The Roseburg boys basketball team traded blows with the North Medford Black Tornado in a fiesty Southwest Conference game Tuesday at Robertson Memorial Gym, but it was the Medford boys who delivered the knockout punch in the closing minute for an 83-80 win.
The crowd provided a playoff-like atmosphere for the contest, which was never separated by more than eight points.
“The atmosphere was playoff. Tons of fans, being loud. The band was great, the cheerleaders were great. Lots of noise in the gym and that’s definitely a playoff atmosphere,” Roseburg head coach Jordan Humphreys said.
Roseburg (13-8, 5-4 SWC) was either trailing or tied with North Medford (10-13, 5-5) until early in the fourth quarter when Asher Vredenburg hit a pair of free throws to put the Indians ahead 66-65.
The lead was passed back-and-forth through the final period, but Roseburg managed to pull ahead 78-73 with 2:34 left to play after North Medford head coach Scott Plankenhorn was called for a technical foul.
Jullian Lopez hit the free throws to give the Indians their largest lead of the game and it felt like the momentum had finally swung in Roseburg’s direction.
The Black Tornado had other plans and finished the game on a 10-2 run, starting with a 3-point field goal by Rohan Aulakh.
Roseburg still led 80-76 with a minute left in regulation, but the Tribe failed to execute in the closing stretch. The Indians had two turnovers and committed a untimely foul that led to five points and an 82-80 lead for North.
There was still time and a chance for Roseburg, but the play drawn up in the huddle wasn’t what materialized on the court.
“They did a good job denying the inbound pass, which kind of frustrated what we were able to do by switching screens and then we just kind of stood around and watched and didn’t continue to the second part of the play, and weren’t able to get the shot that we wanted,” Humphreys said.
Houston Klug led North Medford with a game-high 33 points. Rohan Aulakh added 17 points for the Black Tornado. The pair combined to score all 28 points in a high-scoring first period for North.
Owen Bentea hit four 3-pointers and led Roseburg with 23 points. Vredenburg had 22 points before fouling out and Mykah Mendoza scored 19.
The win was the fifth straight for North Medford and jumbles the SWC standings.
There are five teams with four or five losses in league and all will have a shot at claiming the final two automatic qualifying spots for the Class 6A state playoffs.
South Medford clinched its fourth straight Southwest Conference championship with a 68-58 win over Grants Pass on Tuesday.
Roseburg will visit the Purple Pit to face South Eugene at 6:45 p.m. Friday.
NORTH MEDFORD (83) — Houston Klug 33, Curtis 8, Aulakh 17, Plankenhorn 15, Anderson 2, Snyder, Healy 6, Scott 2. Totals 29 14-16 83.
ROSEBURG (80) — Owen Bentea 23, Mendoza 19, Lopez 10, Vredenburg 22, Ash 2, McCurdy 4, Bosley, Luther. Totals 27 18-20 80.
N. Medford;28;16;21;18;—;83
Roseburg;22;19;23;16;—;80
3-Point Goals — N.M. 11 (Aulakh 3, Plankenhorn 3, Curtis 2, Klug 2, Healy 1), Rose. 8 (Bentea 4, Mendoza 2, Lopez 2). Fouled Out — Vredenburg, McCurdy. Technical Fouls — Humphreys, S. Plankenhorn.
JV Score — North Medford 65, Roseburg 59.
