What a difference a year makes: Clackamas gets the better of Beaverton this time, meaning there’ll be a new champion in 6A girls basketball

By Paul Valencia | Photos by Naji Saker 

PORTLAND — The respect for one another was evident. 

The winning team was overjoyed with the result Wednesday in the Chiles Center — not just for advancing in the tournament but because of the opponent. 

“This feels really good because they’re really well-coached and a disciplined team and they work really hard,” Clackamas sophomore Sara Barhoum said after helping the Cavaliers to a 67-42 victory over defending state champion Beaverton in the quarterfinals of the OSAA 6A girls basketball state tournament. 

“It was a great win, a team win, so it just feels great,” Barhoum said. 

The players on the other end of the scoreboard were devastated, according to their coach. A game that was within reach until the final four minutes of the fourth quarter, the Beavers watched as the Cavaliers cruised down the stretch to turn the game into a runaway.

“I told them how proud I was of them,” Beaverton coach Kathy Naro said.

She reminded them of a philosophy from Duke legend Mike Krzyzewski, who wanted his players to be jubilant or devastated after every game. That meant those within the program were doing something right. 

“They were pretty devastated,” Naro said of the Beavers. “I told them, ‘You guys gave it all you had. They outplayed us today.’ And they should be proud of themselves. That was the message.”

The two programs have used each other as barometers for a couple of seasons now. Beaverton took down the younger Clackamas squad in the semifinals last year en route to its state championship. Earlier this season, the Cavaliers won a close battle between the two squads. 

Those games, however, had nothing to do with this one, Barhoum said. 

“Our goal was just to be the better team and come together for this game because it’s a whole different game,” Barhoum said. “We just had to play together to get it done.”

The Cavaliers did just that. Barhoum was 4 for 6 from 3-point range and led Clackamas with 18 points. Jazzy Davidson added 16 points and five assists, and Eliza Buerk had 10 points and two blocked shots.

It was Barhoum’s final 3-pointer that finished Beaverton on this day. 

The Beavers never led but also never really went away. They trailed by 12 in the third quarter but made it a six-point game early in the fourth. Madison Naro’s 3-pointer with 4:43 to play made it an eight-point game at 50-42. 

Seconds later, Barhoum had the ball for Clackamas.

“I just had to go in and do my thing,” Barhoum said. “(My defender) gave me a little space, so I just had to shoot it.”

The shot was perfect, and so, too, was the finish of this game from Clackamas’ perspective. That 3-pointer from Barhoum started a 17-0 run.

The defending champions never scored again.

The game also started in Clackamas’ favor. Buerk hit a 3-pointer on Clackamas’ first possession, and the Cavaliers raced to a 12-4 lead. 

“We had a really good game plan because of the coaches, and we were able to execute that from top to bottom, throughout the four quarters,” Buerk said.

“Above all, we just came prepared,” Buerk added. “Everybody knew what their role was going to be going into this game, and everybody knew what we had to do in order to win. We were able to scout all of their plays. Nothing was really unexpected. We were able to get it done.” 

Davidson scored six consecutive points in the first quarter and had two assists in the quick start.

Barhoum took her time in feeling it from the floor. 

“I missed my first one, but I’m not just going to stop shooting,” Barhoum said. “Good shots are good shots, and my team, we need those shots, so I just had to step up.”

She got on quite a roll, too.

During one stretch from the end of the second quarter and into the third quarter, Barhoum scored 10 points in a row for the Cavaliers. 

Later, it was the 3-pointer that started the game-ending run.

This was a win over the defending state champion and a revenge game in this tournament, too. Clackamas does not have much time to celebrate the achievement, though. The Cavaliers will face top seed Jesuit in the semifinals Friday afternoon.

“That’s going to be another challenge,” Buerk said. “I think we’re ready to take on that challenge, and we’re excited to get back out there.”

Kathy Naro knows Clackamas will have a shot in that one. 

"They have so many different kids who can score," the coach said. "You try to take away this, and they've got that. I congratulate them." 

Respect. 

COMPLETE PLAYOFF COVERAGE