Newport jumps out to early lead against Mount Vernon, Advances to Regionals

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Tuesday- Feb. 19 -2013- 4A NW District
Newport HS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Mount Vernon 13 14 13 15 55
Newport 24 10 14 18 66

Newport jumps out to early lead against Mount Vernon, Advances to Regionals
By Colin Caruso 

Newport hosted the final play-in game for 4A boys basketball, a contest between the Newport Knights and the Mount Vernon Bulldogs.  Both student sections kept the energy level high throughout the contest, creating a great basketball atmosphere in this elimination game.

Newport jumped all over the visiting Bulldogs in the first quarter with their team speed and quickness.  Knights senior Miles Fowler was nailing shots from the perimeter as well as getting to the bucket, leading his team with 11 points in a 24 point opening quarter from the Knights.

Mount Vernon slowed the pace in the second, neutralizing Newport’s quickness by exhausting the shot clock and executing well offensively.  Junior Miles Witt for the Bulldogs piled in 10 points in the first half, who cut the Newport lead to just seven going into halftime, 34-27.

Mount Vernon continued to battle early in the second half, cutting the lead to just two points early in the third.  But the game took a turn in favor of Newport with 4:25 left in the third, on an excellent steal and emphatic dunk by Isaac Dotson to go up six.  The Knights built their lead to as many as 14 from there, behind 12 points in the fourth quarter by junior Will Ferris.

Newport closed the contest with an 11 point win and advances to the regional round of the state tournament to play Eastmont on Saturday in Wenatchee.

Click here for Radio Game Recap

Top Performers:
Mount Vernon
Casey Leek (13 points, 7 rebounds)
Andrew Roozen (8 points, 7 rebounds)

Newport
Will Ferris (19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals)
Isaac Dotson (17)
Miles Fowler (15 points)

Varsity Hoops Live – Mount Vernon vs. Newport Highlights

Girls- Lake Stevens spoils home court advantage for Newport, advances to Regional Round of 16

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Tuesday- Feb. 19 -2013- 4A NW District
Newport HS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Lake Stevens 13 15 9 11 48
Newport-Bellevue 15 7 8 13 43

Girls- Lake Stevens spoils home court advantage for Newport,
advances to Regional Round of 16
By Colin Caruso 

To secure the final spot in the 16 team regional tournament, the Lake Stevens Vikings traveled to Newport to play the Newport Knights.  Lake Stevens’ band brought unbelievable noise, playing the likes of Led Zeppelin and Kansas to pump up the crowd for the win.  Unfortunately for Newport, it seemed to do the job and ignited Lake Stevens, whose offense responded early led by senior Brooke Pahukoa.  Pahukoa contributed twelve points and three steals in the first half for the Vikings.

The undersized Vikings did an excellent job of reading passing lanes, accounting for 13 steals in the first half.  Their defense was spacious at times in pursuing the steal, allowing easy layups for junior Casey Schoenlein, who filled the box score in the first half with four points, six rebounds, and five blocks.

The game remained within single digits the entire first half, with Lake Stevens carrying a six point lead into halftime.

Defense was the focal point for both teams coming out of the locker room.  Both teams stifling defense contributed to the lowest scoring quarter of the contest with only 17 total points scored in the third.  Lake Stevens took a seven point lead into the final quarter.

Newport began their comeback midway through the fourth, with back to back threes by Kaitlin Sahlinger and Laura Moretti to cut the Lake Stevens lead to just three with 5:24 remaining.  A layup by Anna Crabtree for the Knights three minutes later cut the lead to one with 2:21 remaining, the closest Newport had been since the second quarter.

But Brooke Pahukoa stepped up again for the Vikings, going 4-4 on free-throws in the final minute to secure a 48-43 win for Lake Stevens.  The Vikings now advance to state and face Davis on Friday in Wenatchee at 8PM.

Top Performers:
Lake Stevens
Brooke Pahukoa (22 points, 6 steals)
Brittney Pahukoa (9 points, 7 steals, 4 rebounds)

Newport
Casey Schoenlein (4 points, 10 rebounds, 8 blocks)
Marikah Wright (6 points, 7 rebounds)

Lincoln wins West Central District Championship on Late Free-Throws, beats Timberline by One

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Monday- Feb. 18 -2013- 3A West Central District
ShoWare Ctr. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Lincoln 10 15 17 10 52
Timberline 12 14 11 14 51

Lincoln wins West Central District Championship on Late Free-Throws,
Beats Timberline by One
By Colin Caruso 

With a strong crowd at the ShoWare Center, the Timberline Blazers took on the Lincoln Abes for the 3A West Central District Boys Title.  Timberline played a 2-3 zone throughout the first quarter, limiting the Lincoln penetration and forcing the Abes to shoot deep three point shots.  Lincoln missed all five of their three point tries in the first and the Blazers took a 12-10 lead into the second behind four points and three rebounds from junior Donaven Dorsey.

Lincoln came out in the second with great defensive intensity, forced two quick turnovers and scored five transition points to take their first lead of the ballgame at 15-12.  The Blazers answered behind six points in the quarter from Dorsey, to reclaim the lead going into the half, 26-25.

Despite seven turnovers for the Abes in the third, Lincoln was able to capitalize off of four offensive rebounds to score 17 points in the quarter.  The Abes began to play a 1-2-2 zone on the defensive side, forced five turnovers of their own and held Timberline to just 11 quarter points, nine of which from Dorsey.  Lincoln took a 42-37 lead into the fourth.

Timberline started the final quarter with a 6-1 run to tie the game at 43 with 5:00 to play.  The teams exchanged baskets for the next two minutes, until Dorsey hit a layup to put the Blazers up one, 49-48 with 2:30 left.

Amaad Rorie answered for the Abes with a baseline three with 1:15 remaining to put the Abes up two.  Sophomore guard Brandell Evans responded for the Blazers, hitting a driving layup to tie the game again with 42 seconds remaining, 51-51.

On Lincoln’s next possession, Rorie missed a floater in the lane but the rebound went to Abe senior Tre-Shaun Fletcher and he was fouled on the put back.  He made one of two free-throws to take a one point lead with 19 seconds remaining.

Timberline drew up a final play on a full timeout, but the attempt was blocked by Fletcher to secure the win for the Abes. Lincoln captures the 3A West Central District Championship.

Top Performers:
Lincoln
Tre’Shaun Fletcher (21 points, 11 rebounds)
Amaad Rorie (13 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals)
Ar’Mond Davis (10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals)

Timberline
Donaven Dorsey (25 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals)
Brandell Evans (12 points, 4 steals)

Girls- Wilson dominates Prairie in West Central Southwest District Final

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Monday- Feb. 18 -3A- West Central District
ShoWare Ctr. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Wilson 13 23 10 22 68
Prairie 13 13 10 6 42

Girls- Wilson dominates Prairie in West Central Southwest District Final
By Colin Caruso 

With a noisy crowd in attendance at the ShoWare Center in Kent, the Prairie Falcons took on the Wilson Lady Rams in the West Central District Championship game.  In a matchup of two top ten teams in state, this game was bound to come down to the wire.

