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Subscribe to our NewsletterOregon State quarterback commit Kallen Gutridge lifts Wilsonville to 5A semifinal date with NWOC rival Putnam
McMINNVILLE — One of the top 5A boys basketball contenders received a bigger test than expected during the opening game of the state tournament.
The other prime contender — three-time defending champion Wilsonville — got off to a sizzling start but also found itself in a quarterfinal war Wednesday evening. The Wildcats needed a second-half spark to put away feisty Redmond, and Kallen Gutridge came to the rescue.
Gutridge had 19 of Wilsonville’s 26 second-half points in a hard-fought 56-51 victory at Ted Wilson Gymnasium. The Oregon State football signee hit the go-ahead basket with 1:29 remaining, fed Kyle Counts for a key layup and iced the game with two late free throws.
“He’s done that for us all year,” Wildcats head coach Chris Roche said of Gutridge, who transitioned from wing to point guard midway through the season. “We moved him to point guard and asked him to share the ball. He’s really moved it around, so his scoring is down just a touch, but he’s a tremendous all-around player and I thought he was just magnificent today.
After top-seeded Summit eked out a 50-48 win over No. 9 Mountain View in the first game of the day, No. 2 Wilsonville appeared to be headed for a romp in its quarterfinal. Seventh-seeded Redmond, which trailed 28-15 midway through the second quarter, closed the period on a 14-2 run to quickly get back in it.
The Wildcats (24-3) trailed for extended portions of the second half, but Gutridge put the team on his back. The 6-foot-4 left-handed quarterback scored or assisted on Wilsonville’s final eight points and finished with 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting.
“It was just one of those days where it felt like everything was falling,” said Gutridge, who made 9 of his first 10 shots. “We really kept our composure on offense. They got a lot of buckets a little too easily for my liking, but we stayed composed on offense and found great shots. I just think staying composed got the job done.”
Redmond (18-9) sophomore Wyatt Horner went toe-to-toe with Gutridge and recorded 19 points. Jack Snyder added 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals for a Panthers team that erased a 19-point deficit in the round-of-16 to reach the state tournament.
“We had no fear at all,” Redmond head coach Reagan Gilbertson said. “We were ready to go. We expected to win this game. I know a lot of people didn't expect us to win, but we did.”
Roche noted that Redmond had advanced to the semifinals each of the past two seasons before placing fifth.
“Even though they lost some to graduation, these kids have been here,” Roche said. “They’re tough, they’re very well-coached, and we definitely had all we could handle today.”
Counts, Gutridge, Jacob Boss and Emmitt Fee had early baskets as Wilsonville jumped out to a 12-4 lead. Gutridge’s second 3-pointer of the quarter made it 17-11 heading to the second, and the lead hit double-digits for the first time on a layup by Ezra Carter.
Trailing by 13 halfway through the second, Redmond closed the quarter with a furious rally to pull within one at 30-29 by halftime. After a double-technical dust-up between Gutridge and Ian Pearson, the Panthers went on a 9-1 run before the break.
“Our offense put us in some tough spots tonight,” Roche said. “We had a rash of turnovers at the end of the first half, and that took what was a 13-point game right back to one. Credit to their pressure and some of the things that they did, but we also turned it over a bunch.”
A steal and score by Wyatt Horner gave Redmond its first lead at 33-32 early in the third quarter. Gutridge did the same near the end of the period to make 43-43.
Horner buried a 3-pointer for a 51-50 lead with 3:18 to play, but Gutridge and company closed it out as the Wildcats moved to 19-1 in their past 20 state tournament games.
“I’m proud that we hung in there,” Roche said. “We trailed quite a bit in the third and fourth quarters. But we didn’t panic, stayed the course and found a way to get it done.”
The Kingsmen trailed 36-19 late in the second quarter and outscored the Highlanders 42-18 the rest of the way.
Tyler Adams and Lennon Greenleaf scored 15 points apiece to lead a balanced Putnam (22-4) offense. Jaiden Pickett added 13 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
India Mohiuddin paced the Highlanders (22-5) with 14 points.
Wilsonville went 2-0 against Putnam during Northwest Oregon Conference play, but both games were competitive. Gutridge expects another battle with the Kingsmen at 3:15 Friday in the semifinals.
“They’re a really good team this year,” he said. “They’ll want it pretty bad, but so will we. I’m excited.”
With a victory Friday, the Wildcats would advance to their eighth consecutive state final. Wilsonville has won six state titles under Roche (2005, 2016-17, 2019, 2022-23).
