4A State Day-1, WCD Rules

A sea of purple fell upon the Tacoma Dome as the 2004 WIAA/Dairy Farmers of Washington Class 4A State Tournament tipped off with the Pasco Bulldogs and the Puyallup Vikings kicked off the 26-game, four-day fight to the finish for the big gold ball.

The Pasco band already has won the “Road Warrior” award. They and their instrument boarded the yellow school buses at 3:30 Wednesday morning for a five-hour drive over the mountains. Whew!

The Bulldogs got out in a hurry and ran off to a 14-5 lead midway through the first quarter before the Vikes collected themselves and cut it to 20-13 by the end of the period.

6-5 Pasco senior forward Roby Clyde scored 11 in the half and tacked on 6 rebounds.

The third quarter saw the Vikings chip away even more at the Pasco lead and heading to the stretch the Dogs held a slim 37-35 advantage. The brakes went on as neither team was able to buy a basket for over 3:00. Senior guard Justin Terry gave Puyallup their first lead at 38-37 with a free throw at the 2:55 mark of the fourth quarter. They exchanged baskets over the final 2:00 before Terry hot another shot from the line strip and the Vikings led 42-40 with 40.1 on the clock. Puyallup got the ball back on the rebound off a turnover and junior guard Johnny Spevak hit a pair to make it 44-40. Pasco’s last efforts were for naught, Vikings advance 44-40.

Jacob McKinney led the Vikings with 11 points, Terry had 9. Clyde finished with 17 and got a double-double with 10 boards.

Game-2 saw powers Bethel and Franklin open trading punches like the heavyweights they are with the Braves holding a slim 13-11 lead at the end of the first quarters.

Bethel pushed the lead to seven points, Franklin cut it to 21-19 but Bethel answered. Freshman guard Venoy Overton made it a 2-point game, 27-25, with a trey in the final 10 seconds. Franklin’s senior guard Lyndale Burleson took a seat with his third foul late in the quarter. 6-8 senior Caesar Rayford came off the bench to score 8 for Bethel while John Rogers had 6 to lead the Quakers.

Bethel’s 6-8 junior Brandon Moore had to take a seat with just under 2:00 left in the third quarter with his 4th foul. Overton made it a single point game with another trey with 20 ticks left in the quarter and when Jordan Daisy drove baseline after a steal, scored and converted the free throw the Quakers led 39-37 heading into the fourth period.

Back and forth it went. Back-to-back buckets by Overton and John Rogers put the Quakers up 45-43 passing through 6:00. Richie Phillips made it 47-43 at 5:36. But just like that Jordan Sutton hit a pair from the line to tie it once again at 47-47 with 4:58 left.

John Rogers put Franklin back up 49-47 with a pair from the line heading into the final 3:00. Alex Tiefenthaler drilled a three ball and Bethel was up 50-49. But Rogers again was at the line and tied it at 50-50 with 2:29 to go. A turnover on the inbounds gave the ball back to Franklin but Moore came up with a huge blocked shot and got the tip to keep it knotted. Moore scored inside on the other end and the Braves led 52-50 with 1:41 to go. Rogers was fouled again, missed the first, hit the second and it was 52-51 inside a minute and a half. Tiefenthaler was hacked in the backcourt, it was Phillips’ fifth foul, but missed the front end of the bonus with Franklin getting the board.

With 1:02 to play Quaker sophomore guard Jordan Daisy missed both of the double bonus freebies and on the rebound Bethel junior guard Jordan Sutton was fouled. Sutton sank one to put Bethel up 53-51 with 56.2 left. Franklin turned it over on a ball out of bounds and Bethel went up 55-51 on a Jamil Turner bucket off the long pass. Walter Washington made it 55-52 with 24.7 showing. Meray missed the front end of the bonus, Franklin boarded and Overton promptly tied it with a trey at 12.9.

Bethel took a time out to set their final play. Sutton got nothing but net from deep on the right wing and the Brave’s faithful exploded, 58-55, 1.9 on the clock. Sutton then sank two techs; Franklin called a T-O with none remaining, game over.

Sutton finished with 17 points, Meray 11 points with 7 dimes and 5 steals. Rogers led Franklin with 16 points and 11 rebounds for his double-twice while Overton added 13 points.