Prairie began the contest with a full court box press and a 2-3 zone defense, forcing four Wilson turnovers in the quarter and slowing down the fast-paced Ram offense.  However, Wilson was able to capitalize on second chance baskets, snagging five offensive rebounds in the quarter.  Senior Tia Briggs for the Rams grabbed three of those offensive rebounds and scored six points to lead the Rams to a 13 point quarter and a tie game after the first.

Wilson began to find seams in the Prairie 2-3 zone early in the second, leading to open looks from three and uncontested layups.  The Rams exploded for 23 points in the quarter, led again by Briggs with six more of her own.

The Prairie zone started to find its groove early in the third quarter, forcing four turnovers on Wilson’s first four possessions and turning those turnovers into five quick points.  However, Wilson’s defense tightened up after allowing the transition baskets, and only allowed five more points in the last 5:42 of the quarter.  Wilson took a 46-36 lead into the fourth.

The Rams took over early in the final quarter, starting on a 15-2 run and extending their lead to as many as 26.  Prairie had no answer for Wilson sophomore Kapri Morrow in the fourth; she led the Rams with eight points in the quarter and also grabbed two rebounds and a steal.  Wilson won the final quarter 22-6, and took the West Central District title with a 68-42 win.

Top Performers:
Wilson
Bethany Montgomery (18 points, 3 steals, 2 blocks)
Tia Briggs (16 points, 9 rebounds)
Kapri Morrow (14 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals)

Prairie
Cori Woodward (16 points, 4 rebounds)
Aislinn Konig (11 points, 3 steals)

Girls- Mount Rainier jumps on Todd Beamer early, wins West Central District Title by 18

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Monday- Feb. 18 -3A- West Central District
ShoWare Ctr. 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Todd Beamer 2 9 11 11 33
Mount Rainier 14 10 11 16 51

Girls- Mount Rainier jumps on Todd Beamer early, wins West Central District Title by 18
By Colin Caruso 

In the 4A Girls West Central District championship game, the Todd Beamer Titans were matched up against the #1 ranked Mount Rainier Rams.  Mount Rainier dominated the first, not allowing a basket until 14 seconds left in the quarter.   Offensively, junior Brittany McPhee was able to completely control the game, leading the Rams with 10 points in the quarter to take a 14-2 lead into the second.

The Beamer offense opened up in the second, scoring nine points and reaching double digits on the game.  Jordan McPhee led all scorers in the quarter with six points on two three pointers, and Mount Rainier took a 13 point lead into the half, 24-11.

Brittany McPhee had another strong quarter in the third, with seven points and two rebounds.  Todd Beamer began to execute better offensively, only turning the ball over twice in the quarter and matching Mount Rainier’s quarter total with 11 points.  Mount Rainier led 35-22 heading into the fourth.

The 11 point lead for the Rams at the end of three was extended to as many as 20 points in the fourth.  Todd Beamer was forced to double team Brittany McPhee, which opened up passing lanes and shooters.  Brittany still scored seven points in the quarter off the double team, and Mount Rainier won the district title 51-33.

Top Performers:
Todd Beamer
Nia Alexander (13 points, 7 rebounds)
Quinessa Caylao-Do (12 points, 4 steals)

Mount Rainier
Brittany McPhee (26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 steals)
Jordan McPhee (13 points, 2 steals)

State Regionals-
Complete Game Schedules

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Boys and Girls Schedules


Girls Basketball Regionals by Classification

Girls Regionals
Friday, February 22, 2013

4A Girls
4A Girls Regional Bracket

3A Girls
3A Girls Regional Bracket

2A Girls
2A Girls Regional Bracket

1A Girls
1A Girls Regional Bracket

2B Girls
2B Girls Regional Bracket

1B Girls
1B Girls Regional Bracket


Boys Basketball Regionals by Classification

Boys Regionals
Saturday, February 23, 2013

4A Boys
4A Boys Regional Bracket

3A Boys
3A Boys Regional Bracket

2A Boys
2A Boys Regional Bracket

1A Boys
1A Boys Regional Bracket

2B Boys
2B Boys Regional Bracket

1B Boys
1B Boys Regional Bracket

Lakeside shocks Rainier Beach, wins 3A Sea-King District Championship

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Saturday- Feb. 16 2013 – 3A – SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Lakeside 15 20 18 19 72
Rainier Beach 18 22 8 17 65


Lakeside Freshman Isiah Brown


Lakeside shocks Rainier Beach, wins 3A Sea-King District Championship
By Colin Caruso

With Los Angeles Clipper Jamaal Crawford in the house, Rainier Beach faced off against the Lakeside Lions in the Sea-King district final.  The gym was electric, with the Lakeside student section bringing the noise throughout the contest.

This was the third time these teams had met; once in the regular season where Beach won by 14 and the other in the Metro championship game where Beach won again.  Lakeside came out looking for the upset.

The Lions started the game on a six-zero run, but Beach responded immediately with a nine zero run of their own.  Senior Marquis Davis led the charge for the Vikings, scoring 10 points in the quarter and converting on all three of his three-point attempts.  Lakeside responded with a three pointer by junior Tramaine Isabell to cut the Beach lead to just three after one quarter, 18-15.

Both teams came out hot in the second, with Rainier Beach hitting four threes in the quarter and Lakeside hitting five.  Davis led the way for the Vikings again in the second with eight points, and Beach took a five point lead into half.

Coach Hobson must have focused on defense in the halftime talk with his players, because Lakeside came out with great defensive intensity in the third quarter.  They began by playing relentless defense on Marquis Davis, forcing the ball out of his hands and making another Viking beat them.

Lakeside gave up just eight points in the third to the Vikings, nearly matched by Isabell’s seven for the Lions.  Lakeside reclaimed the lead late in the third on a D’Marques Tyson layup and took a five point lead into the fourth, 53-48.

Both teams were in the bonus early in the fourth quarter, and the game essentially came down to a free-throw contest.  In the final quarter, Lakeside shot 13 for 19 from the line and Rainier Beach shot 9 for 19 from the line, four points that would have drastically changed the outcome of the game.

With 2:57 remaining in the fourth, Beach junior Naim Ladd tied the game at 59 with two free-throws.  Lakeside freshman Isiah Brown responded seven seconds later with two free-throws of his own, and Lakeside would never relinquish the lead from that point.  A laundry list of shooters for both teams came to the stripe, and Lakeside hit more down the stretch to win the 3A Sea-King District Championship, 72-65.  What a game!

Top Performers:
Lakeside
Tramaine Isabell (31 points, 4 steals, 4 rebounds)
D’Marques Tyson (16, 8 rebounds, 4 steals)
Isiah Brown (13 points)

Rainier Beach
Marquis Davis (23 points, 3 steals)
Djuan Piper (10 points, 7 rebounds)
Fuquan Niles (8 points, 7 rebounds)

Girls- Bellevue tops Mercer Island for fourth time this year, Capture Sea-King District Third Seed

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Saturday- Feb. 16 2013 – 3A – SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Bellevue 9 6 10 16 41
Mercer Island 5 12 7 11 35


Girls- Bellevue tops Mercer Island for 4th time this year,
Capture Sea-King District Third Seed
By Colin Caruso

In their fourth matchup of the season, the Bellevue Wolverines played the Mercer Island Islanders for the 3rd/4th seed in the Sea-King district.  Bellevue won all three matchups coming into this contest, and Mercer Island was looking for something to carry them past the Wolverines for the higher seed in regionals.

