Rainier Beach Takes Back the 3A State Championship
By Colin Caruso
| Saturday- March 5th | 2016 | Boys | 3A | Championship | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tacoma Dome | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| O'Dea | 9 | 12 | 11 | 17 | 49 | |
| Rainier Beach | 26 | 17 | 14 | 13 | 70 | |
3A Champions – Rainier Beach Vikings
In their third matchup of the year, the O’Dea Fighting Irish faced off against the Rainier Beach Vikings for the 3A basketball coveted state championship. Rainier Beach was fresh off a win over the #1 ranked Garfield Bulldogs, another Metro league team, and looking towards a dominating performance in the final.
Beach started the game on a frantic pace, seemingly knocking down every shot and consuming O’Dea with their defensive pressure. At halftime, Nkeil Nelson for the Vikings had as many points as the entire O’Dea team, 21 a piece. The Vikings took a 43-21 lead into halftime, seemingly ending the game at intermission.
O’Dea didn’t do much to trim the lead in the third quarter. Rainier Beach definitely slowed their pace down, shortening the game in favor of longer possessions. The 22 point halftime lead progressed to 25 for the Vikings, with a 57-32 advantage.
The expectations entering this contest leaned towards a close matchup. These two split their regular season meetings, surprising based on the outcome of this contest. Rainier Beach took the victory with ease, 70-49, amassing their 4th title in the last 5 years. A lot of sportsmanship was shown from both sides. Congratulations to Rainier Beach!
The Final Score
Rainier Beach 70, O’Dea 49.
Top Performers:
Rainier Beach
N’Keil Nelson- 26 points, 6 rebounds
O’Dea
Michael Carter- 21 points
