High school basketball roundup: Gig Harbor topples Capital, extends 3A SSC lead

FRIDAY (JAN. 28)

GIRLS BASKETBALL

SUMNER 79, PUYALLUP 18

The Spartans ran away with the game against the Vikings, as they capped off an undefeated run against the 4A South Puget Sound League.

With a philosophy that their defense sparks the offense, the early minutes of the game saw the Spartans getting steals, making stops and flying around the court with their high intensity.

“We came at the jump excited and with a high level of intensity. That’s how we play,” said coach Katie Hyppa. “We were flying around which caused turnovers, and that led to points. We had a good first half shooting and when you can control the tempo, the game slows down for us.”

Reaping the rewards of their strong defense was senior Alyson Deaver. Making a number of steals herself, Deaver finished the game with a team-high 32 points.

Deaver was hard to stop when she was attacking the rim; when she gets full steam ahead, there’s almost no stopping her.

Fellow Spartan sophomore Lainee Houillan also scored big on the night, finishing with 19 points.

BOX SCORE:

S: 29-28-15-7--79

P: 6-6-6-0--18

Scoring: (S) Alyson Deaver 32, Lainee Houillan 19

BOYS BASKETBALL

TIMBERLINE 83, CENTRAL KITSAP 76

The Blazers got out to a hot start in their win over the Cougars and kept their momentum going with key play from juniors Miles Gurke and Brooklyn Hicks, and sophomore Darrell Gipson.

Early on, the Blazers found themselves getting defensive stops that led to transition points. If their possessions didn’t see one shot go through, players like Gipson would find the offensive rebounds and putbacks.

“We had a good game plan coming in. We knew that our team was going to battle,” said coach Allen Thomas. “[Junior Jo Jo] Johnson was going to be our main defensive focus, it can be hard to keep a good player like him down. [Senior] Darnell Green did a great job and [junior] Payton Davis did a great job getting to the lane, but we needed to be challenged. And we responded. Anything they did, we responded.”

Down the stretch, the Blazers came through in the clutch with timely free throws from their players. Hicks was especially impactful from the line. Although he didn’t lead the team in scoring, he nabbed a double-double with 26 points and 14 rebounds. He also tallied four assists.

Gurske led all Blazer scores with 30, six rebounds, and five assists. Gipson also had a huge night with 17 points and seven rebounds as well.

BOX SCORE:

T: 22-23-17-21--83

CK: 10-29-21-16--76

Scoring: (T) Miles Gurske 30 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, Brooklyn Hicks 26 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, Darrell Gipson 17 points, 7 rebounds

BELLARMINE 67, EMERALD RIDGE 50

For the Lions, the name of the game was easy: score more and play better defense. Now that’s easier said (and written) than done, they managed to do just that behind great play from their three leading seniors.

Seniors Luke Shillito, Henry Wiggins, and Nicholas each scored in double-digit fashion to help keep the Jaguars at bay. Shillito led all the Lions’ scores with 18 points, Wiggins had 16 and Ferencko had 14 on the night. The three were able to score from just about everywhere, too.

Although the Jaguars had the lead heading into halftime, the Lions clawed their way back on top in the third quarter. The defense for Bellarmine also worked overtime in said quarter by holding Emerald Ridge to just six points scored.

The win was a thorough one for the Lions as well, as 12 players rotated onto the court. That kind of depth helped keep the defense fresh and alert for whatever the Jaguars could throw at them.

BOX SCORE:

BP: 15-10-22-20--67

ER: 14-15-6-15--50

Scoring: (BP) Luke Shillito 18, Henry Wiggins 16, Nick Ferencko 14

MORE SCORES

FEDERAL WAY 69, MOUNT TAHOMA 58

LIFE CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 79, ANNIE WRIGHT 72

THURSDAY (JAN. 27)

BOYS BASKETBALL

ENUMCLAW 63, FRANKLIN PIERCE 60

Franklin Pierce’s last-second inbound failed and Enumclaw (7-3, 2A SPSL) escaped with a 63-60 win over the Cardinals on Thursday night.

