for. That was a big part of it. I think we were on top of our game today.”
Senior forward Josh Zander added 12 points for Crane, which faced a team ranked in the top 10 of the OSAAtoday 3A coaches poll for the first time this season.
“It was an exciting challenge,” Zander said. “I feel like we get excited to play anybody, but especially big games like this. Most every game, we're like, 'We've got to go play our game.' And that's what we did. No matter who we're playing, we've got to play our game, our level.”
The Mustangs have defeated three ranked 1A teams in No. 4 Country Christian, No. 6 Union and No. 10 Days Creek and two ranked 2A teams in No. 3 Regis and No. 5 Trinity Lutheran. Coach Eric Nichols likes how his team is progressing.
“Over the last three weeks, we've made a ton of growth,” Nichols said. “They're coming together more as a team after the loss of previous players. We're taking care of the ball better, and our defense is at probably one of the better levels it has been.”
Crane came out strong Monday despite playing its third game in four days.
“We came over yesterday, so we had a little time to rest our bodies, and we were ready to go this morning,” Siegner said. “It's hard for us. We have to travel to find good, competitive games. We're willing to go where we can get a competitive game.”
The 6-foot-7 Siegner, who has signed with Oregon State football as a tight end, is averaging a team-high 22.2 points per game. Monday's game gave him a chance to battle inside against Dayton senior Clyde Rosenberg, a 6-foot-7, 250-pound post who entered the game averaging 24.2 points and 11.9 rebounds.
Siegner and Rosenberg both had their moments as they scrapped inside, and each showed their versatility by knocking down a three-pointer. Rosenberg led Dayton with 26 points.
Nichols was looking forward to seeing Siegner duel with Rosenberg, the son of former Linfield coach Shanan Rosenberg. They also went head-to-head last year, when Crane edged the Pirates 59-56.
“That's one of the things you see on the schedule and you're like, 'That's going to be awesome,'” Nichols said. “We've been talking about it for a while. Those are fun matchups.”
It's been a rough few days for Dayton.
On Friday, the Pirates' 30-game PacWest Conference winning streak ended with a 65-52 loss at No. 8 Taft. In the first quarter of that game, senior guard Lane Garrison – Dayton's second-leading scorer (12.2 points) – suffered a compound fracture of his arm. He underwent surgery and is out for the season.
If that wasn't enough, illness swept through the Pirates, and several of them struggled to make it through Monday's game. Senior point guard Austin Bodenhamer, who averages 8.0 assists, did not play in the second half.
Crane will play its fourth game in five days Tuesday night when it visits Adrian (9-4) for a key High Desert League game. The Mustangs are 4-0 in league and Adrian is 3-0.
With Monday's win, Crane is 107-2 in the last four seasons. The Mustangs had a 41-game winning streak snapped last year by Union, but have bounced back to win 43 in a row, tied for the sixth-longest streak in state history. If they win out this season, they would break the state record of 56 consecutive victories, held by Oakland (1999-2001).
Crane also could become the third team in state history to win four consecutive state championships, joining Jesuit (2009-12) and West Linn (2013-16).
“We try not to think about it a whole lot,” Zander said. “We just take it one game at a time. We don't try to look ahead. … But it would be pretty cool.”
Nichols believes his team has the right mentality.
“I think these guys do a really good job approaching every game, to be honest,” Nichols said. “No highs, no lows, just maximum effort all the time.”
jerryu@osaa.org
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