Garfield Claims Metro League Title; Edges Beach by Three
By Steve Dion
| Friday- February 12th | 2016 | Boys | 3A | Metro League Championship | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingraham High School | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| Rainier Beach | 16 | 13 | 20 | 14 | 63 | |
| Garfield | 20 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 65 | |
Metro League Champions – Garfield Bulldogs
Round two of what could be a four game series between Garfield and Rainier Beach took place Friday night for the Metro League championship. Rainier Beach prevailed in the regular season matchup 76-69 at Crawford Court. The defending state champs Garfield were focused on avenging the loss, but the Vikings were eager to win the league title again. Before the game when asked about the key to the game, Rainier Beach head coach Mike Bethea stated, “The one thing I want to see is coming out and playing hard and cutting out the mental mistakes early.”
The Bulldogs took the lead early in the contest as junior guard Daejon Davis was able to finish some acrobatic shots near the cup scoring 9 of his 19 total shots in the first quarter alone. Sam Cunliffe countered by recording 8 of his team-high 23 in the frame taking advantage of some Bulldog defensive breakdowns. As the first half wore on, Garfield’s Jaylen Nowell took control of the contest by scoring at will which propelled his team to a 34-29 lead at the break.
Rainier Beach emerged from the locker room recharged by opening the second half on a 14-4 run to grab the lead and prompting a Bulldog timeout to talk things over. The height of excitement occurred midway through the frame as a wild series of dunks, blocks, and steals lined up back to back. Daejon Davis knocked down a mid-range jumper at the third quarter buzzer to give his team a 51-49 lead heading into the final quarter.
The Bulldogs held a marginal lead into the final minutes of the contest until Keith Smith buried a clutch three late to tie the ballgame at 61 apiece. Garfield struck back to gain the lead for the final time and a Terrell Brown steal put a bow on it. The Bulldogs tie the season series 1-1 and hoist the hardware. Coach Bethea said the rivalry between these teams, “Is basically like going back in time, like a throwback to how it used to be. And that is when basketball is at its best.” The anticipation for the next round is building.
The Final Score
Garfield 65, Rainier Beach 63.
Top Performers:
Garfield
Jaylen Nowell- 25 points
Rainier Beach
Sam Cunliffe- 23 points