Audio Recap: Metro League Championship – Garfield vs. Rainier Beach

Game Recap
Metro League Championship – Garfield vs. Rainier Beach 2-12-16



Metro League Champions – Garfield Bulldogs

Back-to-back state champions Garfield met defending Metro League champs Rainier Beach on Friday night for their second contest of the season; the Metro Championship. The Viks prevailed in round one, could the Bulldogs even the score for the league title? Listen as Nic Beckman provides an audio recap of the match-up including pre-game comments from Ranier Beach head coach Mike Bethea!

To listen to the game recap, simply click on the PLAY BUTTON below.

 


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Garfield Claims Metro League Title; Edges Beach by Three


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

Rainier Beach Glides Past Lakeside in League Matchup


Rainier Beach Glides Past Lakeside in League Matchup
By Steven Dion

Friday- December 19 2014 Boys 3A Metro
Rainier Beach High School 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Final
Rainier Beach 23 21 26 17 87
Lakeside 18 12 18 20 68


Rainier Beach Junior Keith Smith

Quality basketball is a guarantee on a Friday night inside Crawford Court at Rainier Beach High School. The reigning 3A champs hosted the Lakeside Lions in a Metro League showdown on Friday night as some of the top talent in the state would put their talents on display. Could the Lions pull an upset on the road?

Lakeside’s dynamic guard Isiah Brown established his pivotal role on the team by scoring 13 of his team’s 18 first quarter points. Beach countered with a balanced attack of point guards Shadeed Shabazz and Ivy Smith feeding Dejounte Murray and Keith Smith. The Vikings built a five point lead after one frame, but the slim margin kept the door open for the Lions. With increased intensity on the defensive end for Lakeside, they rebounded the ball well and found points at the other end. Mid-way through the second quarter, Mike Bethea called a full timeout because the scoreboard read 27-26 Rainier Beach. The Viking responded like they are accustomed to by closing out the half on a 17-4 run. Murray and Shabazz were major contributors to the surge of points to extend the halftime score to 44-30.

The Viking lead grew even more after the break as Keith Smith and Dejounte Murray knocked down some transition buckets at the cup. Ivy Smith tacked on seven in the third quarter also. Lion guard Connor Duffy provided a nice spark off the bench knocking down 10 points in the second half. Lakeside slowly cut the Rainier Beach lead and with over 5 minutes remaining, were trailing by single digits. However, RB closed out the second half like they did the first half and kept their undefeated record intact with a 19 point victory.

The Final Score: Rainier Beach 87 Lakeside 68

Top Performers:
Rainier Beach
Dejounte Murray-29 points

Lakeside
Isiah Brown-35 points