Tualatin ousts reigning champion South Medford in Oregon (OSAA) high school girls basketball 6A quarterfinal

The third-seeded Tualatin Timberwolves face the sixth-seeded South Medford Panthers at the Oregon (OSAA) high school girls basketball 6A state tournament

Love Lei Best and Tualatin take on South Medford in a 6A girls basketball state quarterfinal Wednesday at the University of Portland. / Dan Brood

The third-seeded Tualatin Timberwolves face the sixth-seeded and defending champion South Medford Panthers in an Oregon (OSAA) high school girls basketball 6A state tournament quarterfinal Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the University of Portland's Chiles Center.

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Players to watch for Tualatin

Jordyn Smith, Tualatin, senior 

Smith is the primary post presence for the Timberwolves, averaging 12.6 points while shooting a team-best 56.7% from the field and leading the team in rebounding (8.1) and blocked shots (1.9).

Kendall Dawkins, Tualatin, freshman

Dawkins did a little of everything for the Timberwolves in her first season, making the all-Three Rivers League first team while averaging 10.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.8 steals.

Love Lei Best, Tualatin, freshman

Best has hardly looked like a newcomer to the high school scene, leading the Timberwolves in scoring (14.4 points), assists (4.5) and steals (4.3) in earning first-team all-Three Rivers League honors and drawing interest from Oregon State, Louisville, Alabama and Arizona.

Maaya Lucas, Tualatin, junior 

The versatile Lucas made the all-Three Rivers League second team after averaging 8.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 steals.

Players to watch for South Medford

Dyllyn Howell, South Medford, junior

The first-team all-Southwest Conference pick averages 11.1 points, four rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.

Jordan Barlow, South Medford, junior

The loss of senior guard Sara Schmerbach — a first-team all-Southwest Conference pick, a team captain and an emotional leader — to a torn ACL in the first round puts more pressure on Barlow, a second-team all-SWC point guard who averaged 7.8 points, 3.6 assists and two steals.

Mayenabasi Akpan, South Medford, junior

The Southwest Conference player of the year returns to the Chiles Center after setting the tournament record for rebounds last March (51) and averaging 15.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and two steals this season.

First quarter

South Medford starting five: Mayenabasi Akpan, Dyllyn Howell, Jordan Barlow, Malia Taulani, Maddy Warberg

Tualatin starting five: Love Lei Best, Jordyn Smith, Ries Miadich, Maaya Lucas, Kendall Dawkins

Tualatin is known for its defense ... and first possession of the game, Ries Miadich gets a steal.

Kendall Dawkins makes 1 of 2 from the line for the game's first point. Tualatin leads 1-0.

What a drive and layup by Tualatin freshman phenom Love Lei Best. Timberwolves lead 3-0 after a minute.

And now Best with a great dish to Jordyn Smith for two. Tualatin has a 5-0 lead.

South Medford is on the board with a Dyllyn Howell 3-pointer. Tualatin 5, South Medford 3, 4:49 first quarter.

And now Howell scores on a fast break to tie the score at 5-5.

South Medford has its first lead thanks to a 3-pointer by Howell, who has all eight Panthers points. It's 8-5.

Love Lei Best gives Tualatin the lead back with a 3-pointer. She has seven points. Tualatin up 10-8 late in the first quarter.

Tualatin 11, South Medford 10, end of an exciting first quarter. Dyllyn Howell has eight points for South Medford. Love Lei Best has seven points for Tualatin.

Second quarter

First points of the second quarter go to Love Lei Best, who goes 2 for 2 from the line to make it 13-10 Tualatin. Best has nine points.

Maaya Lucas 3-pointer makes it 16-10 Tualatin. Next possession, Ries Miadich hits a 3. It's 19-0. South Medford scoreless for the quarter, and we're under a minute.

Love Lei Best dishes to Jordyn Smith, who scores at the buzzer to give Tualatin a 21-12 halftime lead.

Tualatin 21, South Medford 12, end of second quarter. Love Lei Best has nine points and three assists for Tualatin. Dyllyn Howell has a game-high 10 points for South Medford. Timberwolves outscored Panthers 10-2 in the second quarter.

Third quarter

Tualatin's Jordyn Smith gets the first basket of the second half, giving Timberwolves a 23-12 lead.

Payton Andersen knocks down a 3-pointer for South Medford, and the Panthers needed it. Tualatin leads 31-23 with 1:47 to play in the third quarter.

Jordan Barlow hits a 3-pointer on South Medford's next possession, cutting the Tualatin lead to 31-26.

Quarter ends with another highlight-reel drive and layup by Tualatin freshman Love Lei Best, who has 13 points and four assists.

Tualatin 35, South Medford 26, end of third quarter.

Fourth quarter

Dyllyn Howell is fouled on a 3-point attempt and goes 2 for 3 from the line. South Medford down 12 at 40-28 with 6:30 left.

Mayenabasi Akpan converts a 3-point play, pulling South Medford within 10 at 44-34. But time is running out for the Panthers. We're under 4 minutes to go.

FINAL SCORE: Tualatin 47, South Medford 37. Timberwolves take down the reigning champions. Tualatin freshman point guard Love Lei Best has 15 points and five assists; Jordyn Smith has 14 points and 11 rebounds. Dyllyn Howell finishes with a game-high 19 points for South Medford. Mayenabasi Akpan has 10 points and 10 rebounds.

BOX SCORE

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