3A State Day 2, Pretty dang good hoops

There were four teams destined to see their state tournament experience end as the consolation bracket opened the eight-game second day of the WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington Class 3A State Tournament Thursday. Before days end the field would be down to 12 and four teams would be heading to the semifinals.

In the opening consolation bracket contest Bellingham got 11 points from 6-2 senior Tim Sellereit, 9 of those in a 1:07 span when he hit back-to-back-to-back three-pointers as, and led White River 36-32 at the half. Sellereit had to sit out Wednesday’s opening game, a Raider loss to Clarkston, after being ejected from the district championship game last weekend. Fellow senior Josh Fish scored 10 in the half.

The Hornets clawed their way back and led 47-44 at the end of a third quarter that saw bodies flying all over the Dome. Sellereit’s bucket put the Raiders back on top at 50-48 with 6:10 remaining and a Josh Fish put back pushed it to 52-48 with 5:30 left. Tyler Nixon scored on a dive and got the “and-1 to cut it to 1 point with 4:26 left and put the Hornets back up with a short-range jump hook with 3:33 showing. Next trip down Nixon added a nice reverse layin on a baseline drive for a quick 6-0 run and a 3 point lead.. Fish scored, got the conversion and with 2:56 it was tied at 55-55.

Bellingham went on top 56-55 on a Brandon Foote free throw and after Sellereit drew a charge he gave Foote a nice pass that he finished and like that it was 58-55 with 1:58 on the big clock. After White River missed a pair of charity shots Tony Hillaire hit from the line and Sellereit added a pair to push it to 61-55 with 1:34 remaining. Bryce Raihl-Partridge went baseline for a score to cut it to 61-57, 1:13 showing. They trade a basket and a pair of freebies for a 63-59 score and WR cut it to 63-61 on a pair from the line by Raihl-Partridge with 32 seconds left. Danny Patterson’s free throw made it 64-61 with the Hornets rebounding the miss. Raihl-Partidge’s put back cut it to a single point, 64-63, with 13.9 left. Sellereit sank a pair from the stripe, 66-63, and the Hornets set up for one last try with 10.2 to go. Last 10 seconds; shot no good, Bellingham boards, WR fouls, guy hits free throw, game over, 67-63.

Sellereit finished with 26 points to go along with 6 assists while Fish added 17 points. Nixon’s 25 led the Hornets.

Mount Rainier and Cleveland both had streaks in the first quarter with the Rams holding a 14-13 edge over the Eagles at period’s end. Cleveland began to bomb away in the second quarter, senior wing Sexton brown hit one from the “Got Milk” sign about 8 feet outside the arc and seconds later Banard Banks dropped one from just inside that and the Eagles went to the break leading 32-25. Brown scored 11 in the half. Brian Manaway had 10 for MR.

Cleveland kept the heat on throughout the third quarter and took a 53-37 lead into the final 8:00. The Eagles closed out strong for a 71-49 win and a ticket for another day in the Dome. Brown had 17, Banks 16. Manaway’s 14 led the Rams.

On came Selah and Columbia River. They slowed it down in this one with CR taking an 8-6 lead after 8:00 and leading 18-15 at the half. What’s to say? There was a lot of passing, a lot of passing, a lot of passing and every once in a while a shot. Actually there were a combined 33 shots taken in the half. After the break it was more of the same. CR got the win 35-21 with a breakaway 13-2 fourth period. Sean Price scored 11. Erik Bell had 12 in the loss. Selah hit just 1 of 16 three-point shots and shot just 23.3% from the field. The Chieftains scorched the nets at 42.9% shooting form the field. The Vikings go into the state record book with a new single game low score of 21. The previous record was held by Lakes and Aberdeen, both with 24 in the 2002 tourney. The Chieftains came within a point of the record for lowest winning score, missing West Valley’s (Yakima) 35 points vs. O’Dea in 1996.

Mark Morris and Squalicum woke everybody from their naps with the Monarchs leading 22-15 at the end of the first quarter. Junior guard Mickey Polis knocked down a trey just before the horn to send the Monarchs into the break with a 33-26 advantage. Polis hit 5 of 6 from the field and both of his shots from outside the arc in the half for 12 points. John Ellingson’s 11 points led the Storm.

Polis scored 9 more in the third quarter, added three assists and when Ryan Rowe hit a pair from the line with 1.1 ticks left the Monarchs took a 53-42 lead into the final stanza.

Mark Morris milked a minute and a half off the clock playing keep away and after Rowe scored, Chris Hutton added an and-1 for a 61-44 lead with 4:07 to play. Polis hit a pull-up jumper just inside the line for a 19-point 63-44 margin as the clock passed through 3:30.

MM stayed alive to play another day 73-64. Polis had 25, hit 9 of 10 from the field and all three of his treys. Tack on 5 dimes for an impressive line. Hutton added 18 points. The Monarchs shot 61% from the field as a team and Ellingson scored 18 to pace Squalicum.

The first of the quarterfinals was next as Meadowdale and Clarkston took center stage. The Mavs wasted little time in building an 11-3 lead but the Bantams rallied to cut it to 11-7 by quarter’s end. It went to the break with the Mavs leading 24-9 as Clarkston could manage just a deuce in the period. Junior guard Jake Linton had 10 in the half.

