‘We’re back here now, and we’re going to finish it.’ South Medford on a mission to bring home 6A girls basketball title, fights off Benson in quarterfinal

“It’s almost like a statement for our team to come out here and show what we can do.”

By René Ferrán | Photos by Taylor Balkom

Two years ago, Donovyn Hunter could only be an interested bystander during her South Medford team’s trip to the Chiles Center for the OSAA Class 6A girls basketball state tournament. 

The then-freshman was recovering from a torn ACL that sidelined the much-ballyhooed prospect the entire season. She watched from the bench as the Panthers reached the semifinals before the world came crashing down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Thursday night, after two years, the tournament — and the Panthers — finally returned to the University of Portland campus, and Hunter and her teammates were ready for the moment. 

Hunter opened the second half by hitting back-to-back baskets, and the Panthers ended the third quarter on a 14-3 run to build a double-digit lead they never relinquished in holding off 2019 champion Benson 53-47 in the quarterfinals. 

“It’s almost like a statement for our team to come out here and show what we can do,” said Hunter, a junior who was one of three Panthers to score 13 points to go with her seven rebounds and five steals. “The time that I had off, the missed seasons, it’s almost like proving myself right and then proving ourselves right.

“Two years of sitting out, then being able to come out here and know that I’m making a difference for my team and our wins or losses, it definitely means a lot, knowing that I’m finally doing my part.” 

The bracket also sets up similarly for the Panthers (24-3) as it did two years ago for them to potentially win their first title since 2012. They and top-seeded Beaverton came to the tournament co-favorites and on opposite sides of the draw. 

After Thursday’s quarterfinals, Beaverton sits there again as the top seed in the upper half of the bracket, set to play Clackamas in Friday’s first semifinal.

The bottom half has South Medford (24-3), which won its 14th consecutive game and will play Barlow at 8:15 p.m. Friday in the semifinals, looking forward to another potential matchup with the Beavers in Saturday night’s final.

“Two years ago, it was super nerve-racking,” said senior Tatum Schmerbach, who had 13 points and nine rebounds. “We had a goal then, and it was really heartbreaking for that to be taken away from us. But we’re back here now, and we’re going to finish it.” 

Hunter was more philosophical when asked whether this season represents a chance to complete unfinished business.

“I’m more a person where I’m like, we’ll see what happens, one game at a time,” she said. “But it definitely is a thing for the South Medford Panthers that we have a name, and we have a title and an image. So, going out here and being able to prove it, that is definitely a big thing for us.”

Benson lost for the first time since these teams played Jan. 28 in Southeast Portland. The Techsters (21-5) lost 61-49 that evening, then rolled off 13 consecutive wins before Thursday. 

They were without senior Tait Quinlan in that first matchup. Quinlan, who had nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds Thursday, was the only player from the 2019 final in Benson’s lineup — only she suited up for Southridge that night, only transferring to Benson this season. 

While Quinlan, wearing a shoulder brace, was back in the lineup, the Techsters instead were without their leading scorer, sophomore Mahogany Chandler-Roberts, who turned her left ankle while scrimmaging at practice Wednesday and arrived at Chiles Center on crutches.

“Our reaction was just to keep it the same, even though we had one of our best players down,” said sophomore guard Olivia Hinck. “We had to keep playing our game, because if we play our game, we get the best results. So, just keep playing and not change anything, and we’re going to still have the results that we want.”

The first half played out just as Hinck and the Techsters could have hoped. They held South Medford without a field goal for the first 8½ minutes, twice building seven-point leads before eventually settling for a 22-21 halftime edge on Hinck’s driving basket in the closing seconds.

“We played at their speed and their rules, so those eight or so minutes was us playing to their level,” Hunter said. “And then the second we flip the switch, it was finally us putting the game into our hands.”

Hunter flipped the switch with her baskets on consecutive possessions to give South Medford the lead for good. Then, during the decisive run, everyone got into the act, with five players scoring as the Panthers built a 39-27 lead going to the final quarter. 

“Another thing we say is that defense wins games,” Hunter said. “So, when you make a defensive stop, then go and make an offensive play, that’s when we see our confidence growing and see that we’re making a comeback.”

Still, the Techsters wouldn’t go away. Hinck, who played all 32 minutes manning the point, kicked off their comeback by hitting a three-pointer to open the fourth.

She added two free throws as they steadily chipped away, getting as close as 48-46 with 1:06 left on Quinlan’s three-point play.

Benson forced a turnover and had two looks at a tying or go-ahead basket, missing a three-pointer before turning the ball over with 36.1 seconds remaining.

Schmerbach split two free throws with 29.5 seconds to go, and Malaya LeSueur answered by making one of two foul shots to cut the deficit to 49-47 with 23.2 seconds left.

The Techsters fouled Schmerbach again, and this time the junior calmly sank both free throws to give South Medford a two-possession lead.

“I just thought about how many free throws I’ve shot in my life and just kind of blocked everything out,” Schmerbach said.

Lottie Dillard then blocked a three-point attempt by Hinck, and Kendall Fealey hit two more free throws with eight seconds left for the final margin.

Onna Brown led the Techsters with 13 points, while LeSueur added 10. 

Hinck said the result said a lot about her team despite the loss.

“Losing our best player made us dig deeper and bring out the best of ourselves,” she said. “It was just amazing, and I’m proud of the team. We fought to the end.”

The Techsters will play Jesuit at 10:45 a.m. in the consolation bracket. The Panthers will take on the seventh-seeded Bruins in a long-delayed matchup canceled in December when South Medford couldn’t attend the PIL Holiday Classic due to inclement weather. 

Hunter said the team had stored video it used to scout Barlow before that matchup, and the Panthers stuck around to watch the Bruins’ 52-36 victory in the night’s final quarterfinal. 

“Our thing is, they don’t really know us, just like we don’t really know them,” she said. “So, just as much as we’re going blind into it, they’ll also go blind into it. It’s really whoever wants it more now.”