South Sound results, recaps from the 2A, 1A, 2B and 1B state basketball placing games
Ten South Sound boys and girls high school basketball programs headed to the Class 2A and 1A state tournaments in Yakima, and Class 2B and 1B tournaments in Spokane this week, and six are still playing Friday in consolation games.
The News Tribune will keep track of each local team throughout the tournaments, providing game recaps, interviews, stats and more.
Follow along for live updates from Saturday’s placing games. This page will be updated throughout the day.
Find out what happened leading up to this point in our game recaps from Wednesday’s opening-round action, Thursday’s quarterfinals and Friday’s semifinals and consolation games.
CLASS 2A BOYS
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
Fourth-sixth place
NO. 11 TUMWATER 82, NO. 13 NORTH KITSAP 76 (3OT)
The competition between the T-Birds and Vikings was so good that it took multiple overtime periods for the two teams to decide a winner. Ultimately, it was Tumwater who outlasted North Kitsap to take home fourth place in the WIAA 2A boys basketball state tournament.
The Vikings held a slight edge in the first half, taking a 27-24 lead into halftime. However, the T-Birds came roaring back in the third quarter where they outscored North Kitsap 18-14 to take a slim 42-41 lead.
With about 3:35 left in the game, the Vikings held a seven-point lead over Tumwater. It was their largest lead of the game. However, senior Luke Brewer was not about to end his high school basketball career on a loss.
After he knocked down a big 3-pointer to come within two for Tumwater, Brewer scored the game-tying bucket as well.
Both teams only scored two points in the first, and then 12 points in the second overtime period. Tumwater dug deep and found a few extra shots in the third overtime period and outscored North Kitsap 12-6 to secure their second-straight fourth palace trophy.
“It was one of the crazier games I’ve been a part of. Our guys were just ultra focused and tough to finish it out,” said coach Josh Wilson. “Time froze in the second overtime it felt like, and somehow we came out the other end. [Senior Connor Hopkins] stepped up and was aggressive down the stretch and [senior Gunnar Harroun’s] rebounds were super important as well. He grabbed some important boards for us.
“Not many people go 3-1 and end on a win on our last day. I’m proud of my guys. We have seven seniors who gave everything they got and leave with unforgettable memories.”
Brewer led all scoring with a game-high 35 points on 10-for-22 shooting from the floor and going a perfect 10-for-10 at the free throw line. He also added six rebounds, three assists and four steals to his totals.
Hopkins was the other T-Bird high scorer with 17, going six-for-12 shooting and three-for-three at the line. Senior Gunnar Harroun was the only Tumwater player to get a double-double for his team as he grabbed 13 rebounds and 11 points.
The Vikings had a couple of big scoring performances as well. Juniors Cade Orness and Harry Davies scored 30 and 22 respectively. Davies also grabbed 10 rebounds to give him a double-double as well.
Tumwater ends their season on a high note, taking home some hardware to hang in their gymnasium. They will finish with a record of 22-6.
T: 11-13-18-14-2-12-12--82
NK: 17-10-14-15-2-12-6--76
SCORING: (T) Luke Reid 4, Luke Brewer 35, Brayden Oram 8, Gunnar Harroun 11, Connor Hopkins 17, Clayton Morgan 2, Tanner Brewer 5; (NK) Jalen East 9, Mason Chmielewski 4, Ethan Gillespie 11, Cade Orness 30, Harry Davies 22
CLASS 2A GIRLS
SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
Third-fifth place
NO. 4 PROSSER 53, NO. 7 WHITE RIVER 50
Prosser stormed back in the final minutes to defeat White River and capture a third-place trophy in Yakima.
White River -- the bracket’s fifth-place finisher -- led by six until Mustangs sophomore Laylee Dixon dropped eight points in the final five minutes, a barrage that erased the Hornets’ largest lead of the game.
“Last year at the state tournament, we went one game and out. This year, taking a trophy, I’m very proud,” said Hornets coach Chris Gibson.
Dixon finished with a game-high 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds. She was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and 4-for-4 from the foul line (7-11 FG).
Prosser first raced ahead with stout defensive play -- forcing nine Hornet turnovers in the opening quarter -- but White River chipped away. Junior forward Ava Bright’s jumper gave the Hornets their first lead of the game with 5:05 remaining in the third quarter.
Dixon sunk a three-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer to steal back a one-point lead, but Prosser’s advantage was short-lived. White River scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter and led by as many as six.
Then came Dixon’s scoring spree. Prosser sophomore Adriana Milanez added 11 points and senior Kambree Blair snagged a dozen rebounds, a game-high.
White River’s Vivian Kingston posted the game’s only double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. A knee injury sidelined the sophomore with three minutes remaining in the game, a vital loss while Prosser roared back.
“Losing Vivian really, really hurt us at the end of that ballgame,” Gibson said. “We’re just hoping that she’s going to be OK.”
Kingston will undergo an MRI “as soon as possible,” Gibson said.
Sophomore guard Dakota Sprouse grabbed 10 rebounds. Senior guard Morgan Greene added 10 points and dished a game-high seven assists. Bright tallied 11 points and junior guard Lexie Banks added nine.
Greene is White River’s only senior.
“(We’re) going to miss our senior, Morgan,” Gibson said. “She’s a big part of what we do.”
White River out-rebounded Prosser, 39-36, and outperformed the Mustangs from the field — 35 percent to 33 percent, respectively.
The Hornets buzzed to a 2A SPSL regular-season title and captured a third-place finish in the District 2/3 bracket in a win over rival Enumclaw on Feb. 18.
White River upset No. 2 Lynden in the state’s regional round a week later and skipped directly to the 2A quarterfinals in Yakima.
Bright led the Hornets (nine points, 11 rebounds) to an overtime win over No. 8 Seqium in Thursday’s quarterfinal. White River lost to No. 3 Burlington-Edison in a 2A semifinal, 47-38, on Friday.
“We’re really looking forward to building and being back in Yakima next year, if we can,” Gibson said. “You never know if you’re gonna get there again, though. It’s hard to get there, and we never take it for granted. We’re excited for the opportunity to try to get back there again.”
SCORING: (P) Laylee Dixon 21, Adriana Milanez 11, Deidra Phillips 7, Kambree Blair 6, Naomi Chavez 4, Kendra Groeneveld 4; (WR) Vivian Kingston 16, Ava Bright 11, Morgan Greene 10, Lexie Banks 9, Ella Klemkow 4
