Les Schwab Invitational Day 2: Top Performers (Championship Bracket)
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The 23rd annual Les Schwab Invitational continued on Thursday and fans were once again treated to eight full games full of talent, intrigue, and competitiveness.
Here's a look at the Fourth Session on Thursday, the Championship Bracket games.
Gonzaga Prep 57, Lake Oswego 47
After a half where the teams battled to a standstill, Gonzaga Prep started utilizing their size advantage inside to build a third quarter lead and then pull out the win in the fourth quarter over Lake Oswego. The Lakers were able to hold Gonzaga Prep to 27.6 percent shooting in the first half but the Bulldogs started forcing things inside and found a groove, using their own defense prowess to lock down LO to only two field goals in the fourth. Gonzaga signee Anton Watson led Gonzaga Prep with 15 points while Josh Angle led Lake Oswego with 21.
"We struggled to shoot it, but give credit to them - they did a good job defending us on the perimeter," said Lake Oswego head coach Marshall Cho. "We needed to make some shots today and they didn't fall for us unfortunately. They're the defending championship team from Washington for a reason and it was a great test for us to see where we measure up and I'm really proud of my guys."
Jefferson 100, West Linn 78
Jefferson head coach Pat Strickland has talked about going to the "lab" to get things figured out after games this season but there wasn't a lot to figure out on Friday as the Demos were completely dominant as they ran past West Linn. The Lions simply had no answer for the Jefferson backcourt as senior Keylin Vance exploded off the bench with 35 points and Washington signee Marcus Tsohonis added 23. Micah Garrett led the way for West Linn with 26 points and nine rebounds.
"I don't know what happened overnight, but I feel like we played four quarters of basketball tonight against a very tough West Linn team," said Jefferson head coach Pat Strickland. "We got tough on defense early on and we sustained it and were able to pull a victory out. This was our best all-around game."
Sierra Canyon 78, Jesuit 61
Sierra Canyon used its huge advantage in height and overall athleticism to power past a very competitive Jesuit squad. The Crusaders hung close in the first half thanks to some good three-point shooting and tough baskets from the likes of Aiden Williams and Matthew Levis. But the size advantage was too much for Jesuit to overcome as Sierra Canyon fed it into their seven footers Christian Koloko (13 points) and Jia-Hao Yu (16 points) repeatedly for scores in the paint. Kenyon Martin Jr. led the Blazers with 18 points and ten rebounds while Williams (13 points) and Levis (12 points) paced Jesuit.
"We competed really hard," said Jesuit head coach Gene Potter. "You just can't simulate (the size) no matter how much you talk about it and they were just so athletic and we don't see that enough. But I thought we did everything we could to give ourselves a chance. Overall, I was very pleased."
University School 72, Central Catholic 62
In the nightcap, Central Catholic put up a huge fight but in the end it was too much Vernon Carey, Jr. for University School in a hard-earned win. For much of the game, the Rams went toe-to-toe with the Sharks behind some key three-point shooting and ball-denial defense on the University School big men. But late in the second half, Carey clearly had enough and took over, telling his teammates to give him the ball and he personally threw down power dunk after power dunk to take the Sharks to the next round. Carey finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds while Roger McFarlane added 23. Four Rams scored in double figures with Darius Gakwasi leading the way with 16 points.
"I truly think that if some things went the right way and we were able to knock down some shots and not turn the ball over, we'd have a shot and we did that," said Central Catholic head coach David Blue. "But at the end of the day, those are some guys that will be making millions of dollars playing basketball and they took over the game at the end."
"My guys came out and competed for pretty much the entire game and gave us a chance to win at the end," he continued. "I couldn't be more proud of them."
Here are the top performers from those games:
Josh Angle (2019 Lake Oswego) - Angle is best known as a knock-down shooter but his three-point shot wasn't really falling (1-for-9) so he looked to score in other ways. The senior attacked the basket and was able to draw some fouls and utilize his shooting touch at the free throw line (8-for-8). Angle has also improved as a rebounder and pulled down a team-high nine on the day.
Anton Watson (2019 Gonzaga Prep) - It was another solid outing for Watson on day 2 of the LSI. After being more out on the perimeter in the first half, he camped out in the lane at the start of the second and got some easy buckets and then came back outside which opened up the inside for his teammates. Defensively, he was able to be a factor with three blocked shots.