Down three with 2.1 seconds left in the game, a wayward Franklin Pierce inbound from full-court resulted in an Enumclaw steal as the horn sounded.

The Cardinals, now tied with Enumclaw in the 2A SPSL standings at 7-3, trailed at halftime by five. They’d enter the final quarter with the same deficit, but couldn’t hold on to what became a back-and-forth game in the closing minutes.

Franklin Pierce standout John Barbee Jr. led all scorers with 25 — that’s his season low, too.

“It was a good game,” Franklin Pierce coach John Barbee said. “It was 21-19 for scoring (in the fourth) quarter, so it was kind of back and forth. We just couldn’t get over that hump.”

BOX SCORE

E: 14-18-12-19--63

FP: 19-8-12-21--60

GIRLS BASKETBALL

ENUMCLAW 77, FRANKLIN PIERCE 48

Enumclaw drained seven threes and used a big first-quarter in a 77-48 win over Franklin Pierce on Thursday night.

Aside from their 28-point scoring explosion in the opening period, Enumclaw flashed a lockdown defense that never allowed a Cardinal comeback.

“They full-court pressed, and we just didn’t handle pressure very well,” Franklin Pierce coach Marcus Disney told The News Tribune. “And so they got up, and just pressed, and ran, and got some steals and some easy lay-ins.”

Rosie Penke led Enumclaw’s offense with 13 points. Forwards Gwyneth Harderson and Ellie DeGroot added 10 each.

Franklin Pierce’s Zionna Barbee led all scorers with 24.

The Hornets (10-1, 2A SPSL) kept pace behind undefeated White River (8-0) in the league standings. They’ll host Steilacoom next on Feb. 1.

MORE SCORES

Bonney Lake 79, Spanaway Lake 39

Steilacoom 38, Orting 30

Washington 34, Foss 31

WEDNESDAY (JAN. 26)

BOYS BASKETBALL

GIG HARBOR 49, CAPITAL 33

Gig Harbor (15-1) clinched a season sweep over league-rival Capital and gained ground in the 3A SSC after a 49-33 win over the Cougars on Wednesday night.

Tides coach Billy Landram said the performance wasn’t the team’s best, despite holding Capital to just four points in the first quarter. Both squads played rough; Gig Harbor failed to find open looks, and the Tides resorted to protecting the paint to win a defensive skirmish.

Gig Harbor’s 49 points now represent a season-low.

“We knew, on the road, (that) they’re a well-coached team, and it was gonna be played very physical,” Landram told The News Tribune after the win. “We definitely didn’t play our best, but I’m sure they would think the same, too. (It’s) good to get a road win, and go back to the drawing board.”

Tides sharpshooter Luke Browne led all scorers with 16. Capital’s Jabrayan Richburg led the Cougars offense with 14.

The Tides travel to North Thurston on Friday night for a chance to extend their win streak to five.

BOX SCORE

GH: 15-16-7-11--49

C: 4-11-12-6--33

CURTIS 69, SUMNER 54

Four Vikings put together double-digit scoring performances and Curtis outlasted Sumner for a 69-54 win on Wednesday night.

Curtis guard Tyce Paulsen dropped a team-high 20 points, and teammate Devin Whitten scored 17. Cinque Maxwell and Tyler Logan added 12 and 11 points, respectively.

Sumner kept the game close until the second quarter, when Curtis finished the half on an 18-6 run and entered the intermission with an 18-point lead.

The Spartans outscored Curtis in the third quarter, but the Vikings prevented a comeback with 20 fourth-quarter points. Sumner’s halftime deficit proved insurmountable.

Curtis maintained their undefeated run in the 4A SPSL (11-0) and now lead second-place Olympia by 2.5 games. They’ll face South Kitsap next on Friday night in University Place.

BOX SCORE

C: 20-18-11-20--69

S: 14-6-15-19--54

This story was originally published January 26, 2022 at 9:21 PM.