Because these two teams had seen each other so many times, both defenses were prepared for the offensive sets from their counterparts.  Both teams combined for 17 turnovers in the first, compared to just 14 points.  Bellevue took a 9-5 lead into the second.

Mercer Island started the second quarter on a 12-2 run, taking the lead over the Wolverines 17-11.  Bellevue responded with a three pointer from Erin McGowan and a one for two showing at the line from Tatiana Steun to cut the halftime lead to two, 17-15.

Capitalizing off of four offensive rebounds early in the third quarter, the Wolverines came back to tie the Islanders at 21.  Bellevue controlled the glass in the quarter and took a 25-24 lead into the fourth.

Both teams were in the bonus in the fourth quarter, and the final few minutes of the ballgame came down to free-throw execution.  Bellevue had a seven point cushion late in the fourth, but failed to convert from the line, allowing Mercer Island to cut the lead to one.

The Wolverines responded, with a late basket from freshman Shelby Cansler and a pair of free-throws from junior Erin McGowan to win by six, 41-35.

Top Performers:
Bellevue
Shelby Cansler (19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 steals)
Tatiana Steun (7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals)

Mercer Island
Rachael Tessem (9 points, 6 rebounds)
Renae Tessem (4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals)

4A Tournament- Who rules the 4A Boys Classification?

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Jason Kerr- Franklin Head Coach

A Glance at the Recent History of State Champions
By Colin Caruso

Was anyone else aware that the Ferris boys have played in the boys basketball 4A state final four times in the past 12 years?  An amazing feat for Don Van Lierop and the Saxons, who are looking to make another trip to Tacoma this year while starting with a 7-3 record.  Ferris won the championship in 2007 and 2008, and lost in the final game in 2001 and 2002.  No other team has reached the championship game more than twice in the previous 12 years.  Ferris has unquestionably built the strongest 21st century resume in 4A boys basketball.

Although Ferris has put their mark on the 4A tournament since 2000, other schools have won the tournament twice, similar to the Saxons.  These schools include Franklin, winners in 2006 and 2003, and Lincoln, winners in 2002 and 2001.  Franklin is an increasingly interesting situation, as they repeatedly send players to D1 schools, and have won the state championship in both 4A and 3A under coach Jason Kerr (the Quakers won the 3A state title in 2009).  In 3A this year they are currently ranked 5th in the state with a 9-2 record.

In more recent championship memories, the state runner-up last year is looking to make a repeat trip to the final game this year.  Rick Sloan’s Central Valley Bears are currently 10-0 overall and 8-0 in the Greater Spokane League.  One school chasing them in league play, the Gonzaga Prep Bullpups, won the title back in 2011 and are 8-2 overall with a 7-1 record in league play.

This year’s 4A state tournament will be as compelling as any tournament in the past.  Don’t miss any of the action, as the next Champion is crowned on March 2nd in Tacoma!

Girls- Cleveland sneaks by Seattle Prep and wins Sea-King 3A District Title

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Saturday- Feb. 16 2013 – 3A – SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Prep 6 6 15 9 36
Cleveland 13 8 4 12 37


Girls- Cleveland sneaks by Seattle Prep and wins Sea-King 3A District Title
By Colin Caruso

In a rematch of the Metro championship, the Seattle Prep Panthers faced off against the Cleveland Eagles.  Cleveland began the game on a 13-4 run, controlling the pace of play and executing in transition.  The Eagles stifling defense held the Panthers to just six points in the quarter, and Cleveland took a 13-6 lead into the second.

The Panthers still couldn’t get their offense on track in the second quarter.  Six turnovers in the period for the Panthers and again they scored just six points; give the credit to the full court defense by the Eagles and not allowing Prep to use their size in the interior.  Cleveland also struggled from the field in the second, committing five turnovers and making just two shots.  Cleveland took a 21-12 lead into halftime.

The seal was removed from the basket for the Panthers in the third.  Prep controlled the quarter and outscored the Eagles 15-4, crashing the offensive glass and capitalizing on second chance points.  The Panthers zone began to cause Cleveland problems, forcing the Eagles into deeper contested shots that did not fall.  Senior Holly Tonry led the comeback for the Panthers with a quarter high six points.  Prep took their first lead of the game on a three by junior Mary Ann Santucci, and closed the quarter ahead 27-25.

The final quarter was close throughout, with the lead changing hands multiple times.  Prep struggled again from the field, making only two shots in the quarter, both from Tonry.  Cleveland snagged the lead from the Panthers with a free-throw from Myzhanique Ladd, 35-34 with 1:46 remaining.  Prep answered with two free-throws from senior Michaela Carew, taking the lead back with 13 seconds to play.  Ladd drove on the final Eagle possession, got fouled and went back to the line.  She sunk both free-throws with five seconds left and closed out the contest, 37-36.

Top Performers:
Seattle Prep
Holly Tonry (11 points, 3 steals)
Quinn Glosniak (6 points, 8 rebounds)
Mary Ann Santucci (7 points, 3 blocks, 3 rebounds, 3 steals)

Cleveland
Makayla Roper (13 points)
Jayde Christopher (7 points, 4 steals)
Myzhanique Ladd (9 points)

Seattle Prep explodes in the second half, advances to regionals

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Saturday- Feb. 16 2013 – 3A – SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Prep 7 18 25 22 72
Eastside Catholic 16 7 13 14 50


Seattle Prep explodes in the second half, advances to regionals
By Colin Caruso

In this loser out, winner to regional game, the Seattle Prep Panthers matched up against the Eastside Catholic Crusaders.  The electricity in the gym picked up in the first quarter, and Eastside responded with an early 16-7 lead.  Sophomore Mandrell Worthy led all scorers with eight points in the quarter and converted twice on and-ones.

Back to back threes for Panther sophomore Jack Stewart and eight straight points from senior DJ Fenner sprang Prep into the lead 21-18 in the second.  Eastside responded with five straight points from senior Austin Soukup, but Fenner was too much for the Crusaders in the quarter, finishing with 12 points.  Prep led 25-23 at the half.

The Prep offense exploded coming out of the locker room.  Six Panthers scored in the third, led by Stewart who had nine of the team’s 25.  Eastside could not find a way to stop the Panthers defensively, and Prep took a 14 point lead into the fourth.

The hoop resembled the Pacific Ocean for the Panthers in the fourth.  Fenner poured in another 12 points, which led the Panthers to a 22 point quarter.  Worthy for the Crusaders did his best to match, putting up eight in the final frame for Eastside.  But the game was in Prep’s hands by this point, and the Panthers ended the Crusader season with a 72-50 win.

Top Performers:
Seattle Prep
DJ Fenner (33 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks)
Jack Stewart (15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals)
Laurence Hicks (8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals)

Eastside Catholic
Mandrell Worthy (21 points, 8 rebounds)
Austin Soukup (15 points)
Max Hudgins (10 points, 2 steals)

Mercer Island jumps out early against Franklin, secures third place in Sea-King district

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Saturday- Feb. 16 -2013- 3A SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Mercer Island 19 13 18 12 62
Franklin 10 11 13 14 48

Mercer Island jumps out early against Franklin,
secures third place in Sea-King District
By Colin Caruso 

In a rematch of the district elimination game last year, the Mercer Island Islanders faced off against the Franklin Quakers for the 3rd/4th place seed in the regional bracket coming out of the Sea-King District.  Last year’s contest ended in a 63-61 Mercer Island win, ending Franklin’s season.

