DeMatha (Md.) came into the 2015 Les Schwab Invitational as the No. 4 team in the country according to USA Today and showed why they are ranked so high . The Stags played their way into the Les Schwab championship but lost to Oak Hill Academy. Here is a recap of all the action in Oregon.
The Stags first game of the tournament was against Westview. DeMatha was down 32-31 early in the third quarter but they ended up outscoring Westview 46-12 in the second half which led to their 76-40 victory. Washington signee Markelle Fultz went for 27 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assist, 5 blocks, and 4 steals. Guard Ryan Allen scored 13 points while DJ Harvey had 11 points.
After their victory over Westview, the Stags played former DeMatha coach Marshall Cho Lake Oswego’s team and won 63-48. The Stags started the game strong with a 10-0 run during the first quarter. They went on another 10-0 run in the second quarter. Markelle Fultz had another good game as he finished with 14 points and 6 rebounds. Senior Kellon Taylor had 13 points, DJ Harvey scored 11 points, and center Josh Carlton had 8 points.
DeMatha moved on to play in the Les Schwab Invitational semifinals against No. 3 Gairfield. A strong fourth quarter led to the Stags beating Gairfield 74-64. Gairfield open the fourth quarter with a 54-51 lead but DeMatha came back thanks to a 17-3 run. Markelle Fultz almost had a triple-double as he went for 20 points 10 rebounds, and 9 assist. Stags sharpshooter Nate Darling scored 16 points and Ryan Allen scored 17 points.
The win over Garfield sent DeMatha to the championship game where they will play basketball powerhouse Oak Hill for the first time. Led by Ty-Shon Alexander, the Warriors beat DeMatha 82-66 and handed the Stags their first lost of the season.
DeMatha had a 22-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. Oak Hill came back and outscored DeMatha 22-9 to give them a 40-31 lead at the half. DeMatha tied the game at 40 at the beginning of the third but that was the only time they did that. Ty-Shon Alexander led the team in scoring with 24 points. Braxton Key had 22 points and 8 rebounds. While guard Lindell Wigginton had 15 points (7-8 FG) and 7 assists. DeMatha’s Markelle Fultz who was named tournament MVP scored 20 points in the lost. DJ Harvey also scored 20 points.
The Stags will come back home for New Year’s before heading to West Virginia to play against basketball powerhouse Montverde.
Ryan McFadden is a freshman at Iona College and alumni from DeMatha Catholic High School. He is the founder of Inside The Locker Room and sports writer for the Ionian. Follow him on Twitter @RMcFadden15.
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