The Roseburg High School boys basketball team was looking for a spark to snap it out of a slump as the regular season winds down.
Junior guard Mykah Mendoza provided the hot hand as he scored a school-record 48 points and the Indians scorched the South Eugene Axe 88-71 in a Southwest Conference game Friday at Robertson Memorial Gymnasium.
“The whole team came in with the mentality that we got to get back on track,” said Mendoza, who passed Collin Warmouth for the school’s single-game scoring record. Warmouth had 43 points in a 2019 playoff game at Tigard.
“I think this is one of our only games where we’ve played two full halves of good basketball,” Mendoza said.
The 6-foot-3 all-conference guard lit up the scoreboard from the opening tip. Mendoza scored 11 in the opening period as Rosburg (15-7, 5-5 SWC) held off a run by South Eugene and led 20-16 going to the second quarter.
RHS grew the lead to as much as 12 points in the second quarter, but the Axe got eight points in the period from Landyn Bryant to trail 41-32 at the break.
The lead hovered around double digits through much of the second half, but South Eugene (10-12, 3-7) went on an 11-2 run to pull within 73-69 with about three minutes left to play.
Roseburg responded by going on a 15-2 run to close out the game. Mendoza had 10 of the final 15 points for the Indians, including going 4 for 5 at the free throw line.
“Most importantly to me was that (Mendoza) was efficient and that he still shared the ball,” Roseburg coach Jordan Humphreys said.
“He was unselfish. He bought into the defense. We put him on Landyn Bryant, who is probably one of their better guards. We challenged him to play good defense all night and if he did that defensively then we’d have a good chance to win.”
Senior Boston Williams added 12 points for Roseburg, going 5 for 6 at the free throw line.
The victory ended a three-game losing streak for the Indians, who sit in a tie with North Medford for third place in the conference standings.
South Eugene had three players finish in double figures, led by Trey Saunders with 20 points. Bryant and Solomon Nice both contributed 18.
Roseburg will next host second place Grants Pass for senior night on Tuesday. The game gets underway at 6:45 p.m.
SOUTH EUGENE (71) — Trey Saunders 20, Bryant 18, Nice 18, Thurman 7, Cacioppi 4, Thomas 2, Hawes 2, Clemons. Totals 30 4-8 71.
ROSEBURG (88) — Mykah Mendoza 48, Williams 12, Fullerton 6, Vredenburg 6, Finlayson 5, Oja 4, Stedman 4, Bentea 3, Wilder, Cleary. Totals 35 11-17 88.
South Eugene;16;16;23;18;—;71
Roseburg;20;21;24;23;—;88
3-Point Goals — S.E. 7 (Bryant 4, Saunders 2, Thurman 1), Rose. 7 (Mendoza 4, Finlayson 1, Williams 1, Fullerton 1). Total Fouls — S.E. 16, Rose. 14. Fouled Out — Thurman.
JV Score — Roseburg 80, South Eugene 67.