The game began with a frantic pace, both teams ran the floor well and capitalized on quick transition buckets.  Behind nine points from senior Nick Nordale, the Islanders took a 19-10 lead into the second quarter.

Nordale and the Islanders kept up the offensive pressure in the second.  Nordale put in another six points in the quarter and went into the half as the game’s leading scorer with 15 points.  The early game time seemed to catch Franklin by surprise, as Mercer Island controlled the pace and slowed down the Quaker offense throughout the half.  The Islanders took a 32-21 lead into the break.

The Islanders began the third on an 8-1 run to take the lead 40-22, with senior Joe Rasmussen scoring five of the eight for Mercer Island, converting on his first three of the ballgame.  Franklin put a small dent in the Islander lead by the end of the quarter, but Mercer Island took a 50-34 lead into the fourth.

With a sixteen point lead going into the final period, Mercer Island slowed down the game and exhausted the shot clock.  Franklin was unable to bring the game within 12 points in the final period, and Mercer Island captured the 3rd seed in the Sea-King district with a 62-48 win.

Top Performers:
Mercer Island
Nick Nordale (23 points)
Joe Rasmussen (21 points, 7 rebounds)

Franklin
Arell Hennings (12 points)
Eugene Artison (6 points, 6 rebounds)
Tim McMillon (9 points)

Girls- Holy Names squeezes past Juanita and advances to regionals

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Saturday- Feb. 16 Girls -3A- SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Holy Names 11 6 21 17 55
Juanita 8 14 14 12 48

Girls- Holy Names squeezes past Juanita and advances to regionals
By Colin Caruso 

In the girls win and in game of the day at Bellevue College, the Juanita Lady Rebels faced off against the Holy Names Cougars with a trip to regionals to the winner.

Despite six turnovers from the Cougars, Holy Names was able to gather themselves offensively and take an 11-8 lead into the second.  Holy Names distributed the ball well and shared the scoring responsibilities, with five Cougars scoring in the first.

The turnovers piled up for Holy Names in the second and Juanita was able to convert those turnovers into easy baskets.  Nine turnovers for the Cougars led to 14 points for the Lady Rebels, who had six players score in the quarter.  Holy Names was unable to find an answer offensively, only scoring six points in the quarter to go down 22-17 at the break.

Sophomore Janessa Willie led the Holy Names comeback in the third, with a personal 9-2 run on three three-pointers to take the lead by two.  Juanita answered with a jumper, but junior Cici West for the Cougars finished on an amazing alley-oop layup to put the Cougars up two at the end of the third quarter, 38-36.

The beginning of the fourth saw back and forth lead changes until Willie hit another three to put Holy Names ahead 48-44 with 3:44 to play.  Camariah King finished on a three point play two minutes later to extend the Holy Names lead to seven.  Juanita could not close the gap as the quarter wound down, and Holy Names sealed the victory, 55-48.

Top Performers:
Holy Names
Janessa Willie (19 points, 3 steals)
Cici West (15 points, 10 rebounds)
Casey Pelz (4 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals)

Juanita
Mikayla Jones (14 points, 3 steals)
Jaisa Nunn (9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks)
Winnie Levitt (6 points, 7 rebounds)
Mary Carter (6 points, 4 steals)

Todd Beamer handles Tahoma,
wins by 18

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Friday- Feb. 15 -4A- West Central District
Mt. Tahoma 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Tahoma 13 10 12 20 55
Todd Beamer 16 15 20 22 73

Todd Beamer handles Tahoma, wins by 18
By Colin Caruso 

The crowd was ready for this matchup between the Todd Beamer Titans and the Tahoma Bears, with a trip to regionals on the line.  Both teams executed well offensively in the first quarter, running half court sets against man to man defense that resulted in baskets.  Tahoma junior Coleman Woot filled up the stat sheet for the Bears in the quarter, with four points and six rebounds, but they trailed after one 16-13.

Beamer began their full court press in the second, trapping the Bears and forcing three early quarter turnovers.  The Titans extended their lead to as many as ten in the second behind eight points from sophomore guard Charles Frazier.  But Tahoma cut that lead to eight at the end of two, 31-23.

Coming out of the break, Todd Beamer continued to put offensive pressure on Tahoma, with back to back threes by Juwan Flowers to extend the Titan lead to 12.  Bogdon Bliznyuk contributed to the Beamer pull-away, scoring six points and pulling down five rebounds in the quarter.  Tahoma had a difficult time controlling their defensive glass in the quarter, allowing four offensive rebounds and six points off second chance baskets.

The game opened up offensively in the fourth, with the teams combining for 42 points.  Beamer pulled in front by as many as 21, and ended up closing out the contest by 18, 73-55.

Top Performers:
Tahoma
DeShon Williams (22 points, 7 rebounds)
Coleman Woot (12 points, 13 rebounds)
Paul Lorenger (9 points, 8 rebounds)

Todd Beamer
Trey Burch-Manning (19 points)
Bogdon Bliznyuk (19 points, 7 rebounds)
Juwan Flowers (13 points, 6 rebounds)

Bellarmine Prep gets by Federal Way, advances to regionals

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Friday- Feb. 15 -4A- WC SW District
Mt. Tahoma 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Federal Way 10 15 6 15 46
Bellarmine Prep 12 12 14 10 48


Bellarmine Prep gets by Federal Way, advances to regionals
By Colin Caruso

In a great atmosphere at Mount Tahoma gym, the Bellarmine Prep Lions faced off against the Federal Way Eagles with a trip to regionals on the line in the West Central/Southwest District match-up.  Both teams came out evenly matched and neither team built a lead greater than two points in the first quarter.  Bellarmine Prep senior Sefo Liufau led the way for the Lions with five points and five rebounds in the quarter to take a two point lead into the second.

Federal Way began to use more zone defense in the second quarter, mixing in a 2-3 and a 1-3-1 to try and break up Bellarmine’s rhythm.  The defensive scheme seemed to catch the Lions off guard, and the Eagles forced six turnovers in the quarter and took a 25-24 lead into the half.  Brayon Blake led the comeback for the Eagles with six points in the second.

Behind two three-pointers in the third from seniors Isaiah Flynn and Carson Hollyoak, Bellarmine captured their biggest lead in the game 38-31 with 1:44 remaining in the third.  Despite turning the ball over six times to Federal Way’s two, Bellarmine played excellent half court man defense to hold Federal way to just six third quarter points.  The Lions took a seven point lead to the fourth.

Federal Way began their comeback early in the final quarter, cutting the lead to just two on a free-throw from sophomore Malik Montoya with 3:42 remaining.  Lucas Meikle for the Lions answered with two free-throws of his own, but Brayon Blake responded with a layup and a one for two showing from the line to cut the lead to just one.  Bellarmine added free-throws from Jacob Salazar to extend the lead and eventually closed out the contest with a win, 48-46.

It was a great game to watch.

