Les Schwab Invitational 2023: Everything you missed in first round of high school basketball showcase
HILLSBORO, OREGON - Day 2 of the 2023 Les Schwab Invitational is underway.
The annual showcase, which pits the top Oregon high school boys basketball teams against a crop of out-of-state powers, is back for a star-studded 27th rendition and three nationally ranked tip on the final day of the first round on Wednesday.
Can an Oregon school prevail over the likes of nationally ranked Columbus (Florida), Harvard-Westlake (California) and Perry (Arizona), like reigning LSI MVP Jackson Shelstad and West Linn's giant-killing title run in 2022?
Columbus checked in at No. 9, Harvard-Westlake No. 15 and Perry is on the bubble of SBLive/Sports Illustrated national Power 25 rankings, updated Tuesday.
The first round wraps up Wednesday, the quarterfinals are Thursday, the semifinals Friday and the championship game is Saturday at Liberty High School in Hillsboro, Oregon.
Refresh this post and scroll down for the latest live updates, recaps, matchups and game times. This post will be updated throughout the first round.
Stay with SBLive Oregon for stories, highlights, photos and more from the LSI all week.
Lead photo by Naji Saker
—
WEDNESDAY (FIRST ROUND CONT.)
Refresh for latest.
NATIONALLY RANKED HARVARD-WESTLAKE PUSHES PAST LIBERTY
Nikolas Khamenia had one heck of a birthday.
The four-star forward amassed 23 points, 11 rebounds and four assists as the nationally ranked Wolverines thumped Liberty to close out the first round of the tournament.
Khamenia was one of four double-digit scorers. USC commit Trent Perry chipped in 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting, seven rebounds and three steals.
Liberty was led by James Kefgen's 19 points (five 3-pointers), 13 from Elijah Streeter and 12 from Donovan Crowder.
Khamenia walked out to a mostly-empty gym after his postgame interview duties and was greeted to cupcakes and a birthday song courtesy of Harvard-Westlake parents.
Harvard-Westlake faces Southridge on Thursday at 8:30 p.m.
—
CAMERON BOOZER, COLUMBUS DOMINATE LAKE OSWEGO, DAZZLE LSI CROWD
The Cameron Boozer show has arrived.
The nation's No. 2 prospect in 2025 went for 37 points and 11 rebounds as nationally ranked Columbus blew the doors off of Lake Oswego to advance to the quarterfinals.
The 6-foot-9 Boozer made 15 of 18 shots, including a handful of crowd-igniting dunks, as the Explorers conquered Round 1 convincingly — and put on a show for the mostly-filled stands at Liberty High School.
—
D'ANDRE HARRISON, PERRY STAVE OFF JESUIT
Perry forward D'Andre Harrison scored 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting to lead Perry past Jesuit of Portland on Wednesday.
Barron Silsbee drilled a 3-pointer in the waning second to put the Pumas up 13 heading to halftime.
Koa Peat, the Pumas' much-hyped five-star forward, had an off-night shooting, going 5 of 12 from the field for 11 points, but he pulled down 10 rebounds and added four assists and three blocks.
Jesuit freshman Isaac Bongen led the Crusaders with 24 points and two steals.
Perry's win sets up a quarterfinals matchup with Mt. Spokane (8-0) on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
—
MT. SPOKANE SURVIVES BOUT WITH DEFENDING LSI CHAMPS
Ryan Lafferty scored 20 points and corralled seven rebounds as Mt. Spokane fended off scrappy defending LSI champion West Linn to kick off Wednesday's first-round slate.
Lucas Dickau converted a three-point play at the rim to give Mt. Spokane a six-point lead with 2:22 remaining.
After two missed Mt. Spokane free throws, West Linn freshman Pat Viavla drove into the lane for a lightly contested layup to pull West Linn within one with 14.5 seconds left.
That was after Nick DiGulio drilled a 3-pointer to bring West Linn within two.
