PREP HOOPS: Phoenix boys secure first state playoff win in 13 years
Published 10:55 am Sunday, March 9, 2025
Phoenix senior Martin Ortega secures the ball against Newport during Saturday's win in the Class 4A state playoffs. (Andy Atkinson / for the Rogue Valley Times)
Phoenix senior Brayden Decker knocks down one of his four 3-pointers in the first half against Newport in Saturday's game. (Andy Atkinson / for the Rouge Valley Times)
Phoenix senior Tobias Akpan forces his way to the basket against Newport's collapsing defense Saturday in Phoenix. (Andy Atkinson / for the Rogue Valley Times)
Phoenix senior William Pyeatt shoots a 3-pointer during Saturday's Class 4A state playoff game against Newport in Phoenix. (Andy Atkinson / for the Rogue Valley Times)
Phoenix senior Sidney McQueen, left, fights for the ball on the floor with Newport's Ethan Bruns during Saturday's game in Phoenix. (Andy Atkinson / for the Rogue Valley Times)
No. 7-seeded Pirates stave off Newport rally with fourth-quarter free throws; Crater boys, Eagle Point girls fall in 5A openers
All of the Phoenix boys basketball players were barely dribbling a basketball the last time the Pirates won a state playoff game, but that didn’t stop them from closing out a 64-60 win over Newport in clutch fashion Saturday in the opening round of the Class 4A state playoffs.
Phoenix built a double-digit lead through three quarters in front of its home crowd, and staved off a valiant comeback effort by the Cubs thanks to a 13-for-16 from the free-throw line in the final frame.
The playoff win marked a first for the Phoenix program since placing second to Central at the 4A state tournament in 2012 — a year after the Pirates were state champions.
“We definitely had to earn it the hard way,” said Phoenix head coach Troy McNichols.
Senior guard Martin Ortega went 7-for-8 from the foul line and Brayden Decker was a perfect 4-for-4 to power the final push for seventh-seeded Phoenix (17-7).
Newport, the No. 10 seed, certainly didn’t make it easy as the Cubs (16-9) heated up with four of their six 3-pointers in a 25-point fourth-quarter surge.
“There’s always a little bit of stress anytime you have a lead, and then you start kind of seeing the other guys hitting some shots, maybe, that they don’t normally hit, and all of a sudden it’s within four or three points,” said McNichols. “It got a little scary there for a minute. To our kids’ credit, I think they got stops when they needed to, and they hit their free throws. It was pretty clutch down the stretch, and I’m very, very happy for them.”
Phoenix senior Brayden Decker knocks down one of his four 3-pointers in the first half against Newport in Saturday’s game. (Andy Atkinson / for the Rouge Valley Times)
Best of all, Saturday’s showing was a total team effort as four players scored in double figures, and six of the seven players who saw playing time provided points.
Thanks to his final free throws, Ortega led the bunch with 18 points, while Decker totaled 16 points and the Pirates received 12 points apiece from Tobias Akpan and William Pyeatt — all seniors making their playoff debut at Phoenix.
“That’s the way that I’ve always wanted my teams to be,” McNichols said of the balanced attack. “I don’t really care who gets the points, I just want to spread the wealth and not allow teams just to focus on one area. And if the team does focus on one area, like, for instance, shutting down a post player, we’ve got to have other guys that can step up and make shots, and I think we’ve done that pretty consistently this year.”
Decker gave his team a huge boost with four 3-pointers in the first half to complement 10 points by Akpan as Phoenix went into the break up 32-24.
“Decker was huge in the first half,” said McNichols. “I think there’s other coaches in the league that call him the silent ninja. He just kind of hangs around and he nails the shot when we need it, and he’s been that way all season long.”
Pyeatt knocked down three of his four 3-pointers in the second half to carry over the perimeter play and extend the lead over Newport.
McNichols called Saturday’s outcome special for several reasons, as well as the fulfillment of the potential that the team showed even prior to the season and has continued to develop in a year where Phoenix earned its first Skyline Conference title in 21 years.
