Kevin Love in Eugene and Defeating Westview

In an absolutely show-stopping performance, senior center Kevin Love led the seemingly invincible Lake Oswego Lakers to a 60-33 victory over Westview in the boys 6A basketball quarterfinals this afternoon at the University of Oregon. Love put up 41 points and pulled down 21 rebounds, got Westview's two big men to foul out (Gonzaga-bound 6'11'' Andy Poling and 6'9" Trevor Siefken) by the beginning of the fourth quarter and then checked out with 4:57 left in the game. His 41 points leaves him only two points shy of tying the all-time schoolboy record in Oregon; Love will no doubt surpass Bob Hunt's 50 year-old record in tomorrow's semifinal game against a very scrappy and talented Sheldon team from Eugene (Sheldon is the only Oregon school to have defeated South Medford this year; SM, as you probably know, was the only team to have handed Lake Oswego a loss--at the Les Schwab tournament in December).

So dominant was Love that he scored at least 20 straight points for the Lakers, and he scored 16 out of 18 of their third quarter points, until he dished off a pass to senior Tommy Allen for two points in the closing seconds of the quarter. As was his dominance with Gresham last Saturday evening, so it was with Westview, but even more so. Though others may be as tall as Love, he has the musculature, conditioning, basketball skills and pure desire seemingly to take the game to anyone.

More on the Game

Unlike the game Saturday night, this afternoon's game seemed like it would be a contest for the first several minutes. Love scored the first points on a rebound and put-back as he was trailing the play, but Westview began to pepper in baskets from here and there. Poling scored over Love, and then stepped out to the elbow and scored again. When Love switched to Trevor Siefken, Siefkin hit a few from the top of the key, drawing Love away from the basket. Westview seemed like they had come to play. What actually was the first sign that Love would not let this game get away from the Lakers was when he stepped back and hit a three on the next series down the court. To show that this was not a fluke, he also hit a three from the right of the top of the key at the halftime buzzer. That is, he went 2-2 from three-point range. The margin was 16-8 in the Lakers' favor after one quarter, but Westview narrowed the margin to four a few times in the second. The game was only a seven game until the end of the first half, when Love drained the three to make it 27-17.

Poling started the third with a ten footer in the middle, but then Love took over. A pretty reverse layup was followed by strong moves to the hoop, where he was usually fouled. He only missed one out of about fifteen free throw attempts today; his offensive game really had no gaps. Then, as the third quarter went on, it was clear that LO was wearing down Westview. Two big men on Love weren't enough, and the spindly though game Westview big men gradually got deeper and deeper into the hole. Love, however, showed no signs of tiring, and he varied his game with layups, several foul shots, and a dunk or two. One alley-oop play almost worked, but by this time the crowd was so convinced that Love could have done anything that he was even able to tip Ernie Spada's high pass to himself and then lay it in.

The game was well over by the end of three quarters (LO ahead by 45-21). In the third quarter, then, it was Love 16, Westview 4.

A Few More Comments on Kevin Love's Skills

Three skills evident tonight that weren't so easily apparent on Saturday night were his soft touch on shooting, his pinpoint-accurate passes when a LO player had 1/2 step on an opponent and was racing to the hoop, and his magnificent desire for the ball. He shot the threes with a grace and softness that reminded me of Salim Stoudamire's threes. The free throws were offered up as one might offer a gentle prayer to the gods. His willingness to fight for the ball, to do anything he could to control the boards, and to work hard for the ball on every play is a fine lesson in determination and passion to all in sport and in other endeavors of life.

Tonight's games promise some explosive action, too. The Jesuit v. Canby matchup will pit another D-1 player (Canby's 6'11'' Clint Chapman is U of Texas-bound) against the always finely disciplined Jesuit team. Then, the nightcap will allow the rest of the state to see Kyle Singler and the South Medford Panthers. Duke-bound Singler is also a dominant player and leader on his team, and most are expecting a LO/SM rematch on Saturday night.

One thing is certain, however. The widest-smiling person after a game like today would have been 1000 miles from Eugene's McArthur Court. That smiling person would be Ben Howland, coach of the UCLA Bruins. Love is headed there next year to join a program which has had storied centers over the years. He will be able to help bring back the glory days of UCLA basketball--if, that is, he decides to stay there more than one year. In the meantime, however, one can confidently say, with the efforts of Love, and probably Singler as the tournament goes on, we will not see the likes of this again in Oregon.

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