Next up Central Kitsap and Walla Walla. The Cougars used a 9-0 run to overcome a 5-0 Blue Devil start with 6-4 junior guard Neil Fryer scoring back-to-back buckets to end the run. Senior guard Ryan Mitchell hit a pair of threes and after one period it was tied at 14-14.

CK outscored the Devils 17-12 in the second quarter to take a 30-26 lead into the break. Mitchell hit four from outside the arc for 14 points in the half while 6-7 senior forward Brice Brooks’ 12 and Fryer’s 10 points led CK. Fryer neared a d-d with 8 rebounds in the half.

CK had built a 6-point 467-40 lead early in the fourth but when senior guard Matt Thomas drained a long ball it was tied at 46-46 passing the 4:00 mark. Sophomore guard JR Gordon put the Cougs back on top 48-46 with a breakaway lay-in. After a flurry of misses and turnovers, 6-4 senior forward Tyler Carter’s put-back with 28.2 to play tied it, 48-48. The Cougars took a time out to set for their last shot. 6-6 Lee Miller was fouled inside with 5.8 to go, stepped to the line, missed the first and WW took a T-O to put a little ice on him and set up for “what ifs” after Miller’s next freebie. Miller missed the second with the Devils getting the board. Mitchell was fouled shooting from 40 feet as the horn sounded. He stepped up, rattled in the first shot, game over. Walla Walla survives 49-48.

Mitchell totaled 18 points, with 5 treys, while senior guard Bryce Pendleton added 11. Brooks finished with 23 points while Fryer had a d-d, 15 points with 12 boards.

On came Mountlake Terrace and South Kitsap for the final game of the top half of the bracket. South K blasted out 11-2 behind 6-8 senior Jake Beitinger. 6-2 sophomore guard Conner Gehring’s basket at the horn out the Wolves on top 19-7.

Beitinger continued to pour it on and hit a buzzer-beater that sent the Wolves to the break with a 33-16 lead. Beitinger scored 15 with 7 rebounds in the half while 6-7 senior Adam Bennett added 10 points.

Terrace had cut it to 47-32 by the end of the quarter. The Hawks began to chip away at the lead. They got it to 10 and had it to as mere 4 points at 53-49 with a minute to go. Beitinger pushed it to 6 with a bucket inside and on the other end had back-to-back blocks underneath. He added another swat the next time Terrace came inside. Christian Hammond hit a trey from the bus to cut it to 55-52 with 8 seconds left. A quick foul sent Michael Lizama to the line, he missed the front end of a bonus with the Hawks getting the board and taking a quick time out with 5.9 showing. Hammond’s trey at the horn was wide left; South K escapes 55-52.

Beitinger had a double-double with 25 points and 11 boards to go along with 6 blocked shots while Bennett added 14 points. Justynn Hammond scored 14 and Mike Boxley 13 in the loss. The Wolves allowed Terrace back into it with 1-of-6 free throw shooting down the stretch.

The bottom half of the bracket opened with Redmond taking on Mount Tahoma. The T-Birds got off to a 10-4 start after one quarter and led 22-12 at the half. Redmond shot just 25% from the field in the half while Mount Tahoma hit at a 50% clip. Senior guard Baree Ward had 9 in the half to lead all scorers.

Mount Tahoma had built a 9-point 32-23 lead early in the fourth quarter but the Stangs hung tough and cut it to 32-28 passing the 5:00 mark in a game that had no flow whatsoever.

The T-Birds pushed it back to 8 points at 36-28 but Redmond again cut it to 4 points at 36-32. A pair of drives and scores by Baree Ward got it back to 8 points, 40-32 with 1:21 remaining. MT held on and advanced 42-36. Baree Ward finished with 17, Gary Ward added 15 with 4 steals. Senior guard Christian Yeager had 13 and 6-8 senior Stephen Ishmael 11 points with 10 boards in the loss.

A combined record of 44-5 was next with 22-2 Kentwood taking on 22-3 Davis. Tempo was the name of the game as they wasted no time getting the legs heated up. After an up and down 8:00 Davis led 17-14 over the larger Conquerors.

The pace stayed fast and furious and with Mangum’s trey from 25 feet at the horn we had KW took a 38-34 lead into the break. 6-4 KW junior Aaron Boyce scored 14 in the half while 6-5 senior Rodney Stuckey added 10. Senior guard Jeremy Mangum’s 16 points led all scorers.