“I’m extremely happy, extremely proud and extremely pleased with the result, but it’s not over yet,” he said. “Let’s see if we can’t get a couple more. We told them after the game, you’re one win away from placing at state, but, more than that, you’re two wins away from playing for the state title. So let’s not make light of this trip. It’s not over yet.”
Phoenix opens play at the 4A state tournament in Forest Grove at 8:15 p.m. Thursday against second-seeded Marshfield (21-3). The teams met a little over a week into the season on Dec. 14 — well before Phoenix found its groove as a team — and Marshfield won 60-32.
NEWPORT (60): Fierro 2, Herrmann15, Bokuro 23, Barber 7, Bruns 9, Martinson 4. Totals: 23 8-11 60.
PHOENIX (64): Decker 16, Pyeatt 12, McQueen 2, Akpan 12, Ortega 18, Dobbins 0, Wihtol 4. Totals: 21 13-16 64.
Newport 11 13 11 25 — 60
Phoenix 14 18 14 18 — 64
3-point goals — Newport 6 (Herrmann 4, Bokuro 1, Bruns 1), Phoenix 9 (Decker 4, Pyeatt 4, Ortega 1).
CALDERA 67, CRATER 53: At Bend, Crater saw a 16-point lead evaporate in the second half as top-seeded Caldera rallied over the final 16 minutes in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs.
Ben Higginson connected for three of his four 3-pointers in the first half and totaled 13 points in that span to get the No. 16 Comets (12-13) off to a fast start — spurred by a 26-10 advantage in the second quarter.
Caldera (18-7) responded with a 48-18 surge in the second half to stave off the upset bid.
Higginson finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and two steals, while Julien Grant had 13 points, six rebounds and eight assists for Crater.
Malachi Barlow had three steals, two blocks, two assists and two rebounds to go with nine points, and Tremaine Smith provided seven points and four rebounds.
Jack Bents scored 20 points to lead the Wolfpack.
CRATER (53): Leland 0, Smith 7, Higginson 16, Grant 13, Barlow 9, Cole 8, Khalsa 0. Totals: 21 6-9 53.
CALDERA (67): Bents 20, Macomber 10, Nishikawa 9, Jenson 11, Fievet 10, Cruz 7, Garcia 0. Totals: 27 4-7 67.
Crater 9 26 13 5 — 53
Caldera 9 10 25 23 — 67
3-point goals — Crater 5 (Higginson 4, Smith 1), Caldera 9 (Bents 1, Macomber 2, Nishikawa 3, Fievet 2, Cruz 1). Technical fouls — Cole, Macomber, Bents.
Girls Basketball
SUMMIT 54, EAGLE POINT 37: At Bend, No. 12-seeded Eagle Point led 20-12 at one point but fifth-seeded Summit was able to tie the contest at 33-all and then use an 18-0 run after the Eagles ran out of steam to seal the comeback in the first round of the Class 5A state playoffs.
Jill Garlitz collected 12 points, three assists and three steals for Eagle Point (14-10), while Kady Ledbetter provided 10 points, 10 rebounds and three steals and Emary Haning had five points and five rebounds.
Despite a focused attention from the Summit defense, Kady Lindstrom finished with nine points, four rebounds and four assists.
Jade Durfee led the Storm (20-6) with 18 points.
EAGLE POINT (37): Haning 5, Metcalf 0, Garlitz 12, Lindstrom 9, Jackson 0, Ledbetter 10, Daw 0, Deng-Gomez 1.
SUMMIT (54): K. Durfee 5, J. Durfee 18, Christ 14, Bollom 3, Guthrie 0, Korfhage 0, Williams 8, Ring 1, Cross 5, Richwine 0, Stassens 0.
Eagle Point 10 15 8 4 — 37
Summit 11 10 18 15 — 54
3-point goals — Eagle Point 4 (Garlitz 2, Lindstrom 2), Summit 5 (J. Durfee 2, Bollom 1, Williams 2).
Reach sports editor Kris Henry at khenry@rv-times.com or 458-488-2035
