‘We played for each other and that showed.’ Barlow headed to Chiles Center after second-half rally knocks out Ida B. Wells

“We are excited and we want to celebrate this win tonight, but we are not content. We want to keep pushing.”

Dave Ball | Mar 6, 2022

‘We played for each other and that showed.’ Barlow headed to Chiles Center after second-half rally knocks out Ida B. Wells /

By Dave Ball | Photos by Taylor Balkom

GRESHAM — The Barlow girls basketball team put on a speed burst in the second half and never looked back Saturday in a 56-41 home win over Ida B. Wells in the second round of the OSAA Class 6A playoffs.

“This time of year it’s about making plays down the stretch,” Ida B. Wells coach Anthony Levrets said. “We ran out of gas, and they stepped on the pedal — that’s just the game of basketball.”

Trailing by one at halftime, the Bruins hit their stride coming out of the locker room. Junior guard Annie Koenig got things started when she patted the side of her head to signal her teammates while coming across half court. Koenig slipped through traffic into an open spot along the sideline, received a quick pass and ripped the net with a 3-pointer.

Next it was senior Lindsay Barden driving the left side of the lane and putting an underhand scoop shot off the glass.

Point guard Kennedie Shuler got into the mix on the next possession when she reached up high to pull down a pass one-handed near the free throw line before muscling her way to the hoop for another two points.

Koenig finished the flurry with a lunging underhand layup for a three-point play and a 43-36 lead late in the third quarter.

“We knew we had to dig in,” Koenig said. “We played for each other and that showed.”

Ida B. Wells got it back to a one-possession game when senior Charlotte Richman hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter. Barlow answered with senior guard Melanie Hiu rushing down the court for a layup.

Barlow’s defense put Ida B. Wells in a house of mirrors down the stretch, copying their every move, forcing turnovers and challenging shots.

The Guardians missed their final seven attempts.

“It was about talking through screens and communication,” Hiu said.

The Bruins were patient on the offensive end, content to move the ball around outside the arc while waiting to be fouled. One point at a time, Barlow’s slim lead turned into an insurmountable gap.

“We knew they had to start fouling, and we just had to play smart basketball,” Koenig said. “We really work on free throws in practice because we know they win games like this.”

The Bruins took six trips to the free throw line over the final 3:27, converting 10 of 12 (83.3%) foul shots.

Barlow (23-3) advances to face No. 2-seed Jesuit (24-3) in Thursday’s late quarterfinal game at the 6A tournament.

“We are excited and we want to celebrate this win tonight, but we are not content. We want to keep pushing,” Barlow coach Nick Hudson said. “We played a lot of top teams in December, and we want to keep this thing rolling.”

The Bruins picked up wins over fellow tournament teams Beaverton, Benson and Clackamas during the holiday break.

Barlow took the upper hand early in Saturday’s contest when Barden lost her defender with a move that drew gasps from the crowd on her way to a three-point play.

“They were keying on Annie, so we were taking what was open,” Barden said. “It all started on defense and grabbing rebounds — that’s what got our offense going.”

Moments later, Shuler came up with the hustle play of the night, diving two rows up in the bleachers to save a loose ball near midcourt. She flipped it backward to Haidyn Sobella, and eventually the ball ended up in the hands of Olivia Payne for a reverse layup and a 15-9 lead.

Ida B. Wells battled back in the second quarter with senior Eliza Digiulio converting a series of baskets in the paint to give the Guardians their biggest lead of the night at 25-20. Late in the half, Digiulio found herself holding the ball outside the 3-point arc. She hesitated for a moment and then hit the deep shot.

“Eliza is a four-year starter for us. She knows our system well and got herself into some really good spots,” Levrets said.

The Guardians took a one-point lead to the locker room.

Koenig finished with a game-high 25 points, highlighted by going 16 for 17 (94.1%) from the free throw line. Digiulio led the Guardians with 19 points.