By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
SALEM, Ore.– It was one of those classic back-and-forth games between South Salem and West Salem Boys Basketball team Tuesday night. One team pulls ahead, and the other comeback and pulls ahead themselves.
It became a game of attrition as the Saxons and Titans wore each other down in what became a high-scoring affair in the Central Valley Conference game at South Salem High School. And it was going to come down to who was going to make their run the last one for the victory.
In the fourth quarter alone, there were three massive runs. West Salem pulled ahead 67-62 a little more than two minutes into the fourth quarter, only to see South Salem pull back ahead 75-71 with three minutes remaining in the game. It was during that run in which Brett Gill hit three three-pointers in a row to help South Salem in the 13-4 run. Gill finished with 16 points and five three’s in the game.
But, it was a weird spot throughout the game. Both squads could get those four, five, six point leads, but couldn’t really sustain it to build upon it. Over the course of the final three minutes of the game, the Titans pushed forward one more time. Eventually, they got the lead back with about 40 seconds remaining at the line and sealed it there for what would be an 83-78 victory.
“Previous games, we’ve struggled at the end, especially in the second half, and today we fought through that. It’s crazy. Our intensity on both sides of the ball. Pushing on both sides of the ball,” said Tyler Sommer.
Sommer finished with 18 points, and freshman Jonah Munns led the way for the Titans with 27 points. Tegan Scott led the Saxons with 22 points. South heads to play McNary on Friday, West Salem will host Sprague on Friday.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
