COOS BAY — One team that needed a late-season run just to get to the postseason and another that hadn’t been to the state tournament in nearly 60 years put on a great show early in the morning at the Class 3A state tournament Friday.
In the end, Burns outlasted Neah-Kah-Nie 68-61 in overtime to advance to the fourth-place game at Marshfield High School. The Hilanders face De La Salle North Catholic at 8 a.m. Saturday.
The contest was one of momentum, with Burns hitting five 3-pointers in the first quarter and the Hilanders led by 15 points, 25-10, early in the second quarter. Neah-Kah-Nie clawed back within seven points late in the half but Devon Thrall hit another 3-pointer for Burns and the Hilanders led by 10 at the break.
Neah-Kah-Nie pulled within two late in third on fast-break hoop by Ethan Hanson and Burns led 45-43 heading to the fourth, a back-and-forth quarter that saw both teams lead several times.
Burns had the final possession, but a potential game-winning shot was off the mark setting up the overtime period.
Neah-Kah-Nie went cold in the extra session and Jaxon Hoyt and Jack Wright both hit 3-pointers to push Burns in front. The Pirates didn’t make enough shots and Hoyt hit four straight free throws to seal the win.
Wright said the Hilanders righted the ship after the poor start to the second half.
“We kind of struggled at the start of the third,” he said. “We are gamers. We’ve done it all year. We worked hard and got it done.”
Burns needed three wins in five nights in the Eastern Oregon League playoffs just to get to the postseason after finishing fifth in the regular-season standings and then became the only team to win both first- and second-round games to get to the tournament, the latter an overtime win against rival and league champion Vale.
Neah-Kah-Nie, meanwhile, won the Coastal Range League and beat Pleasant Hill in the playoffs to get to the final site for the first time since 1966.
Wright said the key in the win was the inside play of Zane Perry-Kozeni, who battled for shots against Neah-Kah-Nie post Ivan Dante.
Perry-Kozeni finished with 19 points. Wright had 14 and Hoyt 13 and each hit three of the nine 3-pointers Burns made.
“We’re a pretty good shooting team,“ Wright said. “We struggled in the second half, but we made the big shots at the end.”
Dante had 15 points and Jonathan Dana added 14, including two 3-pointers, for Neah-Kah-Nie. Fellow senior Anthony Allen and sophomore Clayton Dante added nine each.
“I’m just so proud of them,” Neah-Kah-Nie coach Erick White said. “Obviously, this moment is disappointment. When we look back, it’s an awesome experience just to get here.”
DE LA SALLE NORTH CATHOLIC 48, DAYTON 36: The Knights exploited their inside size and eliminated the Pirates in the consolation semifinals.
Jaylen Hill had 21 points and Max Walker added seven as De La Salle extended a streak of earning a trophy that goes all the way back to 2014. Dre’Cion Gates had nine points, all in the first half, for the Knights, who led 30-23 at the half and 44-34 through three quarters before both teams went cold for the final eight minutes.
Dayton had chances to get back into the game, but only made one shot in the final quarter and didn’t score the final six minutes. De La Salle’s only points in the final 5:30 were a pair of free throws by Marshaun Lambert with just over a minute to go.
Boston Hodges had 20 points for Dayton. Clyde Rosenberg had six after scoring 24 in a quarterfinal loss to Valley Catholic, but missed much of the game saddled with foul trouble trying to guard Hill.
De La Salle coach James Broadous II said the team’s goal was to get the ball inside.
“Jaylen is tough to guard inside,” he said. “That’s all we were trying to do.”
De La Salle had advanced to the semifinals every year since 2014 and Broadous said he was proud of how his team battled in a rare morning contest.
“We’ve to a lot of heart,” he said.
De La Salle was playing without team leader Quincy Aranda, who was injured late in Thursday’s quarterfinal loss to Cascade Christian.
“All year long we’ve been playing short,” Broadous said, adding that he’s only had his complete lineup a few games. “It’s always next man up.”
This year, that will result in another trophy.
GIRLS
BANKS 51, WESTSIDE CHRISTIAN 36: The 2023 champion Braves outscored the Eagles 12-3 in the first quarter and 19-6 in the third to roll into the fourth-place game against Nyssa.
Nylah Vanthom had 21 points and Jocelyn Janecek 13 for Banks. McKenna King added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Nyla Cabine had three 3-pointers and 16 points and nine rebound to lead the Eagles. Ava Mai added 10 points.
CRESWELL 43, NYSSA 28: Dakota Carson had four 3-pointers and scored 19 points while adding three steals and seven rebounds and Creswell outscored Nyssa 14-2 in the first quarter to advance to the fourth-place game.
Lauren Bailey added 12 points and Kylie Leonard had 11 points and five steals for Creswell in the win.
Brynlee Hartley had 11 points and seven rebounds for Nyssa, which shot just 18 percent from the floor and had 29 turnovers.
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