MEDFORD – The Roseburg boy’s basketball team kept things close for two-and-a-half quarters against North Medford in the regular season finale on Tuesday, but the Black Tornado used a 10-2 run to finish the third quarter and pull away for 57-42 win on senior night.

LUKE LUCIDO WARM UPS
Sophomore Luke Lucido and the Roseburg Indians warm-up for the season finale against North Medford.

Roseburg and North Medford traded the lead throughout the first half, with neither team leading by more than four points. The game was tied 29-29 with a little more than four minutes to play in the third quarter when the Black Tornado shut down the Indians’ offense. North Medford (18-5; 10-4 SWC) took the lead for good on a Brian Schireman finger-roll. The senior added a free throw to put the Black Tornado up 31-29.

North Medford stretched its lead to double figures in the third quarter, but the Indians cut the deficit back to just four points with a 4-0 run early in the fourth quarter. Owen Cuilty drove baseline and sunk an athletic reverse lay-in to make the score 39-35. North Medford responded by outscoring Roseburg 18-7 the rest of the game.

Hayden Luttrell led Roseburg (9-15; 4-10 SWC) with a season-high 19 points, but was the only Roseburg player to finish in double figures.

Schireman scored 15 points to lead North Medford. Kaison Faust added 11 points for the Black Tornado, who will now prepare for a first round playoff game at home on Wednesday next week.

The Roseburg season is most likely over. The Indians were ranked 39th by the OSAA prior to the game and needed to move into the top 36 to get a shot at a play-in game. Roseburg would need a number of teams ranked higher to lose as the season wraps-up, but it’s unlikely the Indians would move up enough.

Roseburg will see seven seniors graduate this season, including top scorers JD Fairbairn and Hayden Luttrell.

RHS 15; 8; 8; 11 – 42
NMHS 11; 13; 15; 18 – 57
R: Hayden Luttrell 19; Fairbairn 9; Cuilty 6; Lucido 6; Paschke 2; C. Stone; Eagan; Warmouth
NM: Brian Schireman 15; Faust 11; Lasota 9; Barry 7; Allen 5; Wolfe 4; Hunter 3; Holmes 3; Davis; Brothers

– Joey Keeran | joey@bciradio.com | @joeykeeran