McKay to Bring Hardware Home to Salem

Scots beat Westview, advance to 4th place game.

Salem-News.com SPORTS

EUGENE - On paper, it didn't look promising for McKay in their Friday consolation game with Westview of Beaverton.

While the Scots feature nobody taller than 6'5 on their roster, the Wildcats start 6-11 Andy Poling and 6-9 Trevor Seifken down in the blocks.

Fortunately, the Scots had an answer to the Westview goliaths -- scrappy team rebounding and the slingshot shooting of Greg Plater.

Plater had 23 points, including 11 in the third quarter, as McKay beat Westview 60-51 at Mac Court in Eugene Friday.

The victory propels the Scots to the fourth place trophy game on Saturday morning.

McKay scratched and clawed with the 'Cats the entire ball game. They trailed 17-13 at the end of the first period, as Poling collected nine points and Seifken six, mostly on lob passes near the basket.

But in the second quarter, the Scots defense adjusted, limiting both Wildcat posts to just a field goal a piece, and McKay outscored Westview 12-9 to cut the deficit 26-25.

McKay erupted to start the third quarter, jumping to a 35-31 lead with 5:40 left.

Plater scored five of the points on an acrobatic layup and a three pointer.

The Scots led 43-40 after three quarters, and Plater scored 11 points in the period.

In the fourth, the game seesawed back and forth until the final two minutes.

McKay scored four straight to push their lead to 47-40 less a minute into the period. After a timeout, Westview scored six straight to cut the lead back to one with 5 1/2 left in the contest.

But Westview, which shot just 28 percent in the second half, went cold from the field, and the Scots used field goals from Plater, Berrier and Reese Smith to rebuild the lead to five with two minutes left.

Westview was forced to foul, and Plater, Berrier and Gil Salcido made free throws to ice the contest.

Plater got plenty of offensive help as Berrier had 11 points for McKay, and Smith added 10.

The Scots played Westview to a virtual stalemate on the boards, collecting just one less (35-34) than the taller Wildcats.

Siefken topped Westview scoring with 18 points, and Andrew Jones added 16.

Poling only scored two points in the second half and ended with 13.

The Wildcats ended their season with a 21-8 record.

McKay (22-6) plays in the fourth place trophy game at 10:45 AM Saturday morning against Grant, which defeated Canby 58-49. At worst, the Scots will bring home the sixth place tournament trophy.

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