Keylin Vance (2019 Jefferson) - Thus far, Vance gets our vote as MVP of the tournament. The 6-foot-3 senior has simply been on fire and unstoppable on the offensive end - and this all comes coming off of the bench. He instantly made an impact scoring in transition and knocking down threes, while also drawing contact and converting at the free throw line (9-for-9). When he gets it going, there is virtually no way to stop Vance who is proving himself to be perhaps the deadliest scorer in the state.
Marcus Tsohonis (2019 Jefferson) - The Washington signee has quite honestly been struggling with his shooting this season so it was good to see him get things going against West Linn. He hit 5-for-9 from three point range and looked smooth and confident on his jumper. Because Vance was on fire he didn't have to shoulder as much of the load offensively and that's when Tsohonis is at his best.
Jonathan Nchekwube (2019 Jefferson) - Seemingly a bit forgotten the last few games, Nchekwube has stuck with it and he was rewarded with some significant playing time against West Linn. The 6-foot-7 senior made the most out of it as he was extremely active on the boards (a team-high ten rebounds) and he also muscled his way to a couple of buckets on the offensive end. Having a big man like him can be a luxury at times for Jefferson but when Nate Rawlins-Kibonge got hurt, Nchekwube was ready and willing to step in and contribute.
Micah Garrett (2020 West Linn) - Despite the final margin, Garrett played very well offensively. Known best for his ability to go quickly to his left and finish near the rim, the junior actually showed a great pull-up jumper and at one point, was draining them one after another in the second half. A good defensive rebounder, Garrett often would grab the board and quickly get going down the floor.
Jia-Hao Yu (2021 Sierra Canyon) - Also known as Harold, Yu was simply unstoppable. You could easily say it's due to his 7-foot-2 height and size alone, but big men can sometimes play down to smaller players and Yu did not do that. He easily set up shop in the paint and converted baskets with a soft touch. In fact, he showed off his touch later in the game by spotting up and draining a three.
Christian Koloko (2019 Sierra Canyon) - Sierra Canyon's starting big, Koloko was also unstoppable around the basket except he used his rail-thin but athletic frame to convert with some nasty dunks. He ran the floor well and there was no stopping him around the basket defensively.
Aidan Williams (2019 Jesuit) - Williams really struggled in the first day of the LSI so it was good to see him get things going against Sierra Canyon. He got some solid open looks from three and was able to knock those down with consistency. Also in his bag of tricks was helping out on the boards - Williams grabbed a team-high eight rebounds, which may very well be a career-high.
Vernon Carey, Jr. (2019 University School) - At one point in the second half, you could tell that Carey was visibly annoyed as he came to the bench with a scowl and after the time out, essentially threw his chair to the ground after getting up from sitting. From there, he demanded the ball and like a bull in a china shop, drove to the basket and tried to tear the rim off on dunk after dunk. There was no way you were getting into his way unless you wanted to risk life and limb trying to take a charge. Despite his sheer size, Carey isn't just about power. He also showcased some nimbleness as a couple of his ram-rattling dunks and finishes were after he took the ball coast-to-coast with some crafty ball-handling moves.
Scottie Barnes (2020 University School) - Barnes is an intriguing prospect because of his size and athleticm but also his ball skills. He is a deft ball-handler which allows him to get past his defender and then he uses that size and athleticism to throw down some impressive dunks. On one possession, on one drive it seemed as if he threw it off the backboard to himself so he could finish with the power jam and had planned that all along. Although he did hit one three, it does seem as if his perimeter shooting needs tuning up.
Darius Gakwasi (2021 Central Catholic) - Gakwasi started off a little slow but really started to get things going with his outside shot, sinking four threes - a couple of them deep - in the first half. Things got a little more tight in the second half, but the sophomore as usual was able to show off his blend of height and ball skills all game long.
DeRay Seamster (2020 Central Catholic) - Seamster was very effective on both ends of the floor for the Rams. On offense, he nailed a couple of long threes but he also fearlessly took it to the cup against the Sharks big men and converted a couple of buckets.
Sataievior Ayilola (2020 Central Catholic) - A light switch has flipped the last couple of games for Ayilola as he has stepped up and played to what he's capable of playing. The academic junior used his body to create and score underneath and he showed the ability to make the right decision and let the game come to him. Ayilola remains a big wildcard for the Rams as if he plays like he's been playing the last couple of games, Central Catholic will surely be a force to reckon with the rest of the season.
