Game recaps, highlights from the finals, placing games of the 4A and 3A state basketball championships
Between the Class 4A and 3A boys and girls state tournaments, 60 basketball games will be played in the Tacoma Dome this weekend. The News Tribune will be at all of them, providing game recaps, interviews, stats and more.
Follow along for updates on Saturday’s championship and placing games. This page will be updated throughout the day.
Find out what happened leading up to this point in our recaps from Wednesday’s opening-round action, Thursday’s quarterfinals and Friday’s semifinals and consolation games.
CLASS 4A BOYS
Championship
NO. 2 CURTIS 52, NO. 1 MOUNT SI 49 (OT)
Curtis guard Tyce Paulsen came up with a clutch steal near midcourt and converted the layup in overtime, giving the Vikings a 51-49 lead with 21 seconds to go in Saturday night’s title game at the Tacoma Dome.
Curtis (27-3) held on to win, securing the program’s first title since 2013 and third in its history.
“It’s a dream come true, for real,” said Paulsen, who scored 11 points in the win. “I’ve been thinking about this since watching my brothers (Zack and Jase, who also played for Curtis) play. It’s an honor.”
Mount Si (24-1) looked like it might win the game in regulation, when 6-foot-7 senior forward Quin Patterson nailed a corner 3-pointer to give the Wildcats a three-point lead with 36 seconds to go.
But Curtis star sophomore Zoom Diallo wasn’t ready to pack it in, scoring a layup with 25 seconds left to cut the lead to one. Curtis got the ball back and Diallo again attacked the rim, drawing a foul with 1.8 seconds and a chance to win the game at the free throw line.
Diallo missed the first. With the entire Curtis student and fan section holding its breath, Diallo made the second, sending the game to overtime.
“It just shows no matter what — we’re down, fouls are not coming — we just told each other that we got each other at the end of the day,” said Diallo, who scored a game-high 22 points. “You hold yourself accountable. Overtime we just told each other, ‘Hey, let’s keep pushing. Let’s keep pushing.’”
Trent Williams added 12 points for Curtis in the win. Blake Forrest led Mount Si with 13 points, while Quin Patterson had 12 and Cam Holliway had 11.
This was the third consecutive trip to the 4A championship game for the Wildcats, who won the title in 2020 and were the runners-up in 2019.
Curtis is the first Pierce County boys team to win a state title since Foss won the 2A title in 2017, and the first to win in 4A since the Vikings won their last title.
“We kept saying throughout the whole game, we’ve gotta believe,” Paulsen said. “Believe is a big word today. They were supposed to win that game. We had more heart, we had more grit and we won it.”
Third-fifth place
NO. 11 OLYMPIA 57, NO. 3 UNION 48
Olympia (26-6) regrouped from a semifinals loss to top-seeded Mount Si, with a win over the Titans (20-7) that gave the program its best finish since 1998.
And its best finish in the Tacoma Dome since longtime coach John Kiley guided the Bears to a third-place finish against Centralia in his first season as their coach in 1993.
Olympia controlled the game most of the way, shot and defended well to earn a win in its final game.
“Knowing that it was our last game today, and knowing that we could end the season on a win really motivated us to come out and play one more time together, and have a lot of joy doing it,” Bears junior guard Parker Gerrits said.
Gerrits had nine points, eight boards, six assists and three steals in the win.
Junior forward Andreas Engholm led the way with 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting, senior guard Caden Roth added 12 points, four rebounds and six assists, and junior forward Cree Barna had 10 points and five boards.
Olympia shot an efficient 59 percent from the floor during the contest, while holding the Titans to 37.8 percent.
Bryson Metz scored a game-high 18 points for Union, while Porter Hill and Yanni Fassilis each had 12.
Kiley applauded how Olympia regrouped Saturday, ending the season with a win following the semifinals defeat to the Wildcats a day earlier.
“The guys did a great job,” he said. “You can see they wanted this today.”
Fourth-sixth place
NO. 4 KAMIAKIN 84, NO. 5 TAHOMA 62
Tahoma (17-10) had few answers for 6-foot-8 Kamiakin forward Tyler Bilodeau in Saturday morning’s placing game.
Bilodeau, an Oregon State commit, completed a double-double with 21 points and 13 rebounds in a game that gave the Braves (21-6) their best state finish since 2011.
Tahoma upset Kamiakin in the state regional round last Saturday, but Kamiakin (21-6) flipped the script this time around.
“Biggest difference today from the last time we played them, they shot the ball better,” Tahoma coach Rick Tripp said. “The last time we played them, they didn’t shoot it as well. When you’ve got the best guy (Bilodeau) in the tournament, in my opinion, it makes it tough.”
