Jefferson Beats Mount Rainier on Buzzer Beater
| Monday- January 21 | Game 6 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Royal Brougham Pavilion – 6:30pm | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| Jefferson (OR) | 16 | 26 | 12 | 12 | 66 | |
| Mt. Rainier | 22 | 11 | 18 | 14 | 65 | |
The King Holiday Hoopfest welcomed the only team from outside of the state of Washington, the Jefferson Democrats (OR) late in the day. Both teams came out shooting, seemingly taking every open three available. The Mount Rainier Rams got out on top quickly and ended the first quarter on top 22-16. After an inspired talk by Coach Pat Strickland, the second quarter was a different story for the Democrats. Jefferson caught fire in the second period, scoring 26 points. Victor Sanders led the way for the Democrats, scoring 10 of his own in the second quarter. Jefferson took a convincing 42-33 lead into the locker room.
The third quarter was almost as one sided as the second quarter, this time it was in favor of the Rams. The Rams outscored the Democrats 18-12, cutting the once nine point lead to just three going into the fourth.
The Rams made another run in the fourth quarter, taking the lead with less than a minute to go on strong moves to the basket and mid-range jump shots. Jefferson was down one with 10 seconds to go and the ball. The Democrats would need to travel the full length of the court to get a shot off. The inbounds pass went to Silas Melson, who weaved in between defenders and put up a flooooooater in the lane at the buzzer. The shot went in as time expired! Portland’s Jefferson Democrats traveled down I5 Monday Night with a big win and a story they will tell for years to come.
Leading Scorers:
Jefferson
Victor Sanders (24)
Silas Melson (19)
Mount Rainier
Caden Rowland (21)
Jamil Wilson-Jones (18)