Back to the Mac - All-Event First Team

The Return to the Mac event took place on Saturday on the campus of the University of Oregon, and eight high school games were played on the floor of McArthur Court for the first time since 2011. We had the opportunity to watch all the action and from what we observed, we decided on the all-event squads. Here's a look at the First Team:    The best was saved for last as Holmes put on a show. After a solid first half with 12 points, with the Irish trailing rival Thurston the senior swingman decided to take over. Late in the third quarter, Holmes hit three consecutive threes - a couple of them way beyond the three-point line - and then fired a pass over to teammate [player_tooltip player_id='2352621' first='Kai' last='Holmes'] for a three to close out the period. Sheldon held on for the intense 67-64 victory and Holmes finished with 34 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks, showing dominance on both sides of the ball.     In a matchup highlighted by the coaching matchup of two former Duck greats, it was the younger Leunen that shone the brightest. The 6-foot-7 junior was absolutely dominant offensively both inside and out, getting baskets in the paint, attacking off the bounce from the perimeter but also knocking down jumpers including two threes. Leunen was dominant on the glass as well and further showed his versatility with his passing. At the end of the day, he finished with 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 assists as Ridgeview defeated Pleasant Hill, 62-47.     North Eugene got a somewhat unexpected challenge from Newberg with the game going to overtime, so that's when Gray took over. The 6-foot-2 senior guard had a solid game to that point, shooting it well from the perimeter (four threes) while also getting to the rack effectively. In the overtime period, the ball was in his hands where he attacked the basket and drew contact, going 5-for-6 from the line, but he also dished out a key assist to an open Jayden Robinson for a big three. Gray finished with a game-high 30 points to go along with four rebounds and three assists.     One of the themes of the day was how much of a shooter's gym Mac Court was and Gutierrez got things kicking off in the first half of the first boys game. The senior guard found openings against the defense and knocked down six threes off the catch-and-shoot with his shooting stroke looking pure with a quick release. The defense adjusted in the second half so he didn't add to that total, but was able to get a couple of regular two-point baskets to finish with 26 total points on the day in Churchill's 68-61 victory.     Overall it was a balanced effort as Nelson got past North Medford, but Lockhart led the way in his first game in a Hawks uniform. The sophomore guard didn't have it going with the three necessarily only hitting one, but adjusted his game and looked to utilize his mid-range jumper for his points, which looked incredibly smooth and natural off the bounce. Sharing ball-handling and passing duties with teammate [player_tooltip player_id='2026060' first='Jaydon' last='Schregardus'] in the absence of the injured [player_tooltip player_id='2026057' first='Braylon' last='Gaines'], Lockhart dished out a couple of assists to go along with his 21 total points.

The Return to the Mac event took place on Saturday on the campus of the University of Oregon, and eight high school games were played on the floor of McArthur Court for the first time since 2011. We had the opportunity to watch all the action and from what we observed, we decided on the all-event squads. Here's a look at the First Team: