Benson's girls basketball team learned a valuable lesson about seeding last season.
The Techsters were No. 6 in the OSAAtoday coaches poll, but a No. 11 playoff seed forced them into a 6A second-round game at Barlow. Benson lost 60-56 and missed the state tournament.
With that in mind, the Techsters aren't leaving anything to chance this season.
“The playoffs have already begun,” declared coach Eric Knox. “December is going to determine how we get seeded in late February. We want two home games for the playoffs. I've never seen more of an urgency in all the teams I've coached at Benson than I have this year.”
So far, the No. 2 Techsters (4-0) are taking care of business. They have beaten No. 7 Tualatin 59-47, No. 9 McMinnville 70-52 and No. 4 South Medford 68-58. It's exactly what Knox was hoping to see.
“The only surprise is how fast it's coming together,” said Knox, who is 185-90 in 12 seasons at Benson, including a state title in 2019. “Usually in December, we're a slow roll. It takes a minute for good food to cook. It seems like we're cooking a lot quicker than I anticipated.”
The team's chemistry is “unequivocally” better than last season , according to Knox.
“This group just feels a lot more mature collectively,” he said. “I don't have to do as much work. They remind me of my 2019 team. That season, I didn't have to do as much work because the work had already been done. And the chemistry was there.”
Knox said the Techsters don't have the internal issues that sidetracked them last season.
“The kids love playing with each other,” Knox said. “That's what we didn't have last year. We had a lot of stress. We just had too much off-court drama that bled into our practices and games.”
Benson lost two key players from last season in guards Malaya LeSueur and Onna Brown, who are playing in college at Fresno State and Hofstra, respectively. But the Techsters have no shortage of returning talent.
Mahogany Chandler-Roberts, a 6-foot-2 senior forward who has signed with Central Florida, was the Portland Interscholastic League player of the year and a 6A first-team selection the last two seasons.
Samarah Massey, a 5-9 sophomore forward, was a PIL first-team selection and the league's defensive player of the year. Senior guards Maurianna Hashemian-Orr (committed to Saint Mary's) and Olivia Hinck were second-team all-league.
Much revolves around Chandler-Roberts, who averaged 16.7 points and 8.7 rebounds last season. As she prepares for a college career, she is becoming more than a back-to-the-basket scorer.
“She's really putting her whole game together,” Knox said of Roberts, who is leading Benson in scoring at 18.8 points per game. “She's rebounding and pushing the ball. She's hitting threes now. She's more comfortable going at people off the dribble.”
Senior guard Eboni Clay, who transferred from Grant last season, is second in scoring with a 14.5 average. In the Capitol City Classic this week, she scored 26 points in a semifinal win over West Salem and had 15 points to help beat South Medford in the final, hitting eight three-pointers in the two games.
“She is playing lights-out,” Knox said of Clay, the sister of former Westview star Jaime Nared. “She stretches the floor, and she's quick.”
Senior guard Trinity Alex, who joined the team from Alaska last year but missed much of the season with a knee injury, is emerging as a force on defense.
“She's changing us as a team on the defensive end,” Knox said. “She's the best on-ball defender I've ever had. She just creates so much havoc on the defensive end. She has tremendous defensive IQ.”
Benson is in the midst of a demanding early-season schedule. The Techsters already have defeated three ranked teams, and up next is No. 3 Willamette, No. 1 Clackamas and DeSoto (Texas) in the POA Holiday Shootout next week at Franklin High School.
“I'm happy to square up with Willamette and Clackamas to see where we're at,” Knox said.
Benson is the seven-time reigning champion in the PIL, riding a 46-game league winning streak. The Techsters expect to be pushed this season by No. 5 Jefferson.
“It should be a great game. We know that they're coming,” said Knox, whose team faces the Democrats on Jan. 6 at Franklin. “They're one of the top teams in the state now.”
jerryu@osaa.org
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