‘It’s really fun to play guys like that, because obviously you want to play the best.’ Oregon boys test themselves against Washington’s Division I talent at WAVOR all-star game

By René Ferrán | Photo by Ken Waz 

Supremacy in the WAVOR all-star boys basketball series featuring the best seniors from Washington and Oregon has crossed the Interstate Bridge a few times over its 26 editions. 

Washington won five in a row from 2007-11 in the series, formerly the Northwest Shootout before rebranding this year under new sponsorship from Sport Oregon and the Maurice Lucas Foundation.

Then Oregon had its turn, winning five of six games (with its only loss a one-point thriller in 2015), often with rosters that on paper didn’t quite match up to its northern neighbor.

Now, the pendulum has swung firmly in Washington’s direction. After snapping a three-game losing streak in 2019, and following a two-year hiatus brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Washington asserted its dominance Sunday afternoon at Liberty High School in Hillsboro with a 128-98 romp.

Led by SBLive Washington player of the year Dylan Darling, a Washington State commit who had 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and four steals, and game MVP Jonas Jac La Tour (21 points), Washington led wire-to-wire, with the margin never dropping below double digits over the final 30 minutes.

MORE: Photos from Sunday's game

“We prepared as much as we could, but obviously it’s easier said than done,” said Noah Ogoli, a guard for Class 6A champion Tualatin who had eight points, four rebounds and four assists. “They’ve got some guys, and they could all play. But it’s really fun to play guys like that, because obviously you want to play the best. We were all up for it. It really put us to the test and showed us what we need to work on.” 

While Washington boasted three Pac-12 commits among its five Division I recruits, Oregon didn’t have a single D-1 signee among its 10 players. 

That talent difference hasn’t always mattered in the series. Four years ago, Oregon faced a similar challenge but pulled off a 105-98 victory with lights-out shooting from beyond the three-point arc.

Sunday, the Oregon team couldn’t catch the same fire from outside. It shot 12 of 32 (37.5 percent), not nearly enough to overcome Washington’s advantages in points off turnovers (25-9) and second-chance points (27-8).

One bright spot for Oregon was the play of Churchill guard Samajé Morgan, a College of Idaho signee who scored a game-high 26 points, going 4 of 6 from three-point range.

“Throughout the season, I would get double teams, and there would be a lot of pressure on me,” Morgan said. “But playing with a lot of great players opens up a lot of stuff for you, and I liked that.”

Five Oregon players finished in double figures. Roosevelt forward Donatello Tupper, a late addition to the roster, scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half. Summit’s Caden Harris (a Chico State signee) had 13 points, Tualatin’s Malik Ross scored 12, and Mountain View’s Tane Prictor added 10. 

“I thought it would be a good game,” Prictor said. “I just wanted to run and play against some kids I haven't played against before. I knew a couple of guys, so it was fun to play against them and see how we matched up.”

Oregon holds a 15-11 lead in the all-time series. 

Washington 128, Oregon 98

WASHINGTON — Dylan Darling 22, Jonas Jac La Tour 21, Tyler James Bilodeau 15, Joshua Wood 4, Tre Blassingame 8, Jayden Stevens 19, Bryson Metz 6, Maleek Arington 6, Quin Patterson 13, Carson Frawley 14. Totals 53-105 13-14 128.

OREGON — Caden Harris 13, Malik Ross 12, Tane Prictor 10, Noah Ogoli 8, Julian Mora 4, Samaje Morgan 26, Zeke Viuhkola 3, Bryce Dyer 2, Donatello Tupper 15, Dallon Morgan 5. Totals 37-82 12-25 98. 

Halftime—Washington 58, Oregon 41. Three-point goals—Washington 9-32 (La Tour 3, Frawley 2, Darling 2, Bilodeau, Patterson), Oregon 12-32 (Harris 4, Morgan 4, Mora, Ogoli, Ross, Viuhkola). Rebounds—Washington 61 (Patterson 9, Stevens 9), Oregon 42 (Dyer 9, Tupper 5, Morgan 5). Assists—Washington 34 (Wood 13, Arington 11), Oregon 17 (Ogoli 4, Tupper 4). Turnovers—Washington 11, Oregon 16. Fouls—Washington 20, Oregon 11.

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