Big-Game Tuesday: Several league titles could be decided today in Oregon high school basketball

Both the boys and the girls slates feature numerous pivotal matchups on the final Tuesday of February

Mia Brownson and her Century teammates will try to create a tie atop the Pacific Conference standings when the Jaguars play host to first-place McMinnville on Tuesday. / Dan Brood

Yes, the calendar says today is Feb. 25, 2025.

But when it comes to Oregon high school basketball, Big-Game Tuesday might be the best thing to call it.

As league races are nearing a close, and as postseason play nears, there are many huge contests to be played, and many of them are set for today: Big-Game Tuesday.

One of the biggest games, if not the biggest, will be played in Albany, as the South Albany girls basketball team will play host to Silverton at 5:30 p.m. in a crucial Mid-Willamette Conference matchup pitting two of the top Class 5A teams in the state.

The two squads are tied for first place in the conference standings, both at 14-1. Silverton, the No. 2 team in the Class 5A OSAA power rankings, is 20-2, and South Albany, the No. 4 team in the rankings, is 18-4.

The RedHawks, who are riding a 12-game win streak, won the previous meeting, 42-33, behind 21 points and five rebounds from junior post Taylor Donaldson on Jan. 24 at Silverton.

The Foxes have won eight in a row since that loss. They’re getting strong play from senior wing Hadley Craig, who has back-to-back double-double performances entering Tuesday’s clash.

At the Class 6A level, the Clackamas girls will be looking to wrap up sole possession of the Mt. Hood Conference championship when they play host to Nelson at 6 p.m. The Cavaliers, who hold the No. 4 spot in the OSAA Class 6A rankings, lead the conference at 12-0 (21-2 overall). The Hawks are in second place at 11-1 (14-6 overall). Clackamas won the previous meeting, 88-49.

It’s a similar situation in the Pacific Conference, where the McMinnville girls will try to clinch the conference’s outright title when they play at Century at 7:15 p.m. McMinnville, the No. 6 team in the OSAA Class 6A rankings, is 10-0 in conference play and 17-5 overall. Century is in second place at 9-1 (19-3 overall) and will be trying to force a tie atop the standings.

The Grizzlies, who are on a 14-game win streak, won the previous meeting, 69-61, with senior Macie Arzner scoring 25 points.

In the Central Valley Conference, it will be a Salem showdown for conference supremacy when the South Salem girls play host to West Salem at 7:45 p.m. The rivals are tied for the conference lead, both at 6-1. (South Salem is 16-7 overall and West Salem is 12-10.)

The teams have split their season series so far, with the Titans winning 55-37 on Jan. 21 at West Salem and the Saxons triumphing 51-49 on Feb. 7 at South Salem.

Then there’s the all-jumbled-up Metro League girls standings, where there are four teams in contention for the top spots in the league — and those four teams all matching up Tuesday.

First-place Southridge (7-1, 15-7) will play host to Jesuit (6-2, 12-9), and Beaverton (6-2, 11-11) will travel to Mountainside (5-3, 15-7) in 7 p.m. contests.

In addition to the league showdowns, the Class 3A girls state playoffs open with four first-round games. No. 17 seed Valley Catholic plays at No. 16 Riverdale at 6 p.m., No. 19 Neah-Kah-Nie plays at No. 14 Lakeview at 5 p.m., No. 20 Westside Christian plays at No. 13 Sutherlin at 6 p.m., and No. 18 Harrisburg plays at No. 15 Oregon Episcopal School at 6 p.m.

There also will be a full slate of 16 Class 1A girls first-round state playoff games Tuesday.

When it comes to big boys basketball games set for Tuesday, it looks like, again, you have to start in the Mid-Willamette Conference.

Sole possession of first place in the conference standings will be on the line when Woodburn plays host to West Albany in a battle of Bulldogs at 7 p.m. West Albany, the No. 2 team in the Class 5A OSAA rankings, is leading the conference at 13-2 (17-5 overall). No. 10-ranked Woodburn is in second place, a game back at 12-3 (14-8 overall).

The game features two of the top players in the conference in West Albany senior Gavin Aguilar and Woodburn senior Cruz Veliz.

West Albany won the first meeting, 68-56, on Jan. 24 at West Albany.

South Albany (11-4, 14-7) will play host to Silverton (10-5, 14-7) at 7 p.m. in another big Mid-Willamette Conference contest.

Also in Class 5A, there’s a crazy three-way tie atop the Intermountain Conference standings, with Caldera, Redmond and Summit all at 6-2 in conference play.

Two of those teams will square off Tuesday, with Caldera (16-6 overall) traveling to Redmond (17-6) for a 7 p.m. showdown. Summit (15-8) will look to keep up with the winner of the game at Redmond when it plays at Mountain View at 7 p.m.

In the Northwest Oregon Conference, Wilsonville (13-1, 20-3) will try to clinch sole possession of the conference championship when it plays at Canby (9-5, 14-9) at 7 p.m. La Salle Prep, an overtime winner at Centennial on Monday, is in second place at 11-3.

At the Class 4A level, the Skyline Conference championship will be on the line when Phoenix plays host to Mazama in a regular-season finale at 7:30 p.m. Both teams stand at 9-2 in conference play.

In Class 6A, Southridge and Jesuit, who are trying to catch first-place Westview in the Metro League, meet at 7 p.m. at Jesuit.

In the Three Rivers League, Oregon City and West Linn — who are tied for second place in the league standings at 6-2 and are looking to catch Tualatin, which leads the league at 8-1 — will play in a crucial league contest at 7 p.m. at West Linn.

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