Federal Way survives against Gonzaga Prep, advances to state title

No. 1 Federal Way got a big scare, but the Eagles will get the opportunity to defend their 4A state title.

Federal Way overcame an eight-point fourth quarter deficit to sneak away with a 46-44 victory over No. 2 Gonzaga Prep in the late game Friday night.

Federal Way (28-0) will play Kentwood in the 4A state championship game at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Tacoma Dome.

“It feels great,” said Federal Way senior Jalen McDaniels. “We’re just going to go out and try to get the win tomorrow.”

It almost didn’t happen.

The 6-foot-10 McDaniels scored 14 of his 24 points in the second half, including 10 straight while Federal Way pulled within one point in the third quarter.

But Gonzaga Prep built a 40-32 lead early in the fourth before Federal Way rallied.

The Eagles played stifling defense, holding Gonzaga Prep without a field goal for nearly 7 minutes of game time.

With the score tied and 8.6 seconds on the clock, Ferron Flavors received the inbounds pass, darted into the lane, and rolled in the go-ahead basket.

Gonzaga had 4.9 seconds to try a 3-pointer, but Anton Watson’s 35-foot shot rimmed out and Federal Way hung on.

Gonzaga (24-3) will face Curtis at 1 p.m. Saturday in the third place/fifth place game.

Gonzaga Prep had all of the ingredients for an upset: hustle plays for loose balls, circus reverse lay-ups around McDaniels, low-percentage fadeaway jumpers that somehow went in, a foul on a half-court heave before the halftime buzzer resulting in three free throws, and an opponent that missed its first nine 3-pointers before finally hitting one at the start of the fourth quarter.

Federal Way took its first lead since the first quarter when D’jimon Jones nailed a 3-pointer from the right corner with 1 minute, 2 seconds to play. Just the Eagles’ second made trey of the game, it gave Federal Way a 44-42 lead.

Gonzaga Prep tied the game when Logan Adams was fouled shooting a 3-pointer with 29.8 seconds left. He missed the first of his three free throws, but made the next two.

Federal Way tried to run down the clock, but Jones missed a tough inside shot and the rebound was batted out of bounds with 8.6 seconds left – setting the stage for Flavors’ game-winner.

“I told coach as soon as I saw the ball go out of bounds, I told him to give me the ball,” said Flavors, who scored nine points. “We’ve got a play that gives me the ball on the wing. Usually it’s for a 3-point shot, but I didn’t have the shot and I told my team I wasn’t going to fold on them.”

Gonzaga out-rebounded Federal Way, 32-26, and they made three more 3-point shots than the Eagles.

Adams led the Bullpups with 14 points.

Federal Way will attempt to become the first repeat 4A state champion since Ferris won back-to-back in 2007-08.

“As soon as last year was over, we’ve been working for this,” said Flavors. “We’re not gonna let nobody take it away from us at all.”

This story was originally published March 4, 2016 at 11:47 PM with the headline "Federal Way survives against Gonzaga Prep, advances to state title."