Trey Arland also scored 21 points for the Braves, while Nate Gray Jr. added 13 and Brock Springen had 10.
Adam Davis led Tahoma with 15 points, while Kody Kasper had 11 and Carson Talbert had 10.
Despite the loss, the sixth-place finish is the best in Tahoma’s program history and this year’s group was the first Tahoma team to ever win a state tournament game, beating Graham-Kapowsin in a loser-out consolation game Friday.
Ken Roberts, who coached the last Tahoma team to reach the state tournament in 1997, currently coaches the Snohomish girls basketball team, which is also playing in the Tacoma Dome this week.
“It’s an amazing thing, it was kind of poetic,” Tripp said. “Ken Roberts … we talked today, he came and congratulated us. To do the full circle and where the program’s going, we’re excited.”
CLASS 4A GIRLS
Championship
NO. 1 WOODINVILLE 65, NO. 2 SUMNER 63
Veronica Sheffey saw the shot. Then she saw the available slot.
The Falcons senior guard chose the second option and bolted toward the rim. Sumner’s 6-foot-1, all-everything senior Alyson Deaver presented the resistance, and forced Sheffey to fade away slightly.
It didn’t matter. Sheffey made the shot that broke a 63-63 tie and became the game-winner in the Falcons first championship in eight state appearances, over the Spartans (24-4). The Falcons (25-1) have played in three of the past four 4A championship games.
“I had the 16-foot shot,” Sheffey said. “But I saw the opening. So I went.”
The ball came out of the net with 12 seconds to play and Sumner called timeout with 10 seconds to play. Whatever Spartans coach Katie Hyppa drew up didn’t work, and with just over two seconds left, she used her final timeout.
And Sumner’s star, Alyson Deaver, got open. What she didn’t get was the ball.
“Wide open,” Hyppa said. “I’m glad you guys saw that, too. I think we maybe weren’t patient enough for that play. It’s not a play we run. It’s just something we drew up.”
Catelyn Deaver had the ball to in-bound. Alyson Deaver used the screens in front and dove down the lane toward the basket, but the developing play took an extra moment and by the time she was free the ball already had been inbounded.
And Sumner never got a shot up as the buzzer sounded and sent the Woodinville bench into hysterics.
Third-fifth place
NO. 3 PASCO 56, NO. 5 EASTLAKE 52
The Bulldogs (24-2) scored the first 10 points of the trophy contest before Tatum Wood finally got the Wolves (23-5) on the board. Wood’s layup with 4 minutes, 26 seconds left in the first quarter started a comeback that became complete on another runner from Wood that gave Eastlake its first lead, 35-33, with 3:15 to go in the third quarter.
The sophomore finished with a team-leading 17 points to go with 10 rebounds.
But Eastlake couldn’t hold that brief lead. Pasco responded to take a 39-37 advantage into the fourth quarter.
With just that slim two-point lead, Pasco opened the fourth with a 9-4 spurt that staked them to a 48-41 lead after Leanna Lepe made the first of two free throws with 3:52 left. Lepe made six of eight from the line down the stretch to finish with a game-high 19 points.
The last two came with 12.5 seconds left, lifting the Bulldogs to a 55-52 lead just after Ava Schmidt had made a 3-pointer for Eastlake that closed the gap again to a single point, 53-52.
“We gave the seeds a run for their money,” Schmidt said. “We played teams that were ranked higher than us. Amazing game plans, really good execution and just play our hearts out.”
Fourth-sixth place
NO. 9 CAMAS 49, NO. 7 RICHLAND 45
A day after the Papermakers (19-9) set tournament records for most 3-pointers in a single game (12) and for a tournament (31), they added six more to the second one and set the mark for attempts from beyond the mark in hanging on to beat the Bombers (19-9).
Camas shot 107 3-pointers in four games at the Dome this week, breaking the previous records for tournaments where four games could be played — 1974-2010 (101 attempts) and 2017-present (97). The Papermakers’ 37 total made 3s also is the second-most ever in a state tournament in any classification, behind only the 2015 Mark Morris team that made 39 at the 2A tournament.
Camas held a comfortable 44-30 lead headed into the fourth quarter, before Richland put together a 13-0 run turned this one into a 46-43 nail-biter.
That’s when Reagan Jamison stepped up and saved things for Camas, continuing a run of great play the Papermakers have needed since an injury two weeks ago took league player of the year Addison Harris out of the lineup. Jamison made three of four free throws in the final 26 seconds to assure the fourth-place trophy.
“It’s huge,” said Jamison, who finished with a team-high 16 points against the Bombers. “We worked every day for this. But we’ll be back next year for a higher spot.”