Top Performers:
Federal Way
Malik Montoya (16 points, 4 rebounds)
Brayon Blake (14, 6 rebounds)

Bellarmine Prep
Lucas Meikle (13 points, 7 rebounds)
Sefo Liufau (10 points, 10 rebounds)

Lakeside takes control in second quarter, tops Mercer Island

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Thursday- Feb. 14 2013 – 3A – SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Lakeside 12 25 13 18 68
Mercer Island 22 9 13 17 61


Lakeside takes control in second quarter, tops Mercer Island
By Colin Caruso

In an electric atmosphere in the first semifinal game of the day at Bellevue College, the Mercer Island Islanders took on the Lakeside Lions for a trip to the Sea-King District Final.  Mercer Island came out hot in the first, starting the game on a 13-2 run while capitalizing on three Lion turnovers.  Lakeside could not break into Mercer Island’s 2-3 and 1-3-1 zone, and Mercer Island took a 22-12 lead into the second.

Mercer Island moved into a man to man defense in the second, which allowed Lakeside to heat up from the field.  The Lions went on a 25-6 run in the quarter behind three three-pointers from Tremaine Isabell.  Lakeside took their first lead with 1:52 remaining in the second on an lob dunk from D’Marques Tyson.  Isabell added a pair of free-throws and a layup to take a 37-31 lead into halftime.

Mercer Island came out after the break and matched Lakeside’s intensity on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.  Senior Kaleb Warner knocked down three mid-range jump shots and senior Joe Rasmussen added seven points of his own to lead the Islanders in the quarter.  But Lakeside senior Peter French kept the Lions in front with four offensive rebounds in the quarter and three put-back layups.  Both teams scored 13 in the third and Lakeside took a six point lead into the fourth.

Lakeside continued to keep their foot on the gas in the final quarter.  Six points from Isabell and four points from both Tyson and senior AJ Adekoya were too much for the Islanders to surmount.  Islander senior Kaleb Warner tried to keep his team in the contest with eight points in the quarter, but Lakeside’s 13 point lead with 1:18 to play was too much for Mercer Island, and the Lions closed the contest with a 68-61 win.

Next Match-ups:
Lakeside vs. Rainier Beach- Sea-King District Final
Saturday – 6:30 PM at Bellevue College.
Mercer Island vs. Franklin- 3rd/4th place game
Saturday – 11:30 AM at Bellevue College.

Top Performers:
Lakeside
Tremaine Isabell (27)
D’Marques Tyson (19)

Mercer Island
Kaleb Warner (24)
Joe Rasmussen (14, 8 rebounds)

Rainier Beach handles Franklin, Advances to Sea-King District Final against Lakeside

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Thursday- Feb. 14 2013 – 3A – SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Franklin 7 9 14 15 45
Rainier Beach 15 12 12 20 59


Rainier Beach handles Franklin,
Advances to Sea-King District Final against Lakeside
By Colin Caruso

In their third matchup of the season, Franklin faced off against Rainier Beach for a trip to the Sea-King Final against Lakeside. Rainier Beach won the first two matchups of the season, but Franklin came in looking for the upset.

The first quarter was a quarter of runs. Rainier Beach scored the first five points of the game, but Franklin responded with the next seven to take the lead 7-5. Beach came back, sparked by senior Marquis Davis’ six points in the quarter, to score the final ten of the first to take a 15-7 lead.

Franklin stayed toe to toe with the Vikings in the second quarter, limiting Rainier Beach’s quickness and fast break opportunities. Franklin did a good job of controlling the pace but Beach’s 2-3 zone was stifling and allowed just nine points in the quarter. Rainier Beach had the lead 27-16 at halftime.

The Quakers came out with a much needed strong third quarter, looking to close the gap against the Vikings. Franklin started the third on a 9-3 run, putting the pressure back on the Rainier Beach. The Vikings responded, led by Davis with six more in the third. Franklin outscored Beach in the quarter 14-13, but trailed 39-30 going into the fourth.

Despite the defensive intensity picking up in the final quarter, both teams exploded for their highest quarter point totals of the game. Beach extended their lead to as many as 17, led in the quarter by senior Jordan King with ten points. The Vikings closed out the contest 59-45, advancing to the Sea-King District Final against Lakeside, a rematch of the Metro final that Beach won 69-61.

Next Opponents:
Lakeside vs. Rainier Beach- Sea-King District Final
Saturday – 6:30 PM at Bellevue College.

Mercer Island vs. Franklin- 3rd/4th place game
Saturday – 11:30 AM at Bellevue College.

Top Performers:
Franklin
Eugene Artison (11)
Patrick Ball (9)

Rainier Beach
Marquis Davis (14)
Jordan King (12)

Lakeside goes 3-1 against Seattle Prep on the season, advances to state

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Lakeside goes 3-1 against Seattle Prep on the season, advances to state
By Colin Caruso 

Tuesday- Feb. 12 -2013- 3A SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Lakeside 13 7 8 22 50
Seattle Prep 8 10 15 15 48

In their fourth matchup this year, the Seattle Prep Panthers took on the Lakeside Lions with a berth to state at stake.  The crowd was electric for this Metro contest in a SeaKing District match-up.

Seattle Prep jumped on Lakeside defensively and forced seven turnovers in the first quarter but could not capitalize off their defensive pressure.  Lakeside built a 7-6 lead and added two more uncontested layups by junior Tremaine Isabell to go up 11-6; they closed the quarter up 13-8.

Both teams came out cold to start the second, combining for only 17 points in the quarter.  Prep came back to take the lead on a DJ Fenner basket with 3:38 remaining in the second, 16-15.  But Lakeside scored five of the last seven points to go into halftime with the lead, 20-18.

Prep started the third quarter on a 9-2 run to take the lead back from the Lions, 27-22.  The teams exchanged baskets for the remainder of the quarter, and Prep took a 33-28 lead into the fourth.

Lakeside came out hot in the fourth, with two baskets in the first minute to cut the Panther lead to one.  The Lions added three pointers from D’Marques Tyson and Matthew Poplawski to take a four point lead with 4:39 remaining, 38-34.

Prep continued to battle, cutting the lead to two with 1:14 remaining on a three pointer by senior Jack Roger.  Isabell for the Lions answered from the free-throw line, hitting three of four in the final minute to secure a Lion victory, 50-48.

With the win, Lakeside secures a trip to state and will play Mercer Island at 3pm at Bellevue College on Thursday.  The Panthers will play will play O’Dea in a loser out game at Bellevue College on Friday at 3pm.

Leading Scorers:
Lakeside
Tremaine Isabell (18)
Matthew Poplawski (10, 5 rebounds)

Seattle Prep
DJ Fenner (15)
Laurence Hicks (10)

theFinalScore.TV’s Highlights

Mercer Island squeaks by O’Dea, advances to state

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Mercer Island squeaks by O’Dea, advances to state
By Colin Caruso 

Tuesday- Feb. 12 -2013- 3A SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Mercer Island 10 8 19 7 44
O'Dea 11 13 12 6 42

In an almost packed house at Bellevue College, the #1 seed from KingCo took on the #5 seed from Metro for a guaranteed trip to state.  Both teams came out fundamentally sound, minimizing turnovers, playing good lock down defense, and converting on open looks.  Four players scored for each team, and the O’Dea Fighting Irish took an 11-10 lead into the second.

