Epic comeback lifts Heather Seely Roberts’ Lincoln Cardinals over her former school, Canby, in Round 1 of Oregon 6A boys basketball playoffs
By Alex Tam | Photos by Leon Neuschwander
PORTLAND — Tuesday’s state playoff game saw Lincoln put itself in a position it was far too familiar with all season long.
Close games coming down to the wire. A lot of stress and game-deciding plays in the final quarter. And a big comeback needed to pull out a win.
After trailing by 15 points in the first half, Lincoln rallied and overwhelmed Canby in the fourth quarter to pull out a 57-52 victory in the first round of the OSAA Class 6A boys basketball state playoffs at Lincoln High School.
“I’m still kind of in shock a little bit,” Lincoln senior Sawyer Heald said. “We’re a team that usually comes back a lot. We usually start slow and then we just find a way to pull it out, and we did the same thing today.”
Canby controlled much of the first three quarters and held a 38-29 lead entering the fourth. But with the Cardinals’ high-powered offense, no lead is safe against a team that averages 73.1 points per game.
In a blink of an eye, Lincoln junior Malachi Seely Roberts started the fourth on his own 9-0 run. First came a layup, then a steal. A 3-pointer was next, then another steal. Seely Roberts capped the run over a 1-minute span with an incredible four-point play that saw him get fouled on a 3-pointer while falling backward in front of Canby’s student section.
Everyone in the gym knew the momentum had changed as the score was suddenly tied at 38-38.
“I saw the (last 3-pointer) bank in and I was like, ‘Oh my goodness,’” Seely Roberts said. “It was crazy. I don’t know how that went in. It was like a movie, honestly.”
Heald said he wasn’t surprised by what he saw from his teammate.
“Malachi is nice, he’s tough,” Heald said. “He’s the best shooter in the state in my opinion. He has the ability to change the game by hitting multiple threes in a row. He’s a game-changer, for sure.”
Lincoln coach Heather Seely Roberts knew Malachi needed to keep shooting despite struggling with just two points in the first half. He finished with a team-high 18 points.
“Malachi is a good shooter,” Heather Seely Roberts said. “He always tells me, ‘Shooters gotta shoot, shooters gotta shoot.’ He has a lot of confidence in himself. First half, I don’t think he was really set — he was just throwing it up there. But then he was feeling it, and when he feels it, it’s going in.”
The Cardinals used an 11-5 run over the next five minutes to grab the lead for good at 49-43 with 2:01 left. Canby senior Payton Meyers kept his team in it with back-to-back 3-pointers, and senior Alexander Evans hit another three to cut the deficit to 54-52 with 27 seconds remaining.
But with the Cougars scrambling to steal the ball on the ensuing possession, they were called for a technical foul for pulling Heald down to the court with 11.2 seconds to go.
Lincoln held off Canby by making 8 of 10 free throws between Heald, Moroni Seely Roberts, Trevor Dean and Kabir Rathore Muthu over the final 1:24.
“We spend a lot of time together outside of just basketball,” Heald said. “So, when it comes to making big free throws like people did today, we trust each other to make those shots.”
How dangerous is Lincoln’s offense? After scoring 29 points through three quarters, the Cardinals exploded for 28 points in the fourth quarter.
“Those guys are tough,” said Meyers, who led Canby with 20 points. “We knew that coming in from the beginning. They got hot early in the fourth and just took over from then. It’s hard to slow those guys down.
“They’re a really good team; they can score real fast. Like you see, they had 13 at half and then they finished with 57.”
Cougars coach Craig Evans said Lincoln’s full-court pressure got to them late in the game. And when Canby did get to the rim, Moroni Seely Roberts made several clutch blocks.
“They got into desperate mode,” Evans said. “They had to change something. They took their big guy out, started to go a little faster, and that changed the momentum a little bit.”
Canby held Lincoln to 5-of-23 shooting in the first half. The Cougars led 20-5 midway through the second quarter and took a 23-13 advantage to halftime.
Senior Kellan Oakes had 10 points for Canby, and senior Alexander Evans added eight.
Canby finished with a 14-12 record in a season that included a big win over Lake Oswego at home and an appearance at the Les Schwab Invitational.
The Cougars will lose 10 seniors from this season’s team before moving to the Class 5A level next season.
“They worked their tails off for four straight years,” Evans said of his seniors. “They had to go through the whole COVID season. To get this opportunity to play in the playoffs is a blessing. And I just feel bad it ended that way.”
For Lincoln, Moroni Seely Roberts scored 17 points and Heald added 14. The Cardinals will face PIL rival Cleveland in the second round Friday at 7 p.m. at Cleveland High School with a berth in the Class 6A state tournament at the Chiles Center on the line.
Lincoln lost both meetings during the league season — 68-57 on Jan. 29 at home and 72-65 on Dec. 15 at Cleveland.
Heather Seely Roberts put it simply what the Cardinals need to do to win this time: play better.
“They are so physical with us and they just imposed their will on us the last two games,” she said. “So, we've got to come out and start imposing our will and take it from them.”
A Canby reunion
In the backdrop of Tuesday’s contest was a reunion of sorts for Heather Seely Roberts and her two sons, Malachi and Moroni.
Heather coached the Canby girls basketball program for six seasons (2006-12), guiding the Cougars to six consecutive playoff appearances. Malachi and Moroni grew up playing in the Canby youth program, and they are still friends with many players on the current Canby team.
Several high school teachers, parents and friends from Canby were on hand and greeted Heather before the game.
“There’s just so much history there,” she said. “It was fun; it was nerve-racking. It was just so weird because I have so many fond memories over there. So, like I said, I'll cheer for Canby on any other night, but not today.”
Craig Evans said it was a fun experience to go against a friend and former colleague.
“When I got my first job at Canby, Heather was the girls coach,” Evans said. “We worked great together when she was there. And I loved watching her kids in the gym when they were little. I love watching them play. I love watching them grow up.
“They were in Canby for a long time, and they went through the youth program. Their best friends are on our team, so it was actually real fun.”
Lincoln 57, Canby 52
Canby -- 14 -- 9 -- 15 -- 14 — 52
Lincoln -- 5 -- 8 -- 16 -- 28 — 57
Canby — Payton Meyers 20, Kellan Oakes 10, Evans 8, Pepper 7, Strand 6, Soles 1, Kirwan, Sparks, Gibson III, Slagle, Boyer, Michel, Van Meter
Lincoln — Malachi Seely-Roberts 18, Moroni Seely-Roberts 17, Sawyer Heald 14, Eikenberry 3, Dean 3, Rothore Muthu 2, Moti, Longaker, McCartan, Beller, Heisler
Field goals: Canby 20-57 (.351), Lincoln 17-43 (.395). Free throws: Canby 5-12 (.417), Lincoln 18-24 (.750). Turnovers: Canby 9, Lincoln 16.