CLASS 3A BOYS
Championship
NO. 2 AUBURN 58, NO. 4 RAINIER BEACH 48
Auburn (26-2) completed its conquest of the 3A Metro League on Saturday night in the Tacoma Dome, beating Rainier Beach (21-5) to win the first state championship in program history.
The Vikings were the third Metro League team Auburn beat in as many days, after defeating No. 1 Garfield in the quarterfinals and No. 5 Seattle Prep in the semifinals. The win also ended a streak of nine consecutive 3A tournaments won by Metro League programs.
“It wasn’t planned, but we wouldn’t want it no other way,” Auburn senior guard Tre Blassingame said. “We want the best competition, we want to play the best games. We feel like we’re the best team in the state and we wanted to prove it.”
Kaden Hansen scored a game-high 19 points for Auburn in the win, Blassingame added 17 and nine rebounds, Dae’Kwon Watson had eight points, and Maleek Arington six points, five rebounds and five assists.
Hansen started the tournament with a good shooting effort in a first-round win over Kennewick, but cooled off against Garfield and Seattle Prep. In Saturday’s championship game, he returned to form, pouring in his 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 3-of-7 from the 3-point line.
“State championship, you’ve gotta be here, show out,” Hansen said. “First (shot) went in, started attacking, pump faking, getting them off their feet.”
Nahmier Robinson scored a team-high 17 for Rainier Beach, while Josh Conerly Jr. added 12 and eight rebounds.
Auburn’s state tournament appearance history dates back to 1923, but Saturday’s state title was the program’s first-ever.
“It feels awesome,” Auburn coach Ryan Hansen said. “These kids have worked so hard. It’s a grind going through this state tournament. We had to battle all the way through. I’m just so proud of them, and they really took this to a new level, some place they’ve never been before. It’s a lot of fun.”
Third-fifth place
NO. 5 SEATTLE PREP 76, NO. 7 MOUNT SPOKANE 69
After Seattle Prep struggled mightily on offense in a loss to No. 2 Auburn in the semifinals Friday, the Panthers (22-7) bounced back in a big way against Mount Spokane on Saturday morning.
“We just had to play our game,” said forward Tyler Mrus, who scored a game-high 31 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range. “Last game, I didn’t really feel like we played our game. A lot of turnovers, a lot of missed shots. We were just moving the ball, sharing the ball and knocking down shots.”
Seattle Prep led by 20 points at one point, but Mount Spokane (22-7) made it interesting, cutting the deficit to seven points in the fourth. Seattle Prep held off the Wildcats’ late surge to win the game.
“We’ve kind of struggled from the free throw line a little bit,” Mrus said. “But we hit enough and made some stops on defense.”
Braeden Smith added 17 points for the Panthers, while Christian King had 15.
The third-place finish is Seattle Prep’s best since 2012, when the Panthers were the runners-up, losing to Rainier Beach in the championship game.
Maverick Sanders had a double-double for Mount Spokane with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Ryan Lafferty, Andrew Rayment and Xavier Kamalu-Vargus contributed 10 points apiece.
Fourth-sixth place
NO. 1 GARFIELD 80, NO. 9 MOUNTLAKE TERRACE 56
Mountlake Terrace (20-4) hung around early against the top-seeded Bulldogs (24-1) on Saturday morning, but Garfield started playing like Garfield, outsourcing the Hawks 48-21 in the second and third quarters to cruise to a win.
“It’s tough,” Garfield coach JayVon Nickens said. “Our expectations were high. We fell a little short (in an overtime quarterfinals loss to Auburn on Thursday). You try to shake it off and bounce back.
“The next two days showed the true story about our team. Waking up at nine o’clock to compete against a good Eastside Catholic team, then to come out at 8 a.m. and put up almost 90 points, that’s pretty dang impressive.”
While the perennial state power — which has 14 championships in its history and won the most recent tournament in 2020 — had its eyes set squarely on the state title, UW commit Koren Johnson still sees a silver lining.
“We’ve been good the whole season,” said Johnson, who scored 14 points and added four rebounds, four assists and five steals. “We just fell short. We still have the opportunity to go to GEICO Nationals, too. We have just one loss. We still have the best record in the state.”
Raphiel Justice paced the Bulldogs with 15 points, while Jaylin Stewart also had 14 and eight boards.
Zaveon Jones led Mountlake Terrace with 19 points, while Jeffrey Anyimah had 16.
CLASS 3A GIRLS
Championship
NO. 2 GARFIELD 39, NO. 4 LAKE WASHINGTON 38
Garfield secured a second consecutive state title in a rematch of the 2020 championship game against Lake Washington on Saturday night at the Tacoma Dome.
The Bulldogs (21-0) lose just one senior from this championship team, Lucille Richardson. She played a total of nine minutes against the Kangaroos (22-5).
That means the vast majority of the contributors to this title are back again for next season in the persons of juniors Malia Samuels and Imbie Jones, along with sophomore Katie Fiso and others.
Those three saved Garfield against Lake Washington, with each scoring a basket during a 6-0 closing run over the final 2:45 of the fourth quarter. The comeback became necessary only after the Kangaroos turned the tables to start the fourth.
That’s when Lake Washington coach Jeff Wilson put his 6-foot-4 defensive force Elise Hani back on the floor. Hani had been saddled with foul trouble for most of the game, picking up three in the first quarter and her fourth in the first two minutes of the second half.
Without Hani on the floor, Lake Washington struggled to get any flow offensively and it opened the middle up for Garfield. Still, while the Bulldogs were thus able to control things they never got totally away.
Rosa Smith also picked up three quick fouls, which put two of the three senior leaders on the bench instead of on the floor for much of the game. When they came back, it changed everything.
Lake Washington went on an 11-0 run over the first five minutes of the final quarter, turning a 33-27 deficit into a 38-33 lead. But with 2:45 remaining, Fiso drove and got under Hani for a layup.
Samuels followed on the next Garfield possession with a driving layup just beyond Hani’s reach that rolled over the rim and in, and it was a one-point game again, 38-37, with 2:06 left.
That set up Jones, who with 1:10 to go took a pass at the free throw line and went right at Hani, who had to decide whether to risk her fifth foul or play more safely.
“Early in the game, I went in there and it didn’t turn out how I wanted,” Jones said. “I just knew the clock was running down late, we were down and I just had to get a bucket. I got it off the glass and it went in. I knew that (she had the four fouls), too. But she just stayed back and I got the layup.”
Two trips later, with the clock running inside 15 seconds to play, Lake Washington corralled the ball near the baseline. Under heavy defensive pressure all the way up the court, the Kangs got the ball to one of their shooters – Rae Butler Wu – on the left side.
But Wu’s off-balance attempt at a 3-pointer went hard off the back rim and careened away as the buzzer sounded on Garfield’s second title in a row.
Third-fifth place
NO. 3 ARLINGTON 61, NO. 1 MEAD 44
For the second straight game, the top-seeded Panthers (23-2) found themselves in need of a rally. Unlike during a thrilling state semifinal on Friday, though, no rally was forthcoming in a second consecutive loss, to the Eagles (21-3).
In the semifinal on Friday, Mead (23-2) had rallied from 10 points down only to fall one point short when Teryn Gardner’s layup hit the rim at the buzzer.
Trailing by seven heading into the fourth against Arlington (21-3), the Panthers instead saw the Eagles extend that advantage to put this one away with an 11-0 spurt over the first 3:39 of the final quarter. The Panthers finally stemmed the run with four quick free throws, the second pair coming from Maddy Fischer with 3:35 remaining in the game.
That did little, however, cutting Mead’s deficit only to 16 at 55-39. The Eagles did make just three of seven free throws over the final 3:48 of the game, but it didn’t matter as the Panthers couldn’t put any sustained rally together.
Jenna Villa led all scorers for Arlington with 23 points, while Keira Marsh added 15 points. No Panther got into double figures.
Fourth-sixth place
NO. 5 SNOHOMISH 51, NO. 7 STANWOOD 43
There will be more days on a high school basketball court for Addy Gallatin. But the sophomore made the most of her final game playing with her senior sister, Ella, on Saturday.
“It’s my last year playing with her, and our first year going to state because of COVID last year, “ Addy Gallatin said. “So it was really special.”
Not to mention, the Panthers (18-5) got a little payback in at the end, beating the district rival Spartans (13-6) to earn the fourth-place trophy in 3A. Just over two weeks ago, Stanwood beat Snohomish in the 3A District 2 tournament, then Stanwood raced to a 15-6 lead after one quarter on Saturday.
But Snohomish had the answer in the trophy game, despite Ella Gallatin being held in check with just 10 points. The senior Gallatin led the 3A tournament in scoring after the first three days with 59 points, despite a first-round bye that meant she’d only played twice before the trophy game.
So, Addy Gallatin stepped into the role of go-to scorer. The younger Gallatin scored 12 of her game-high 15 points in the second half after the Panthers had erased that first-quarter deficit and took control in the third.
“I don’t even know what happened,” Addy Gallatin said. “I guess my team, they were getting me open shots. The girl on me, she sagged off a few times so I had the shots.”
This story was originally published March 5, 2022 at 7:00 AM.
