On Friday, Feb. 4, the Lake Oswego boys basketball team faced off against fourth ranked West Linn in a highly-anticipated home game. West Linn has consistently been a top team in the state, but Lake Oswego was slowly moving up the rankings. Lake Oswego started off very well, leading by 12 at half, with help coming from West Linn’s poor shooting. Immediately into the third quarter, West Linn took control of the game, entering the fourth quarter with a close score. West Linn went on to take a double digit lead in the final few minutes, but LO closed the gap to only five points at half. LO eventually ran out of time, with a final score of 76-69. 

One game prior, the Lakers played number one Tualatin, which was the first game where all students were allowed . Unlike the West Linn game, LO found themselves down by three at halftime. The Lakers stormed back, taking a comfortable lead in the fourth quarter. Tualatin eventually tied the game, but senior guard Carson Reno hit a game winner, giving LO the win in a 63-61 upset. “We’re finally playing our brand of basketball. Granted, we still have a lot to work on and we can all still improve,” said senior forward Christian Rowell. 

Before beating Tualatin, the Lakers were on a five game win streak, beating Tigard, Oregon City, Canby, McDaniel and Lakeridge. In their game vs Tigard, LO found themselves down 19 points at half, looking as if the game would get out of their hands. The Lakers didn’t give up, as they outscored Tigard 30-8 in the third quarter, earning them the 68-60 win. Even their loss before their winning streak was a well played game. Lake Oswego played West Linn in their first Three Rivers League(TRL) game. In a very fast paced and well fought game, LO lost to West Linn in a 80-77 deficit. The outcome didn’t go the way they wanted, but they still played extremely well. West Linn had previously won every game by 20+ points, a major difference in results compared to the Lakers three point loss in a game that could’ve gone either way. Lake Oswego only has a few more league games, preparing them for the playoffs, where they hope to play in Chiles Center for a state championship.