The Conqs pushed the lead to 10 at 46-36 midway through the third quarter. KW took a 50-44 lead into the fourth quarter.

Davis quickly made it a 4 point game but when Stuckey scored on consecutive possession and Boyce hit a baseline jumper the Conqs had it back to 10 at 56-46. But the Pirates hung around and trailed 63-56 when Stuckey drew his fifth foul with 1:51 remaining. Boyce made it 65-56 with a pair from the line with 1:06 to go. Davis fired and missed treys, KW rebounded, Davis fouled, KW made free throws, game over. Final score 71-58.

Stuckey scored 23, Boyce 22. Mangum finished with 18.

Mount Vernon and Bellarmine Prep were next. Mount Vernon led 6-4 when junior point guard Jake Moore had to sit with two quick fouls. Bellarmine quickly ran off a 10-2 run, triggered by their pressuring defense and led 14-8 with 1:31 left in the quarter. The Lions led 18-12 at the end of the first 8:00.

It swung between a 4 and 6 point game throughout the second quarter as they traded buckets before Brandon Stout made it a 9 point game with a three ball from on top at the 2:00 mark and made it an even 10 points seconds later with a free throw. Justin Burns nailed a trey from the left wing to cut it to 7 at 32-25 at the half. Senior guard Thomas Ward scored 12 in the half.

The Bulldogs turned up the defense a notch and when Brady Miller scored and converted a free throw the Dogs had made it a 1-point game at 34-33. Justin Burns put MV in front 37-36 with a put-back at the 2:45 mark but Bellarmine got it right back. They traded baskets and when Jermane Easterlin drove and scored in the final seconds off a nice feed from Zack Schaub Bellarmine found themselves in front 45-40 heading to the fourth period.

Ward canned a long three that gave the Lions 48-41 lead just a minute into the fourth quarter. Stout got it to 9 points, 51-42 with a trey from the left wing. On consecutive possessions the Lions had traded three-pointers for one free throw. The math was in their favor.

Easterlin kept it going, hitting both of his freebies after MV again made one of two for a 53-43 lead passing through the 6:00 mark. Vaughn Gaines made it 12 at 55-43 with a lay-in off a long rebound and quick outlet with 5:08 to go.

Bellarmine spread it out and began to work on the clock. Easterlin scored on a baseline cut and Stout added a short bank shot after another one-for-two trip to the foul line by the Bulldogs and had the Lions lead at 13. Moments later Stout made it a 15-point, 61-46 game with 3:30 to go. Bellarmine’s speed was taking its toll. The Lions finished it out to advance 70-53.

Stout finished with 25, Ward 15, Gaines 12. Miller’s 18 led MV. The West Central District is 6-1 with the only loss being Central Kitsap with the foul at the horn. Wow!

In the nightcap Auburn jumped out to a quick 11-3 run on Richland but the Bombers got back into formation and flew to a 19-15 lead by the end of the first quarter.

The pace stayed fast in the second quarter with the Trojans taking a 40-31 lead to the break. 6-3 senior Dan Stafford scored 18 in the half. Zach Bixler had 10 for the Bombers.

Richland cut the lead to 4 points at 41-37 but the Trojans had it back to 10 on a Jon Morehead bucket inside and ran it to 13 on a Jerami Regis “and-1” with 4:56 remaining in the third quarter. The Trojans enjoyed a 58-47 advantage heading into the fourth quarter

Richland got as close at 7 points in the first minute of the quarter but Auburn kept their distance and when the Trojans went into a spread and Regis split the defense with a nice left-handed lay-in it was 70-57 with under a minute and a half to play.

The benches emptied for the final minute with Auburn closing it out 74-60. Stafford scored 25 with 9 rebounds. Regis added 15 points, Pendleton 13. James York had 15 in the loss.

The 4A state tournament was looking more like the West Central District Invitational and Walla Walla was the only outsider allowed in. But you also got the feeling that the WIAA wasn’t crying as crowds on opening day were much better than last week’s 3A tournament and with the heavy local success the quarterfinals, semifinals and championship promise to have the turnstiles a little warmer than a week ago.