Anderson’s 25 not enough as Eastside Catholic topples Mount Tahoma in 3A regional round

Before Brent Merritt could address his team in the locker room, Eastside Catholic’s players showered him in a Gatorade-like water bath. The Crusaders, moments removed from a 68-51 regional win over Mount Tahoma, had guaranteed themselves a trip the WIAA Hardwood Classic at the Tacoma Dome.

After entering the tournament as the 14th seed, Eastside Catholic is state-bound.

“My kids were motivated,” Merritt told The News Tribune after the win at Foss High School. “They didn’t feel like they should’ve been the 14th seed, so they wanted to come in and play and prove that we weren’t a 14th seed.”

Eastside Catholic (19-9) won inside, grabbed rebounds, and forced contested T-Bird shots. They trailed early, but took a second-quarter lead and never gave it back. They needed a play-in win over Spanaway Lake on Tuesday to get to Friday’s regional contest. And on Friday, the Crusaders followed that up with an upset win over an 11th-seeded Mount Tahoma (17-6, 12-0 3A PCL) team that recently earned an undefeated in-league season and its first league title since 2004.

“Definitely physical,” Merritt said. “We know they play hard. Their guards are really strong, and we were just trying to contain (them) as much as possible.”

What the Crusaders needed entering their meeting with a favored T-Bird squad was a way to stop Mount Tahoma’s Asjon Anderson, who had averaged over 30 points per game before Friday night. He scored a team-high 25, but Damian Laffitte II was next with 14. Senior guard Ryan Tran added nine.

Crusader forward Louis Grante Halliday led all scorers with 26. He’s hard-nosed, and can guard every position, Merritt said. Eastside Catholic would lead by 13 at the break, and Halliday’s nine third-quarter points kept the T-Birds from mounting a comeback.

“We knew they had two scorers,” Halliday said of Mount Tahoma’s Anderson and Tran, “so we knew we had to (step up) on defense. And offensively… we just went inside, relentless. Didn’t really allow (open) shots. Just executed, really.”

Mount Tahoma snagged a one-point lead after a physical first quarter, though Eastside Catholic would quickly flip the script.

The Crusaders’ big second quarter, which featured a 9-0 run, was won with offensive rebounds and second chances in the paint. They’d go on to win the quarter, 21-14. And offensively, all five Crusader starters scored, though Anderson’s seven points were all Mount Tahoma would muster.

“We’ve got a team that has no serious varsity experience,” Merritt said. “Nobody was depended on last year, so to take this group to the Tacoma Dome is really gratifying.”

The T-Birds weren’t out of it after two quarters, but the opening minutes of the second half wouldn’t help the cause. Less than three minutes into the third quarter, Mount Tahoma had already racked up six team fouls, and ended the period with eight.

During one possession, Anderson looked to T-Birds coach Jason Townsend as the opposing Crusaders swarmed.

“They can’t guard you,” Townsend told his star guard. “Go at them.”

Anderson drove to the basket, drawing fouls and racking up free throws. He was quick, too; it wouldn’t take long for Mount Tahoma’s leading scorer to travel the entire length after the court, and if a Crusader turned his back, Anderson was open, somewhere. In the third quarter alone, he knocked down five of six free throws. 13 of his 25 points throughout the contest were from the line.

His fearlessness in the paint only took the T-Birds so far, because Eastside Catholic would extend their lead behind 15 second-half points from Halliday, which led the game. Tran wouldn’t score again after knocking down a pair of free throws for Mount Tahoma in the third. In the fourth, Mount Tahoma starters combined for just 12.

For the second consecutive season, Mount Tahoma’s season ended one game away from a trip to the Tacoma Dome. In 2020, Marysville-Getchell knocked the T-Birds out in the regional round, and in 2021, state tournaments were canceled due to the pandemic.

“In my senior year, I really just wanted to go to the Dome,” Halliday said. “It’s my first time. It means a lot to win these two games, and there’s a long way to go. We’re gonna get back into the gym.

“It feels great, man. I’m really excited. We’re trying to prove a point this season.”

BOX SCORE

EC: 15-21-18-14–68

MT: 16-7-16-12–51

Scoring: (EC) Louis Grante Halliday 26, Jacob Cofie 16, Bennett Olujic 12; (MT) Asjon Anderson 25, Damian Laffitte II 14, Ryan Tran 9

This story was originally published February 25, 2022 at 11:36 PM.