O’Dea started the second on a 11-1 run in the first 2:25 minutes of the quarter, forcing the Mercer Island Islanders to switch from man to man defense to a 2-3 zone.  Mercer Island answered by forcing four turnovers in the quarter and converting on additional scoring chances from the offensive glass.  O’Dea went into halftime with a 24-18 lead.

Mercer Island began to heat up in the second half, hitting three three-pointers in the third quarter, two by senior Nick Nordale.  O’Dea answered on the interior, with driving layups by Tyler Kidd and Jacob Lampkin.  However, Mercer Island was too much for the Irish offensively in the third, outscoring them 19-12 in the quarter and taking a 37-36 lead into the fourth as Nordale hit a deep two from the corner as time expired.

O’Dea came out strong early in the fourth quarter, taking a 42-40 lead with 3:06 to play.  Unfortunately, O’Dea would not score again in the contest.  Turnovers plagued the Irish down the stretch, coughing up the ball seven times in the final period.

Caleb Warner made the last two buckets for the Islanders in the final 2:20 of the contest to take the lead 44-42.  Neither team scored again after Warner’s baskets and the Islanders squeaked by Metro’s five seed, 44-42.

Mercer Island has now stamped their ticket to state and will play Lakeside at Bellevue College Thursday Afternoon at 3:00 pm.  O’Dea will face off against Seattle Prep in a loser out game on Friday at 3:00 pm.

Leading Scorers:
Mercer Island
Kaleb Warner (12)
Nick Nordale (11 & 4 steals)
Joe Rasmussen (11 & 6 rebounds)

O’Dea
Tyler Kidd (13)
Jacob Lampkin (10)

Girls- Bellevue tops Franklin, advance to state

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Girls- Bellevue tops Franklin, advance to state
By Colin Caruso 

Tuesday- Feb. 12 -2013- Girls 3A SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Bellevue 12 16 12 22 62
Franklin 10 7 8 19 44

Bellevue faced off against Franklin at Bellevue College, with the winner receiving an automatic trip to state.  Bellevue turned the ball over nine times in the first quarter but was still able to maintain the lead behind six points from freshman Shelby Cansler.  Franklin senior Raven Burleson kept them in the contest with two three pointers in the first to cut the Wolverine lead to two, 12-10.

In the second quarter, the Wolverines were able to control the interior, led by freshman Mackenzie Keeter with six points.  The Wolverine defense forced six Quaker turnovers and only allowed seven points in the second quarter.  Bellevue extended their lead to 28-17 at the half.

Bellevue’s defense was again stifling in the third, allowing only eight points and forcing six more turnovers.  Five Wolverines scored in the quarter to extend their lead to 40-25 at the end of the third.

The offenses for both teams took over in the fourth quarter, with both teams exploding for a combined 41 points in the period.  Bellevue never let the game get closer than 15 points in the fourth, holding on to the lead they built in the first three quarters.  Seven Wolverines scored in the fourth as Bellevue won 62-44.

Bellevue will now face Seattle Prep at Bellevue College on Thursday at 4:45 pm.  Franklin will face Holy Names in a loser out game on Friday at Bellevue College at 4:45 pm.

Leading Scorers:
Bellevue
Mandy Steward (16)
Shelby Cansler (14, 6 steals)

Franklin
Jazmin Horne (14)
Raven Burleson (13)

Girls- Seattle Prep takes fourth straight from Holy Names, advances to state

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Girls- Seattle Prep takes fourth straight from Holy Names, advances to state
By Colin Caruso 

Tuesday- Feb. 12 -2013- Girls 3A SeaKing District
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Preparatory 15 10 11 16 52
Holy Names 7 12 15 12 46

In the three o’clock game at Bellevue College, the winner with a guaranteed birth to state, the Seattle Prep Panthers took on the Holy Names Cougars for the fourth time this season.  Prep had won every contest during the regular season, and started the game with similar confidence.  The Panthers started on an 8-0 run in the first 3:56 of the game.  Holy Names responded with five straight, but Prep held on to their lead and closed the quarter up 15-7.

Holy Names began to extend their defense in the second quarter, pressing full court and forcing the Panthers to spend more time bringing the ball up the floor.  The Cougars stifling defense forced nine turnovers in the second quarter and they only allowed 10 points.  However, Holy Names was unable to capitalize regularly off the turnovers, going into the half down 25-19.

Holy Names came out with great intensity in the third quarter, pushing the ball up the floor and creating open looks through dribble penetration.  The Cougars outscored the Panthers in the third quarter 15-11 to cut the Panther lead to just two going into the fourth, 36-34.

The Cougars scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 36, the first tie since the beginning of the game.  Prep responded with an immediate 12-2 run, seven of which came from senior Holly Tonry.  The lead was too much for Holy Names to surmount, and Prep won their fourth matchup of the season against the Cougars, 52-46.

Prep has a guaranteed berth to state and will face Bellevue at Bellevue College on Thursday at 4:45 pm.  Holy Names will play Franklin on Friday at 4:45 pm at Bellevue College, winner to advance to the fifth place seed in state.

Leading Scorers:
Seattle Prep
Quinn Glosniak (15, 8 rebounds)
Holly Tonry (13, 6 rebounds, 4 steals)

Holy Names
Camariah King (15)
Janessa Willie (14)

Stanwood comes back from 11 down to beat Glacier Peak, advances to Wesco District final

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Stanwood comes back from 11 down to beat Glacier Peak, advances to Wesco District final
By Colin Caruso 

Saturday- Feb. 9 -2013- 3A District Semi-Final
Jackson High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Glacier Peak 17 16 14 11 58
Stanwood 6 17 19 20 62

Both schools brought a strong student section, to make a great atmosphere in the second district one semifinal matchup between Glacier Peak and Stanwood.  This was a rematch of their January 8th meeting where Stanwood irked out a 1 point win at home, 55-54.

Glacier Peak came out with relentless defensive intensity, forcing seven turnovers in the first quarter and only allowing six points.  Dreu Vader led the offensive charge for the Grizzlies, scoring eight in the quarter to take a 17-6 lead into the second.

Stanwood cleaned up their offense in the second quarter, did not turn the ball over, and capitalized on five offensive rebounds.  Ian Zipp of the Spartans had seven of his team’s 17 in the quarter, but was outmatched by Mitchl Pohrman’s ten for the Grizzlies.  Stanwood cut the Glacier Peak lead to 10 going into the half, 33-23.

Stanwood posted another turnover-less quarter in the third, while forcing four and capitalizing on those opportunities.  Junior Josh Thayer for the Spartans led all scorers in the quarter with eight, Stanwood was able to cut Glacier Peak’s lead to just five heading into the fourth, 47-42.

Both student sections remained electric throughout the contest, but they both picked up the energy in the fourth as the game came down to the wire.  Stanwood cut the Glacier Peak lead to just one with 5:42 left in the game.  The next three possessions resulted in turnovers, two for Glacier Peak, one for Stanwood.  After the turnover barrage, Stanwood senior Mason Garcea knocked down a three to take the lead 52-50, their first lead of the ballgame.