Meadowdale extended their lead to 33-19 at the end of third quarter. A quick pair of scores cut the lead to 10 points at 33-23 in the first minute of the fourth but Linton hit a deep trey and Larod Lover took a steal the distance and it was back to 15 points with 5:29 remaining. A Josh Heytvelt tip in with 3:26 to play cut the lead to 11 at 38-27 and a James Bennett put back got it to single digits moments later. It got no closer as the Mavs hit from the line down the stretch and will be in Friday’s semifinals for the second consecutive year on the heels of their 48-34 win.

Linton finished with 17. Heytvelt’s 11 led Clarkston.

Rainier Beach and Timberline were up next and the Blazers came out on fire, leading 9-3. But alas Beach awoke and after eight minutes the Vikings were in front 14-11. Beach extended the lead to 6 points but when Aaron Edwards scored on a drive it was a single digit at 27-26 with 2:52 left in the half and the Blazer crowd was roaring. Terrance Williams came up with a steal and drove for a scoop layup at the horn to send Beach to the break on top 35-30. 6-11 senior C.J. Giles scored 13 in the half and was just short of a half-time double-double with 9 rebounds.

Beach ran off six straight points to open the third quarter for a 41-30 lead. Three pointers by Nate Menefee and Charlie Cook put T-Line within 6 at 47-41 heading to the fourth quarter. The Blazers kept it within 6 and had possession with a chance to get it closer but a Terrance Williams steal and breakaway led to an intentional foul call on Cook. Williams sank both free throws and on the inbounds Giles was fouled. He also hit his pair and the lead was back to 10 at 57-47 with 4:51 remaining. It got no closer than 6 and not for long as Beach pulled away to advance with a 69-56 “W.”

Giles got his d-d, 23 points with 16 rebounds, while Williams also scored 23 and also got a d-twice with 10 boards. Menefee led T-Line with 15 points.

So the first semifinal is set, a rematch from a year ago with Meadowdale facing Rainier Beach.

The second semifinal team would come from O’Dea vs. Renton. A pace a little faster than what the Irish would prefer saw Renton lead 16-12 after the first quarter. O’Dea rallied and led 28-26 at the break. Juniors Mitch Johnson and Conor Mullen both scored 10 in the half for the Irish.

A Jeff Burns mid-court shot at the horn rimmed out leaving O’Dea in front 42-39 at the end of the third quarter. Lael Johnson’s put back gave Renton the lead at 43-42 in the opening minute of the fourth. Mitch Johnson’s bank shot gave the lead back to O’Dea and he followed it withy a pull-up jumper for a 3-point edge. Lael Johnson answered to cut it to 46-45. Mullen hit from the foul line to make it 47-45 with 3:30 left. Senior wing Andre Geraghty knocked down one of two from the line to bring it to 48-45 passing through 2:10. He added another pair and O’Dea had a 50-45 lead with 1:58 remaining.

After a Renton miss the Irish spread it out and played keep away. Mullen was open underneath, was fouled while shooting and tacked on another freebie, 51-45. Senior guard Jeff Burns scored to cut it to 51-47 and was then called for an intentional foul sending freshman Jamelle McMillan to the line to shoot two. He hit both and it was 53-47 with 1:07 to play. Geragthy added another freebie and with a minute to go it was 54-47.

Lael Johnson scored and drew the foul. With the conversion it was 54-50. Renton had a quick steal but missed the inside shot with O’Dea grabbing the miss. Mitch Johnson got the first down on a run inside, or so it seemed like football there for a few seconds, before Johnson called a T-O as he rolled down the court. McMillan was fouled, hit both and it was 56-50 with 39.1 left. Victor Okocha cut it to 56-52 and Mitch Johnson went back to the line to shoot a pair. He hit both, 58-52. Johnson then came up with a loose ball and dribbled it out. The Irish head to the semifinals.

Mitch Johnson scored 20, Mullen 17. Lael Johnson had 19 in the loss.

Mercer Island and West Valley traded punches in the first quarter and the Rams from Yakima led 11-10 after one period. The rams kept their lead and took a 19-16 lead to the half. WV’s 6-8 senior Andrew Strait led all scorers with 8 points.

Strait started the half with a layup on a breakaway and when he hit again moments later West Valley had the lead to 9 points at 25-16. Corey Wehr made it a 12 point 30-18 game with a bucket and conversion for a three-point play. Strait’s short jumper just before the horn sent the Rams into the final quarter holding a 32-18 lead. That’s a 13-2 third quarter run as the Islanders could not find the bucket.

Gavin Johnson opened the fourth with a pair from the line and the Rams had the lead to 16 points. Strait added another to push it to 36-18 with 6:51 left. It was a 19-point lead at 42-23 with 4:45 to play after Johnson dropped in another pair from the line. Kahlil Mathews cut it to 12 points with 3:10 remaining. After a Wehr freebie Nathan Porter’s baseline jumper whittled the lead to 11 at 44-33, 2:31 left. The nail biting was starting.

The Rams hit enough free throws to hold off the late MI charge and moved on to the semifinals to meet O’Dea. Final score: WV 52, MI 38. Strait scored 18 to go with 9 boards while Johnson added 16 points. Frost had 10 to lead MI.

West Valley and O’Dea are the second semifinal match-up.