PORTLAND – Top-seeded Barlow turned a small spark into a raging inferno against West Linn in the semifinals of the OSAA/OnPoint Community Credit Union boys basketball tournament Friday night at the Chiles Center.
Down by five points in the second quarter, the Bruins used lock-down defense to create offense, igniting an 18-0 run that was the impetus for a runaway 69-42 win over the fourth-seeded Lions.
Early in the surge, Barlow converted back-to-back turnovers into baskets, the first one an emphatic dunk by 6-foot-7 senior Brayden Barron and the second a layup by 6-6 senior Mason Bierbrauer. The sequence fueled the Barlow crowd, further energizing the Bruins.
“Them yelling, momentum was just up through the roof,” Bierbrauer said. “The fans want it just as bad as we do. If they're going good, so are we.”
Senior guard Jalen Atkins said that coach Tom Johnson “kind of got fired up at us at a timeout, and I think that really just flipped the switch for us. … Those momentum plays really helped us put our foot on the gas and just keep going.”
Atkins scored a team-high 21 points for the Bruins, who shot 59.6 percent (28 for 47). Barron had 20 points, nine rebounds and two blocks and Bierbrauer had 20 points and six rebounds.
With the win, Barlow (26-3) advances to the final to meet No. 11 Jesuit (19-10). The teams have met twice this season, with Jesuit winning 67-58 at the Les Schwab Invitational on Dec. 26 and Barlow prevailing at home 62-58 on Jan. 7.
The Bruins' only other appearance in the championship game came in 1996, when they lost to Barry Adams-coached South Salem 53-39. They not only can win their first state title, but can deliver the first championship for Johnson, who has won 710 games in 39 seasons at Barlow.
“It means the world,” Atkins said. “We understand that just getting there isn't good enough for us. We want to go in there and win the game. Obviously, it means a lot to get there for him, and for all of us. We're just hoping to take care of business and get the win.”
Atkins, a fourth-year starter, and Bierbrauer, a third-year starter, were part of teams that lost in the semifinals in 2023 and quarterfinals in 2024. That disappointment is part of what drove them to reach the final this year.
“We've tried for three years, and we finally got to it this year,” Bierbrauer said. “But we're not done yet. We've still got one more game to play. We need to get it done, for T, and to make history.”
Barlow's experience paid dividends Friday. The Bruins kept their heads despite trailing for much of the first half.
“I felt the most comfortable I've been out here in a long time,” Atkins said. “Not being too excited, but not being too calm at the same time. Just being right in the even-keel spot, just helped us come out here and play our game.”
West Linn (22-6) entered on a nine-game winning streak and held the upper hand early. Senior guard Sawyer Young made three three-pointers, and when he converted a layup off an assist by sophomore point guard Trey Price, the Lions led 27-22 midway through the second quarter.
But that would be their last basket for nearly seven minutes as Barlow went on an 18-0 run to pull ahead 40-27 early in the third quarter. The Bruins built the lead to 50-31 late in the third quarter.
“They came out and kind of punched us in the mouth early on,” Johnson said. “I'm obviously really glad how we responded midway through the second quarter with our defensive energy.”
First-year West Linn coach Travis Myers said it felt as if the game turned around “in about four seconds.”
“It felt really fast,” Myers said. “I think it took the air out of our kids. You could tell. We were missing a lot of shots. We didn't shoot it well tonight. They did a good job defensively of keeping us in tough situations.”
The Portland State-bound Barron was the catalyst, using his long frame and jumping ability to close off driving lanes and change shots at the rim, allowing the Bruins to get out in transition.
“Brayden causes so many problems with his length and athleticism,” Johnson said. “That was a big factor for us defensively getting back in it. Brayden is one of the most improved players I've ever coached from his freshman year to his senior year.”
Atkins raved about the play of Barron.
“He's just a 6-7 freak athlete. You can't teach anything about that,” Atkins said. “To have him be in the paint, and to have him be as active as he was tonight … it's hard to beat us when we have a guy like that who can just play on the perimeter and also come down low and block shots.”
Young scored 15 points and Price had nine points and four assists for West Linn, which was bidding to make the final for the second time in three seasons. The Lions shot 32.6 percent (15 for 46), including 5 of 22 on three-pointers.
“They were capitalizing on every mistake we made, and they also hit some really tough shots with guys in their face,” Myers said. “When you play a team as talented as they are, you've got to kind of play your best, and I don't think we played our best tonight.”
No. 11 Jesuit 62, No. 7 Westview 48: The Crusaders (19-10) made 11 three-pointers – giving them 43 in four postseason games – to bury Metro League rival Westview (22-6) in the semifinals.
Jesuit connected on seven triples to lead 26-4 early in the second quarter. During the run, sophomore Isaac Bongen made three three-pointers and junior Joe Stimpson and senior Ryan Fraser added two each from behind the arc.
The Metro champion Wildcats, who won two of three games against Jesuit this season, rallied to within 33-20 at half behind 12 second-quarter points from senior Jason Grady. Senior James Kefgen scored two baskets to start the second half, making it 33-24.
But Jesuit junior Ryan Barone hit a three-pointer to make it 36-24, and the Crusaders led by double digits the rest of the way.
Bongen finished with four three-pointers and 20 points to lead Jesuit. Fraser had 11 points, hitting three three-pointers, and Stimpson and senior point guard Pat Kilfoil added 10 points each. The Crusaders shot 52.8 percent (19 for 36), making 11 of 22 three-point attempts.
Kefgen and Grady scored 16 and 15 points, respectively, for the Wildcats, who were in the semifinals for the first time since 2011.
Jesuit, riding a 10-game winning streak, will go for its eighth state championship Saturday against Barlow. All seven titles have come under coach Gene Potter, the last one in 2019.
jerryu@osaa.org
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