Senior Dreu Vader answered for the Grizzlies, scoring four points in a row to re-claim the lead with 2:26 to play, 58-57.  Stanwood junior Josh Thayer then responded with a driving layup to take the lead by one, 59-58.

On the next possession, Grizzly senior Ramsey Rosales elevated for a three-pointer and barely missed, the rebound going to Stanwood.  Garcea was fouled and stepped to the line and made one of two, resulting in a two point lead for the Spartans with 22 seconds left to play.  Glacier Peak’s next possession resulted in another three point opportunity that was right on target but missed short, the ball going out of bounds to Stanwood.

Stanwood senior Drew Sears was fouled on the inbound pass and made both free-throws, icing the game with a final of 62-58.

Stanwood and Mountlake Terrace face off next Saturday at 8:00 PM at Jackson High School for the District Championship.

Leading Scorers:
Glacier Peak
Dreu Vader (21)
Mitchl Pohrman (11)

Stanwood
Ian Zipp (16)
Josh Thayer (14)

Mountlake Terrace wins by 32, will face Stanwood in District One Championship

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Mountlake Terrace wins by 32, will face Stanwood in District One Championship
By Colin Caruso 

Saturday- Feb. 9 -2013- 3A District Semi-Final
Jackson High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Oak Harbor 7 4 6 15 32
Mountlake Terrace 26 20 8 10 64

In a great atmosphere at Jackson High, the Mountlake Terrace Hawks faced off against the Oak Harbor Wildcats in a semifinal matchup of the Wesco district tournament.  Mountlake Terrace jumped out to a quick 16-3 start in the first 4:19 of the quarter, controlling the offensive glass and the pace of play.  The run was fueled by six points from junior Greg Bowman, who also added four rebounds in the quarter.  Senior Marquis Armstead led the way for the Hawks, scoring 11 points in the quarter on 3 of 3 shooting from beyond the arc.

The second quarter wasn’t much better for the Wildcats. Mountlake Terrace controlled the offensive glass again, grabbing seven offensive rebounds in the quarter and finishing on easy put-back layups and dunks.  The Hawks also forced 13 turnovers in the first half, eight of them in the second quarter, to take a 46-11 halftime lead.

Coming out of the break, the Wildcats did a better job of ball movement and began to run solid half court sets.  Their aggressiveness put them in the bonus in the third, but they were unable to convert on their free-throw opportunities in the quarter.  In a low scoring third, Mountlake Terrace took a 54-17 lead into the fourth.

Oak Harbor came out in the fourth with their best quarter of the game, but the lead was too great for the Wildcats to make any feasible comeback.  They outscored the Hawks 15-10 in the quarter to lose 64-32.

The Hawks will face Stanwood next Saturday, right back here at Jackson High School for the District Championship at 8:00 PM.

Leading Scorers:
Oak Harbor
Dayne Herron (9)
Chris Hailer (8)

Mountlake Terrace
Greg Bowman (16 points, 14 rebounds)
Marquis Armstead (14)

Cleveland Wins a Nail Biter vs. Prep, Wins 3A Metro Title

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Friday- Feb. 8 -2013- Metro League Championship
Garfield High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Prep 11 7 13 9 40
Cleveland 8 14 14 7 43


Seattle Prep Senior Holly Tonry on the Dish


Cleveland Wins a Nail Biter vs. Prep, Wins 3A Metro Title
By Colin Caruso 

The stakes were high in a rematch of their December fifth meeting; the winner to take the #1 seed into the Sea-King district.  Cleveland topped Prep by five in their first contest, 42-37.  Seattle Prep started in a defensive 2-3 and occasional box and one zone, catching the Cleveland Eagles off guard and holding them to just eight first quarter points, all by Makayla Roper.  Prep took the lead after the first 11-8, led by senior Michaela Carew with seven.

Turnovers plagued the Panthers in the second quarter, losing the ball five times compared to Cleveland’s two.  Cleveland began the quarter on a 12-2 run, led by junior Alexia Mefi with seven points.  Prep’s Mary Ann Santucci kept the Panthers in the quarter with her first five points of the contest to cut the halftime lead to just four, 22-18.

The third quarter saw back and forth scoring, with the Eagles maintaining a slight lead.  Carew led the Panthers again in the third with eight points, while five Eagles scored field goals in the quarter.  Cleveland took a 36-31 lead into the final period.

Both teams maintained their excellent defense in the fourth quarter.  Each team forced five turnovers and neither team was able to get into an offensive rhythm.  Carew went down early in the fourth with an ankle injury, but Prep continued to battle without their leading scorer.  Clutch baskets down the stretch by Eagle junior Alexia Mefi secured the win for Cleveland, 43-40.

Top Performers:
Seattle Prep
Michaela Carew (16),
Nicole Hall (9)
Mary Ann Santucci (9)

Cleveland
Alexia Mefi (15)
Makayla Roper (15)

Beach Holds off Lakeside, Wins 3A Metro Title

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Beach Holds off Lakeside, Wins 3A Metro Title
By Colin Caruso 

Friday- Feb. 8 -2013- Metro League Championship
Garfield High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Lakeside 13 10 21 17 61
Rainier Beach 10 27 12 20 69

The #2 ranked Rainier Beach Vikings took on the Lakeside Lions for the Metro League Championship on Friday night in a packed house at Garfield High School.  The regular season contest between these two ended in a 14-point win for the Vikings, but with the Metro title at stake and the building electric, everyone knew this would come down to the wire.

Lakeside started the game aggressively, attacking the hoop and drawing contact going through the lane.  Viking starters Fuquan Niles and Shaqquan Aaron both picked up two fouls late in the first quarter and ended up sitting for the remainder of the half.  Lakeside’s smothering defense held the Vikings to just 10 points in the quarter, and the Lions took a 13-10 lead into the second.

Rainier Beach’s shooting woes in the first turned into a shooting clinic in the second.  The Vikings began the quarter on a 14-0 run, forcing five Lion turnovers and capitalizing on baskets in transition.  Senior Marquis Davis led the Vikings with eight points in the quarter, followed closely by teammate Elijah Foster with seven.  Beach took a 37-23 lead into the half.

The tables turned again in the third quarter; it was now Lakeside’s turn to put their foot on the gas, starting the quarter on a 15-5 run.  Niles picked up his fourth foul with 5:20 remaining in the third, and Lion big man Peter French picked up his fourth foul with 4:53 remaining in the period.

Lakeside kept up their offensive rhythm until the game took a turn with 1:03 remaining in the third on a hard foul by Marquis Davis.  Unfortunately, this did not turn out well for the Vikings as Marquis Davis was ejected, Shaqquan Aaron and Coach Mike Bethea both receiving technical fouls.  Lakeside junior Tremaine Isabell also received a technical foul.  The outcome gave four free-throws to the Lions, and Matthew Poplawski stepped up to the line and made all four.  Lakeside outscored Beach in the quarter 21-12, cutting the Viking lead to five entering the fourth.

Lakeside continued to battle in the fourth quarter, exchanging baskets with the Vikings and chipping away at the Beach lead.  Lakeside cut the lead to just three with 32 seconds left, with the ball.  Lion coach Tavio Hobson drew up a play for the Lions, but the inbounds pass was stolen by Rainier Beach and led to a leak-out dribble drive that forced Lakeside to foul from behind.  The foul was ruled a flagrant, giving Beach two free-throws and the ball, ending Lakeside’s chances at the upset.

