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Wild Finish Lifts South Medford Past Nationally Ranked Tualatin in Oregon Girls Basketball Semifinals

South Medford’s Mayenabasi Akpan tipped in a last-second lob with 5.3 seconds left to beat defending champion Tualatin 56-55, delivering a finish eerily reminiscent of NC State’s famous 1983 title shocker.
René Ferrán|
South Medford post Mayen Akpan.
South Medford post Mayen Akpan. | Dan Brood

In a finish reminiscent of the 1983 NCAA men’s basketball final, the South Medford girls basketball team ended Tualatin’s bid to repeat as OSAA state champions.

An Amazing Pass Followed by a Stunning Shot

The Panthers went the length of the court in 5.3 seconds, with Dyllyn Howell’s heave somehow finding Mayenabasi Akpan among a couple of defenders.

Akpan set the ball almost like a volleyball — the San Diego State signee was also a standout volleyball player for her mother Robin’s South Medford team — off the backboard for the winning basket as time expired for a 56-55 victory over the Timberwolves, ranked No. 11 in the most recent High School On SI national rankings.

Akpan's Heroics Bring Back Memories of Lorenzo Charles for NC State

The play looked similar to Lorenzo Charles’ dunk shot with one second left in North Carolina State’s improbable upset of Houston’s Phi Slama Jamma juggernaut in the 1983 title game.

Charles grabbed Dereck Whittenburg’s 30-foot desperation heave that fell short of the rim to stun the Cougars 54-52.

Panthers Coach Drew Up Play Counting on Stars to Get It Done

However, unlike that play, South Medford coach Tom Cole said that although it looked live as if Howell were shooting, it was a designed lob play for Akpan, who finished the game with 26 points, that he called during a timeout following two free throws by Love Lei Best with 5.3 seconds left that gave the Timberwolves a 55-54 lead.

“We have 5.3 seconds. That’s five dribbles,” he reasoned. “And if you get two of them before you cross halfcourt, you’ve got a chance to make a reasonable pass from 30 feet or less. And we knew the backside was going to be open because they were going to pressure, right?

“So, we were able to make that one extra pass, and Dyllyn made an unbelievable pass and Mayan executed it.”

Howell described it as “just pass, pass, pass, get the ball up as fast as we  could and pass the ball to Mayan so she could get that layup. I just kind of chucked it up to her. I mean, we practice that a lot, me just chucking up stuff for layups and plays.”

South Medford to Play West Linn for State Title

South Medford, which won the state title two years ago, will take on West Linn in Saturday night’s state championship game.

Tualatin might have seen its bid to win a second consecutive title end, but the Timberwolves’ season will continue after playing Benson in Saturday’s third-place game. They’ve been invited to participate in the prestigious The Throne postseason tournament next weekend in New Jersey and are scheduled to play St. John Vianney in the first round March 19.

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René Ferrán
RENÉ FERRÁN

René Ferrán has written about high school sports in the Pacific Northwest since 1993, with his work featured at the Idaho Press Tribune, Tri-City Herald, Seattle Times, Tacoma News Tribune, The Columbian and The Oregonian before he joined SBLive Sports in 2020.

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