Jesuit brings swift end to Willamette's season.

Byline: Curtis Anderson The Register-Guard

Willamette's dream season came to an abrupt end Saturday.

Despite another raucous home crowd, the fourth-ranked Wolverines (24-2) struggled at the free-throw line, seemed tentative on offense and couldn't defend the three-point shot against sharp-shooting Jesuit.

The result was a 43-36 victory for the Crusaders, who advance to the OSAA Class 4A girls basketball tournament at the Chiles Center on the University of Portland campus next week.

Jesuit (20-5), the No. 2 seed out of the Metro League, will open the eight-team tournament against Central Catholic on Thursday at 3:15 p.m.

`We've had our ups and downs this year, but each day we learned something, and I felt it all came together tonight,' Jesuit coach Kathy Adelman Naro said. `We watched Willamette on tape, so we knew how tough they were.'

The key for the Crusaders was their outside game.

Jesuit knocked down seven three-pointers in the contest, including four by 5-foot-8 junior point guard Kelly DiLorenzo, who scored a game-high 20 points on 5-of-10 from the field and 6-of-8 from the line.

`We were so pumped up for this game,' DiLorenzo said. `Ever since last year when we got knocked out by Oregon City, we wanted to get back to the state tournament. We were considered the underdog in this game, but we knew we could win if we played hard and played together.'

Willamette, co-champions of the Midwestern League and the No. 1 seed, never found its offensive rhythm against the Crusaders.

Stephanie Stephens and Emily Gray worked inside for 16 and 13 points, respectively, but only three other Wolverines scored - a three-point bank shot by Elise Gray and transition baskets by Tisia Reynolds and Shantele McGee.

The one area where they could have helped themselves was the free-throw line.

Instead, the Wolverines converted just 15-of-25 shots for 60 percent. They were 0-of-3 in the third period as Jesuit stretched a one-point halftime edge into a 10-point bulge heading into the fourth quarter. Lauren McGuigan drained a three at the buzzer to give the Crusaders a commanding 33-23 lead.

`She's been a sparkplug for us all year,' Adelman Naro said. `We have our nights when the shots aren't dropping, but we have the capability to shoot the three.'

In the fourth quarter, Jesuit shifted into its delay game and Willamette desperately tried to close the gap with a full-court trap.

The closest the Wolverines could get was three points, 39-36, on McGee's drive to the hoop with 47 seconds remaining.

McGuigan answered with an uncontested layup, however, and after a blocked shot, DiLorenzo sealed the win for Jesuit with two free throws.

`I'd like to say the kids were nervous, but I really don't think that was the case,' Willamette co-head coach Paul Brothers said. `Our effort was good, but when we needed to make free throws, we didn't do it.'

The Wolverines finished with eight turnovers and made 10-of-29 shots from the field. Jesuit, which never got to the free-throw line until the fourth quarter, was 14-of-35 from the floor and 8-of-12 at the line.

Despite the loss, both Brothers and co-head coach Terry Harrison had nothing but kind words for the Wolverines, who lingered in the locker room with a multitude of hugs and tears long after the game had ended.

`Sometimes you can't wait for the season to end, but these kids care for each other, and I know it's hard for them to give this up,' Brothers said. `We had a good run and it was a great season, but the most important thing is how they all grew up and the friendships they made that will last a lifetime.'

They just wish it could have lasted one week longer.

CAPTION(S):

4A BASKETBALL STATE PLAYOFFS Girls Third Round SATURDAY'S RESULTS Pendleton 56, Ashland 52 Oregon City 67, Crescent Valley 43 Central Catholic 56, Forest Grove 49, OT Jesuit 43, Willamette 36 North Medford 47, Lake Oswego 36 Tualatin 65, Lincoln 59 Lakeridge 74, West Salem 65 Southridge 62, Sheldon 42 State Tournament At Chiles Center, University of Portland Quarterfinals THURSDAY'S GAMES Pendleton vs. Oregon City, 1:30 p.m. Central Catholic vs. Jesuit, 3:15 p.m. North Medford vs. Tualatin, 6:30 p.m. Lakeridge vs. Southridge, 8:15 p.m. Boys First Round MONDAY'S GAMES Westview at Woodburn David Douglas at Summit Marshfield at Sprague Ashland at Lakeridge INSIDE Sheldon is also bounced from the state playoffs / D9 Kevin Clark / The Register-Guard Tisia Reynolds wrestles with Jesuit's Megan Davis for a loose ball in the second half.