YAKIMA — Right before Clover Park’s game for fourth/sixth place at the 2A boys state basketball tournament Saturday morning, David Crisp still didn’t know if he would be able to play.
During warm-ups, the junior guard was noticeably limping. A day earlier, in the Warriors’ consolation victory over West Valley of Yakima, he rolled his left ankle in the first minute. But he came back to score a game-high 26 points and guarantee Clover Park its third consecutive state trophy. He iced his ankle continually the rest of the day, and popped ibuprofen to help with the pain and swelling.
“I woke up and I could barely walk,” Crisp said.
He decided to give it a go Saturday, playing through the pain enough to finish with 16 points, five steals and four assists to help the Warriors take fourth place for the second straight year with a 73-47 victory over Sequim in a rematch the West Central District III title game from two weeks ago.
After Thursday’s quarterfinal loss to Anacortes, which played in Saturday night’s 2A state title game, the Warriors (22-7) had to re-evaluate their goals and play for the highest trophy possible, which was fourth place.
“It means a lot,” said Crisp, who finished with 47 points in three games, “to show we can bounce back from a loss and not hang our heads over one loss. We were hurt for a little bit, but you can’t dwell on the past.”
It was all smiles Saturday for the Warriors, who shot 29 of 59 from the field (49 percent). Three players scored in double figures: Philip Winston with a game-high 23 points, Crisp and Xavier Means with 13 points and 10 rebounds. After leading 40-22 at halftime, the Warriors bumped that advantage to 60-29 inside a minute remaining in the third quarter.
Saturday’s win also marked the third consecutive state trophy for the Warriors, who won the 2A state title in 2011. Before that run, only one team (1998) had previously placed at a state tournament, and Clover Park coach Mel Ninnis gives the credit to his players.
“When you have quality kids, you happen to have a quality team,” Ninnis said. “That’s what I have. … The main thing is if kids work hard together, and that’s the key to our success.”
1A GIRLS 4TH/6TH PLACE
Lynden Christian 60, Cascade Christian 43: In a rematch of the 1A Tri-District title game, the Lyncs held the Cougars scoreless in the second quarter on the way to a 23-10 halftime lead and cruised to the fourth-place trophy. Cascade Christian (22-3) picked up its fourth trophy in nine state appearances.
Senior Kaycee Creech led the way for CC with 13 points, all of which came from the free-throw line, and Katie Rozumny added 12. Sally Vlas and Courtney Hollander had 15 points apiece for Lynden Christian.
Meg Wochnick: 360-754-5473 mwochnick@theolympian.com theolympian.com/southsoundsports @megwochnick
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