Cleveland beat Century 63-38 in round one of the state playoffs.

The Warriors were dominant from start to finish, shutting out Century for over six minutes after the opening tip off.

By the end of the first half Cleveland had pushed the lead to 30-15, and they looked comfortable throughout.

The play of the game came with less than four seconds left in the third quarter, when Century was inbounding the ball following a floater by Warriors guard SC Tresvant. Tresvant was quick back to defense and managed to intercept the pass with enough time to bank in an off-balance three pointer. The Cleveland gym erupted with every player coming off the bench to celebrate, and momentum shifted even further toward Cleveland.

Tresvant’s five points in six seconds put the Warriors up 49-29 heading into the final quarter.

Junior wing Christian Green shut the door entirely for the Warriors, scoring six of their first eight points in the fourth, all scored on heavily contested layups.

Once again the Warriors top performers were Green and fellow junior Jackson Cooper with 17 and 13 points respectively. A very encouraging performance came out of senior forward Stephen Treat, who put up 12 points.

Treat set the tone for the game with four points, an assist, and a block at the start of the first quarter. He’s been a mainstay in head coach Dondrale Campbell’s starting lineups all season, but this type of scoring wasn’t seen consistently. As the Warriors move through the bracket, they will need to take as much defensive pressure off Cooper and Green as they can, and Treat is showing potential to help that.

Senior guard Lawson Vella was also on pace to help, scoring seven points before he sustained what looked to be an ankle injury driving to the basket late in the first quarter. Vella knocked down a free throw, but did not return to the game after.

Century was led by a great performance from freshman Jessley Bukeyeneza, who scored 16 points. This program could have a bright future as soon as next season, and Bukeyenza will certainly be a name to look out for in the class of 2025.

Beating a team three times in one season is difficult regardless of a team’s rank, and with four PIL teams advancing including Cleveland’s second round opponent No. 14 Lincoln, they have a very difficult path to state.

Lincoln knocked out No. 19 Canby 57-52 after facing a nine-point deficit going into the fourth quarter, so Cleveland needs to prepare for a motivated team. The Cardinals feature a balanced lineup led by twin brothers Malachi and Moroni Seely-Roberts, who both made all-PIL teams this season. Point guard Sawyer Heald also added 14 points in the round one victory.

This PIL rivalry game will start at 7 p.m. in the Cleveland gym, and tickets are $5 for students and $8 for adults, and can be purchased in advance at pps.schoolpay.com.