PIL vs. Metro League Thursday, January 04, 2007

Grant High's Jessica Musgrave (left) goes for the block against Leah Brushwein of Beaverton High during their inter-league match on Jan. 3, 2007. Beaverton won the game 51-41.

The Portland Interscholastic League (PIL), and Metro League have set up a week-long series of inter-league basketball matchups to build a rivalry between each other. On Jan. 3, Beaverton and Southridge high schools represented the Metro League in a double header against the PIL's Grant and Lincoln, respectively.

The Metro League schools were favored in both matches.

Beaverton's girls team, currently tied for 9th in the AP poll of 6A-level schools, beat unranked Grant 51-41. Grant played tough throughout the game, and held a four-point lead with about 4 minutes to go, but were unable to pull off the upset.

The second game was a defensive battle between two-time defending state champions Southridge (currently ranked no. 2 in the state) against unranked hosts Lincoln. Like their PIL compatriots in the first half of the double header, Lincoln kept the match close. However, a number of fouls and accurate free throw shooting by Southridge made most of the difference in the game, which ended 36-26 in Southridge's favor.

Jessica Musgrave drives past Emily Shoemaker of Beaverton High School.













Lincoln junior Makenzie Blythe drives past Southridge's Kiara Tate during the second quarter of their game.











Lincoln's Kylee Muir tries to contain Michelle Jenkins of Southridge after Jenkins grabbed a rebound in the second quarter.









Kiara Tate of Southridge scores an easy layup on a fast break during the third quarter of their game against Lincoln on Jan. 3, 2007.