White River’s lead evaporates as North Kitsap’s La Tour erupts in second half to pace 64-43 rout

The sleeping giant woke up.

Down 24-13 at halftime to White River High School in a quarterfinal of the boys state 2A tournament at the Yakima Valley SunDome on Thursday, North Kitsap had gotten just two points from 6-foot-4 sophomore Jonas La Tour.

With La Tour leading the way with 24 points, the third-seeded Vikings flipped the switch, outscoring the No. 5 Hornets, 51-19, during the second half to record a 64-43 victory and advance to a semi-final match-up on Friday between either Toppenish or Lynden.

White River will play the loser of the Toppenish-Lynden game at 12:15 p.m. on Friday.

LaTour’s total of 26 points – on 11-of-18 shooting and 4-of-9 from 3-point range – was a point short of his career high, with all but one basket scored during the second half when he made 10 of 12 field goal attempts.

Shaa Humphrey added 15 points for the Vikings and Johny Olmsted 10.

T.J. Stroschein led White River with a 12-point, 10-rebound double double. Brandon Fontana also reached double figures with 11 in just 20 minutes of playing time.

The Vikings took less than four minutes to catch White River after halftime, knotting the score at 27-27 on a 3-point basket by Kobe McMillian.

“We stopped communicating on defense and left their shooters open,” said White River coach Zach Johnson. “In the first half we communicated better on defense and worked the game plan.”

After White River regained the lead, 31-29, on a trey and a free throw by Stroschein, La Tour went to work, burying a trio of 3-point baskets during a 14-6 run that carried North Kitsap into the fourth quarter with a six-point lead.

When the Vikings scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to go up, 52-37, the writing was on the wall.

“That’s the first time that’s happened to us this year, that’s for sure,” Johnson said of a swing of 36 points between his team’s largest lead and North Kitsap’s biggest advantage. “It’s just a tough one.”

With at least one more game to be played in Yakima, Johnson says it’s now a matter of “how the kids want to be remembered.

“They’re such a great group. They deserve to go out winners,” he said. “The goal was obviously to get a state title, now it’s to get a trophy.”