Viavla, a freshman and one of Oregon's most-hyped underclassmen, finished with a game-high 22 points on 11-of-14 shooting.
Lafferty, one of the top guards in Washington, had 11 first-half points, including back-to-back 3-pointers late in the second quarter to help Mt. Spokane take a five-point lead to halftime.
Mt. Spokane faces Perry in the quarterfinals Thursday at 5:30 p.m. West Linn drops to the consolation bracket and plays Jesuit on Thursday at noon.
—
TUESDAY
SOUTHRIDGE BLASTS SUMMIT WITH HELP OF FORMER BALL BOY
Kaden Groenig was once a Les Schwab Invitational ball boy.
On Tuesday, he helped Southridge advance to the LSI quarterfinals — a moment he dreamed about ever since.
The senior guard erupted for 25 points as Southridge pulled away late to beat Summit.
"I was in second grade, third grade," Groenig said of his first time participating in the LSI as a volunteer. "It was an awesome experience and I always wanted to play in it."
He was one of the Skyhawks' five double-digit scorers. Alonzo Huff added 14 points, Elijah Thompson scored 12, and Carter Fortune and Keenan Reckamp pitched in 10 apiece.
Pearson Carmichael led Summit with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
The Skyhawks took a 10-point lead to the final quarter and put the game to rest by outscoring the Storm 20-10.
Now, they will be back scouting Liberty (Oregon) and Harvard-Westlake (California) on Wednesday before playing the winner of that game in the quarterfinals Thursday at 8:30 p.m. Summit faces the Harvard-Westlake/Liberty loser at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
—
CENTRAL CATHOLIC BREEZES PAST CASCADE CHRISTIAN
Marley Zeller made 6 of 7 3-point attempts on his way to 21 points, and Isaac Carr added 19 as Central Catholic glided through to the LSI quarterfinals.
Central Catholic shot 50 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from 3-point range and withstood a low-post onslaught from Grand Canyon-committed 6-foot-10 senior Austin Maurer, who finished with 28 points (10-of-21 shooting) and 10 rebounds.
The Rams return to the quarterfinals to face Barlow on Thursday at 4 p.m. — the same stage on which they were ran out by Bronny James and star-studded Sierra Canyon a year ago. Carr, now committed to Oregon, shined in that game (16 points). A year later, he's among the region's top 2025 prospects.
Cascade Christian drops to the consolation bracket, where it faces Mountainside on Thursday at 9 a.m.
—
BARLOW BLASTS MOUNTAINSIDE
Barlow junior guard Jalen Atkins has had his share of big LSI moments as a freshman and sophomore. In the Bruins' first-round blowout of Mountainside, his teammates carried the load on an off-night shooting.
Mason Bierbrauer led all scorers with 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting, Brayden Barron pitched in 13 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocks, and Sentori Martino added 10 points for Barlow, which led by 16 at halftime and didn't look back.
Barlow advances to the quarterfinals Thursday, where it will face Central Catholic at 4 p.m.
Mountainside was paced by Brayden Bow, who had nine points and eight rebounds.
Read more here:
—
BEAVERTON DROPS TUALATIN IN OPENING ROUND
Down goes the defending Oregon state champion.
Beaverton made 14 3-pointers, led by five from Aidan Rice, and held off a thin Tualatin, the two-time defending Class 6A OSAA state champion.
Though the Timberwolves played only six players, Rice out-shined the likes of Colorado State commit Jaden Steppe (18 points), standout guard Jemai Lake (15 points) and AJ Noland (14 points), who is going to Colorado State for football. His 26 points led all scorers, and he did it on 10-of-18 shooting.
Beaverton plays the winner of nationally ranked Columbus and Barlow in the quarterfinals Thursday. Tualatin plays the Columbus/Lake Oswego loser in the consolation bracket Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
Could the Beavers be this year's West Linn? More on that:
—
MORE LSI27:
-- Andy Buhler | andy@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveor
