South Sound high school winter sports roundup (Feb. 13-18)

FEB. 13

BOYS BASKETBALL

1A

NO. 1 ANNIE WRIGHT 79, NO. 4 LIFE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 50

Despite a sluggish start to their game, the Golden Gators found their rhythm on offense and sent the Eagles to the consolation bracket.

When Annie Wright was dealing with foul trouble early and missing shots, players like junior TJ Marshall and sophomore Jeremiah Harshman helped their team keep their composure.

After only putting up 13 in the first quarter, the Golden Gators scored 66 points the rest of the way. And with the exception of the 21-point third quarter, Annie Wright’s defense never allowed more than 12 points in a period.

“They are dialed in and putting in the work. We have to be disciplined and stay focused throughout the game,” said Annie Wright coach Dom Williams. “I feel like they came out a bit sluggish, and we had to create good energy. We already won both meetings [against LCA], so we needed them to get their energy flowing and not take anything lightly.”

Leading the way for the Gators was Marshall with 17 points. Behind him was sophomore Martin Kaupanger who scored 13, and freshman Amare Breedlove with 12.

Freshmen Jabez Boys and Darius Imperial, and senior Riley Kretzer all scored 11 points each for the Eagles.

The win puts Annie Wright in the district championship game against Seattle Christian. A win for the Golden Gators clinches a playoff berth.

LCA: 7-12-21-10--50

AW: 13-20-23-23--79

Scoring: (AW) Reggie Lester 5, Gabe Walsh 9, Jeremiah Harshman 13, Calvary Seui 2, Cale Carter 8, Amare Breedlove 12, TJ Marshall 17, Martin Kaupanger 13; (LCA) Darius Imperial 11, Cole Caalim 5, Jabez Boyd 11, Sam Batchelder 7, Ermias Hampton 2, Riley Kretzer 11, Satchel Pyle 3

NO. 2 SEATTLE CHRISTIAN 68, NO. 3 VASHON ISLAND 54

After taking down East Jefferson 57-43 on Feb. 11, the Pirates were bounced from the District 3 1A basketball tournament courtesy of the Warriors.

The loss sends Vashon Island on a more difficult task to make it to the state playoffs. They will take on the loser of the Annie Wright-Life Christian Academy.

And if they win, they have one more chance to clinch a spot in the state tournament.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

2A

TUMWATER 49, COLUMBIA RIVER 39

A scoring surge in the final minutes extended Tumwater’s thin lead and cemented an eighth straight win in Monday night’s District 4 semifinal at Black Hills High School.

Their double-digit advantage materialized late, but star guard Kyle Waltermeyer helped the T-Birds erase a nine-point deficit early and maintain a slim advantage to the final buzzer. The win pushes Tumwater to Friday night’s district championship and back to the state tournament for the WIAA’s Hardwood Classic from March 1-4.

Waltermeyer dropped 17 in the first half and sunk a trio of three-pointers in the second quarter. Tumwater’s senior finished with a game-high 26, followed by junior guard Regan Brewer with 16.

A game earlier on Feb. 10, Tumwater nearly doubled up Woodland in the quarterfinals, 51-26.

Tumwater’s opponent in Friday’s district title game: rival W.F. West. The Bearcats handed Tumwater its only league loss on Jan. 10, 53-37, which the T-Birds avenged in a four-point win later on Jan. 26. Friday’s district title game will, inevitably, break the season split.

BOX SCORE

T: 7-18-11-13--49

CR: 16-6-10-7--39

Scoring: (T) Kylie Waltermeyer 26, Regan Brewer 16, Cierra Larson 4, Rhylee Beebe 3; (CR) Peyton Dukes 10, Emma Iniguez 10, Taegen Benke 8, Logann Dukes 7, Kinzi Drake 2, Paige Johnson 2

TUESDAY (FEB. 14)

BOYS BASKETBALL

2A

R.A. LONG 64, TUMWATER 56

The T-Birds couldn’t get around the Lumberjacks defense as they were outscored by eight and out-rebounded 31-16.

Leading the charge for Tumwater was senior Andrew Collins, who had 19 points and five rebounds in the game. His teammate senior Luke Brewer had 15 points and seven rebounds as well.

However, R.A. Long senior Cavin Holden scored 22, senior Jaxon Cook scored 14 and sophomore TraMayne Jenkins scored 13.

Tumwater’s loss moves them to a game against Woodland where if they win, they’re in at state.

RAL: 18-12-18-16--64

T: 12-13-10-21--56

Scoring: (T) Andrew Collins 19 (5 REB), Luke Brewer 15 (7 REB), Luke Reed 11 (3 AST), Bray Noram 5, Gunnar Harron 2, Conner Hopkins 2, Tanner Brewer 2; (RAL) Cavin Holden 22, TraMayne Jenkins 13, Jaxon Cook 14, Lonnie Brown Jr 9, Jacob Gabbard 6

MARK MORRIS 79, BLACK HILLS 45

The Royals were all gas and no brakes in their win over the Wolves, outscoring them in the first three quarters of the game.

The win sends Mark Morris to the district championship, and clinched them a spot in state. Black Hills has one more shot to make it to state, but they have to get through Ridgefield first.

MM: 23-21-26-9--79

BH: 16-6-12-11--49

1A

ELMA 78, EATONVILLE 69

The Cruisers battled with everything they had, despite several starting players either out sick or fighting through illness. Unfortunately, they just couldn’t get their third win of the season over the Eagles.

Although it looked like Eatonville was going to pull away late in the second quarter, Elma clawed their way back in with some made shots and a few calls going their way. That momentum translated to the second half where the Eagles outscored the Cruisers 49-34.

“In the second quarter we went on a run, and it looked like we were going to run away with the lead heading into the half,” said coach TJ Cotterill. “We had a double digit lead but they clawed back into the game. They stole some momentum back at the end. We thought we could do the same in the second half, but it didn’t pan out.”

Senior Shay Brannon led Eatonville in scoring with 22 points. Behind him was senior Kyle Cox and junior Griffin Clevenger both scoring 10. However, Elma sophomore Traden Carter also netted 22.

The loss sends the Cruisers to the consolation bracket against La Center where they have to win two games in a row to clinch a spot in state.

ELMA: 17-12-22-27--78

EA: 17-18-18-16--69

Scoring: (Elma) Anthony Holmes 10, Grant Vessey 12, Theodore Flores 9, Traden Carter 22, Gibson Cain 8, Cason Seaberg 17; (Ea) Walker Bruun 9, Shay Brannon 22, Mark Nueva 5, Shane Taylor 4, Griffin Clevenger 10, Hunter Klumpar 9, Kyle Cox 10

GIRLS BASKETBALL

4A

NO. 7 OLYMPIA 57, NO. 15 SKYVIEW 45

Olympia’s lockdown defense swallowed Skyview in the second quarter, keeping hope alive for the Bears’ state-tournament hopes.

Skyview rained threes for only a quarter before the Bears, eventually, weathered the Storm. Olympia morphed a four-point deficit into an eight-point lead by halftime after Skyview mustered only five points in the second period.

“Our guards did a really nice job of running over the top of screens and just being super high and aggressive, and challenging their threes,” Olympia coach Dustin Workman said. “Which led to some transition opportunities for us.

“Once we got ahead, they pressured us. We’re a pretty good press-break team, so we were able to make them pay a couple of times.”

Senior center Natalia McBride paced all scorers with 21. Sophomore guard Lauren Wolen tallied 14 and senior guard Hannah Berschauer added 11.

Skyview’s Jordan Labrador-Hallett and Kiera Parks co-led Storm scorers with 16 apiece.

Tuesday’s win over Skyview was a make-or-break loser-out meeting. Olympia can punch a ticket to the state bracket with a home win over Kentridge on Friday.

“When we can hold people down defensively and get into a half-court game, we’re pretty good,” Workman said. “And we’re pretty tough, and we rebound pretty physically. And so I think the whole key for us is going to be to control the tempo against them. And make life hard for them on the offensive end.”

If Olympia loses, the Bears can still reach the WIAA Hardwood Classic with a win Saturday.

“Any time you can make that final 16,” Workman said, “it’s really special.”

BOX SCORE

S: 16-5-15-9—45

O: 12-17-13-15—57

Scoring: (O) Natalia McBride 21, Lauren Wolin 14, Hannah Berschauer 11, Lauren Juergens 7, Taylor Whaley 4; (S) Jordan Labrador-Hallett 16, Kiera Parks 16, Sam Groesbeck 7, Lainey Phillips 5, Kaydance Stratton 1

NO. 11 KENTRIDGE 54, NO. 6 KENTWOOD 49

A fourth-quarter comeback lifted Kentridge over its league-rival on Tuesday night, now a win away from a state berth.

Kentridge rallied for 19 points in the final period, including a dozen free-throws. Junior guard Sydney Esperanza tallied eight of her team-high 18 points in the fourth quarter.

The Chargers can advance to the WIAA Hardwood Classic with a road win over Olympia on Friday night. In the event of a loss, Kentridge could clinch Saturday.

Kentridge guard Trinity Schanbeck added nine points and finished a sparkling six-for-six from the foul line.

Kentwood sophomore Jessica Ajayi dropped a game-high 21 in the loss. Conquerors guard Orlaan Winston added eight.

BOX SCORE

KR: 12-13-10-19–54

KW: 16-9-12-12–49

Scoring: (KR) Sydney Esperanza 18, Jaya Brown 15, Trinity Schanbeck 9, Andrea Pop 7, Tia Schanbeck 3; (KW) Jessica Ajayi 21, Orlaan Winston 8, Niki Boris 7, Aniya Washington 5, Tia Pam 4, Dee-vyne Salu 4

NO. 5 BELLARMINE 62, NO. 12 BETHEL 44

The Lions cruised to the win against the Bison, winning by 18 points and taking one step closer to the 4A state tournament.

This is their third win over their 4A SPSL rival this season, and it sends Bethel home for good. Bellarmine waits to find out if they play against Decatur or Union as that game was postponed until Wednesday, February 15.

3A

NO. 12 CENTRAL KITSAP 55, NO. 4 EVERGREEN 47

The Cougars came away with a huge upset win over the Plainsmen, knocking them out of the District 3 tournament.

Central Kitsap stands as the second-lowest seed still standing in the tournament, just above No. 14 Spanaway Lake. The win advances the Cougars in the consolation bracket, where they will meet up against 3A SSC rival Gig Harbor.

NO. 2 AUBURN MOUNTAINVIEW 48, NO. 10 SILAS 44

The Lions and Rams played a tight game throughout the first three quarters of their matchup. However, Auburn Mountainview was able to pull away in the end and send Silas home in the district tournament.

The tenacity of the Lions’ defense led to their win, as the Rams had players slicing through and getting to the rim. Switching from zone to man, Auburn Mountainview slowed Silas just enough.

“Silas is a scrappy team, they played a tough zone where we struggled against,” said coach Cait Doherty. “Our tenacity on defense helped make little runs here and there. They slash through our setup and get to the hoop. We got into foul trouble a little bit early, but we figured it out just in time. Silas played a great game from start to finish, it was a nailbiter all the way to end.”

Senior Maliyah Elliott got the ball rolling for Auburn Mountainview as she got into rhythm and hit a couple of three-pointers in the fourth quarter. She also came away with six steals and four assists.

Freshman Iliayah Wallis-Caw scored 14 and grabbed nine rebounds as well.

The Lions will wait to find out who their opponent is as the Todd Beamer-Spanaway Lake game was postponed until Wednesday, February 15.

AMV: 10-13-10-15--48

S: 13-6-14-11--44

Scoring: (AMV) Maliyah Elliott 15, Iliayah Wallis-Caw 14, Maddie Shaw 8, Malie Roberts 6

NO. 8 GIG HARBOR 55, NO. 9 PRAIRIE 37

The Tides put together a consistent, solid game against the Falcons where senior Riley Peschek had a big offensive night.

Leading all scores with 25, and grabbing 24 rebounds as well, Peschek was aided by junior Taylor Schwab scoring 17. Together, both players outscored Prairie.

“A win like this is good because we haven’t played great,” said coach Mike Guinasso. “We reiterate that we want them to be on the upswing right now. We want to play five good games in a row. This is the best team we’ve had since I’ve been here, the girls are together no matter what.”

The win moves Gig Harbor further into the consolation bracket, and into a matchup against 3A SSC rival ;p;

GH: 14-18-15-8--55

P: 4-8-17-8--37

Scoring: (GH) Kaliyah Miller 4, Olivia Paul 3, Taylor Schwab 17, Alex Ferrier 6, Riley Peschek 25; (P) Claire Smith 7, Emma Smith 6, August Kissinger 6, Natalie Coughran 1, Halle Lovejoy 3, Madison Clouse 8, Joely Renk 6

2A

STEILACOOM 51, LINDBERGH 31

Steilacoom knocked Lindbergh out of the District 2/3 bracket and kept hope alive for a run to the state tournament.

What fueled it?

“Teamwork,” said Sentinels coach Russell Ivy of his group’s 20-point victory. “We had our defensive pressure on (them), which caused a lot turnovers and allowed us to get some easy baskets.”

The Sentinels are two wins away from securing a trip to the WIAA Hardwood Classic next month. Steilacoom must first defeat SPSL-rival Clover Park on the road Thursday and then win Saturday’s fifth-place game in the district bracket to advance.

Junior guard Cathy Bird paced Steilacoom with 13 points and junior Bella Brady added 12.

A pair of Sentinel freshmen — Kimori Douglass and Ina McCloud — tallied eight and seven points, respectively.

Steilacoom snagged 42 total rebounds.

WHITE RIVER 44, NORTH KITSAP 19

White River’s convincing victory punched a state-tournament ticket and lifted the Hornets into Friday’s district semifinal.

White River swarmed North Kitsap’s offense early and often, allowing just eight points in the opening half. They trotted to the home lockers up 26-8 at halftime and maintained the margin throughout.

The Hornets meet Renton at Highline High School on Thursday; tipoff is to be determined. The winner advances to Saturday’s District 2/3 title game at North Mason High School.

ENUMCLAW 48, SAMMAMISH 41

The Hornets are buzzing to state.

A seven-point win on Tuesday night at Enumclaw High School put them back at next month’s WIAA Hardwood Classic.

The win also pushes Enumclaw to the District 2/3 semifinal, now guaranteed one of five state allocations. The Hornets meet a Sequim-Clover Park winner at Highline High School on Feb. 16.

Enumclaw fell to Prosser in the opening round of last year’s state bracket, 75-55.

OLYMPIC 38, FIFE 29

Olympic held off fellow-Trojan Fife at home on Tuesday night to remain in state contention and advance in the District 2/3 bracket.

Fife’s season ended after a fifth-place finish in the 2A SPSL.

Olympic can secure a state allocation with consecutive wins on Feb. 16 and 18. Up first is a road meeting at Sammamish.

SEQUIM 65, CLOVER PARK 30

The District 2/3 tournament’s top seed handled Clover Park and secured a state allocation, showcasing its potential for a deep run in next month’s WIAA Hardwood Classic.

Clover Park remains in state contention, too — but the Timberwolves need consecutive wins on Thursday and Saturday to advance.

1A

NO. 1 BELLEVUE CHRISTIAN 43, NO.4 CASCADE CHRISTIAN 33

The Vikings edged out their 1A Nisqually league rival for the third time in a row this season, by the smallest margin of victory of all three games.

Although it’s not impossible, the Cougars have to win their way against Annie Wright to advance to the state tournament.

NO. 3 LIFE CHRISTIAN 44, NO. 2 ANNIE WRIGHT 39

The Eagles narrowly escaped, but still got the upset win over the Golden Gators. The win gives Life Christian a 2-1 series win against Annie Wright.

However, their season is not done yet.

The Eagles advanced to the District 3 1A Girls Basketball tournament, where they will meet up against Bellevue Christian. For them, it’s in and get into the state tournament.

However, the loser of that matchup has to face the winner of the Cascade Christian-Annie Wright matchup for their chance to make it to state.

TUESDAY’S BASKETBALL SCORES

2A GIRLS

North Mason 50, Orting 40

Foster 53, Bremerton 46

Renton 44, Port Angeles 42