Beach won in a nail-biter, 69-61.  It was a Great Game to watch!

Leading Scorers:
Lakeside
Tramaine Isabell (18)
Matthew Poplawski (15)

Rainier Beach
Marquis Davis (16)
Djuan Piper (14)

Juanita Girls Top Liberty with a Strong Second Half

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Juanita Girls Top Liberty with a Strong Second Half
By Colin Caruso 

Thursday- Feb. 7 -2013- KingCo League Tournament
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Liberty-Issaquah 14 10 9 12 45
Mount Si 11 8 17 17 53

The crowd picked up in the 4:45 game at Bellevue College, a girls matchup between Juanita and Liberty – the winner to secure third place in KingCo. Juanita came out in full court defense and maintained it throughout the first quarter, but Liberty continued to beat the press to create good shots in the half court. Five players for Liberty scored in the first, and the Patriots closed the quarter in the lead 14-11. Both teams dropped into a 2-3 zone on defense in the second, slowing the pace of play and forcing more mid-range and three-point shots. Neither side executed particularly well on offense against the zone in the second quarter, with both teams turning the ball over four times. Liberty extended their lead to five at the half in a low scoring quarter, 24-19.

Juanita came out on fire in the second half; almost totaling their first half score with 17 points in the third quarter alone. Winnie Levitt led the way for the Rebels in the third, scoring seven in the quarter and taking the lead by three going into the fourth. Juanita kept up their offensive pressure in the fourth quarter, starting the period on an 8-0 run to go up 11 with 4:41 to play. Liberty fought back with team speed and great ball movement but the 11 point lead was too much to surmount. Juanita secured the win and third place in KingCo, 53-45.

Leading Scorers:
Liberty-Issaquah
Danielle Demps (12)
Alicia Abraham (7)

Juanita
Shannon Brink (11)
Winnie Levitt (10)

Mt Si Beats Liberty in Consolation Game; Takes 3rd in 3A KingCo

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Mt Si Beats Liberty in Consolation Game; Takes 3rd in 3A KingCo
By Colin Caruso 

Thursday- Feb. 7 -2013- KingCo League Tournament
Bellevue College 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Liberty-Issaquah 10 10 16 10 46
Mount Si 16 16 17 24 73

In the 3pm game at Bellevue College, the Liberty Patriots took on the Mount Si Wildcats for third place in KingCo.  Senior Trent Riley led the way in the first quarter for the Wildcats, scoring seven of his team’s 16 points.  Liberty barely missed on three three-point shots but maintained good interior scoring from senior Matthew Campbell to end the quarter down by six.  Mount Si continued to put the offensive pressure on the Patriots in the second quarter with good ball movement and dribble penetration.  Jason Smith and Trent Riley both had five points in the quarter, and the Wildcats extended their lead to 12 at the halftime break, 32-20.

Liberty picked up their offense in the second half, showing more movement, running off ball screens and creating open looks.  Tynan Gilmore led the way for the Patriots in the third quarter with 10 of his team’s 16 points.  But Trent Riley kept the offensive pressure on the Patriots, scoring 10 as well for the Wildcats, who increased their lead to 13 going into the fourth quarter.

The fourth quarter showed much of the same for Mount Si, good offensive execution and capitalizing on half court sets.  Mount Si started pushing the ball in transition in the fourth quarter, beating the Patriots down the floor and scoring on open layups.  Liberty didn’t have an answer for Riley for the duration of the contest; he added eight more in the fourth quarter to lead the Wildcats to victory, 73-46.

Leading Scorers:
Liberty-Issaquah
Tynan Gilmore (13)
Kellen Birdsall (11)

Mount Si
Trent Riley (30)
Levi Botten (11)

Rainier Beach Handles Franklin; will meet Lakeside in Metro Final

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Rainier Beach Handles Franklin; will meet Lakeside in Metro Final
By Colin Caruso 

Tuesday- Feb. 5 -2013- Metro League Tournament
Ingraham High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Franklin 11 20 14 24 69
Rainier Beach 28 24 12 27 91

With Seahawks safety Cam Chancellor watching, the Rainier Beach Vikings were at their finest, beating the Franklin Quakers 91-69 to advance to the Metro final.  Beach came out on fire, with Djuan Piper scoring 11 and Shaqquan Aaron scoring nine in the first quarter alone.  They jumped on Franklin early, taking a 28-11 lead at the end of the first.  Beach didn’t lay off the gas in the second quarter either.  Aaron and Piper both finished with 13 at the half, and freshman Dejounte Murry added seven in the second alone.  Beach led at the break 52-31. Arell Hennings and Eugene Artison led the way for the Quakers, both scoring seven points in the first half.

The scoring for both teams slowed down in the third quarter with Franklin outscoring the Vikings 14-12, cutting the lead to 19 going into the fourth.  But Beach was too much to handle in the fourth quarter.  Fuquan Niles had all of his 11 points in the second half and the Vikings put up 27 points in the fourth quarter to win 91-69.  With the win, Rainier Beach will play Lakeside in the Metro final, a rematch of their January 15th meeting where the Vikings won by a score of 78-64.

Leading Scorers:
Franklin
Arell Hennings (18)
Eugene Artison (14)

Rainier Beach
Shaqquan Aaron (22)
Marquis Davis (18)

Big thanks to Nic Beckman (the world’s greatest public address announcer) for game analysis.

Lakeside Takes Down Prep, Advances to Metro Final

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Lakeside Takes Down Prep, Advances to Metro Final
By Colin Caruso 

Tuesday- Feb. 5 -2013- Metro League Tournament
Ingraham High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Seattle Prep 16 10 15 22 63
Lakeside 16 18 10 24 68


Seattle Prep’s DJ Fenner

In a close to packed house in the Ingraham High gym, the Lakeside Lions defeated the Seattle Prep Panthers 68-63.  Lakeside started the game on a 9-2 run and was seemingly in control of the first quarter.  Prep countered with an 8-2 run of their own, making four 3-pointers in the first and closed the quarter tied 16-16.

Lakeside was more aggressive in the second quarter, attacking the basket and converting in the paint.  The Lions were led by Tramaine Isabell and freshman Isiah Brown who both had six points in the quarter.  The threes stopped falling for the Panthers, and Lakeside closed the period with an eight point lead, 34-26.

Prep matched Lakeside’s aggressiveness in the third quarter, working the ball around and creating open lanes to the basket.  Their defense was energized, forcing deep contested shots and holding the Lions to just 10 third quarter points.  Zack Moore, who didn’t score in the first half, kept the Lions in the contest in the third period with five points.

Both teams exploded offensively in the fourth quarter, combining for 46 total points.  Lakeside extended their lead to 11 in the middle of the period behind 14 points from Isabell.  Prep came back and cut the lead to just four with 2:52 left.  DJ Fenner led the rally for the Panthers, scoring 13 in the last period.  But the Lions held on behind two late three pointers from Zack Moore and Matthew Poplawski to win by five, 68-63.

Leading Scorers:
Lakeside
Tramaine Isabell (27)
Isiah Brown (11)
Matthew Poplawski (11)

Seattle Prep
DJ Fenner (30)
Jack Stewart (9)