South Sound results, recaps from the 2A, 1A, 2B and 1B state basketball opening rounds
Ten South Sound boys and girls high school basketball programs are on the road this week competing in the Class 2A and 1A state tournaments in Yakima, and Class 2B and 1B tournaments in Spokane.
The News Tribune will keep track of each local team throughout the tournaments, providing game recaps, interviews, stats and more.
Follow along for live updates, beginning with Wednesday’s opening round winner-to-quarterfinals, loser-out games.
CLASS 2A BOYS
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
NO. 11 TUMWATER 56, NO. 3 RENTON 53
T: 13-16-18-9–56
R: 12-15-14-12–53
Luke Brewer’s 22 points powered Tumwater to a signature victory this season — an upset over No. 3 Renton in the state tournament’s first round.
The T-Birds are soaring to Thursday’s quarterfinals underneath the Yakima Valley SunDome. Three wins separate Tumwater from a title.
Brewer was 8-for-15 from the field, adding six rebounds and four assists. Tumwater’s Gunnar Harroun tallied six points and a team-high 11 boards.
The T-Birds led for more than 20 minutes and took its largest lead (a dozen) with six minutes left in the contest. Renton closed that gap, though unable to entirely erase the deficit.
Tumwater totaled 15 points off of 10 Renton turnovers.
Renton’s Ajayi Simmons posted a team-high 14 points. Senior wing Lake Guild added seven points and 12 rebounds.
Tumwater meets No. 4 Mark Morris in a 2A quarterfinal on Thursday. Tip-off is set for 9 a.m.
SCORING: (T) Luke Brewer 22, Connor Hopkins 11, Andrew Collins 6, Gunnar Harroun 6, Luke Reid 5, Tanner Brewer 4, Brayden Oram 2; (R) Ajayi Simmons 14, De’Rai Taylor 12, Lake Guild 7
No. 10 ENUMCLAW 63, No. 2 ANACORTES 41
E: 12-23-16-12–63
A: 7-6-12-16—41
Enumclaw’s dominant second quarter gave the Hornets a 22-point halftime lead, signaling a major upset in the state tournament’s first round.
Noah Seabrands piled a game-high 22 points and No. 10 Enumclaw cruised over No. 2 Anacortes behind a rebounding showcase at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
The Hornets out-rebounded the Seahawks, 37-24.
“It’s something we’ve stressed since day one of practice this season,” Enumclaw coach Terry Johnson said Wednesday, shortly after his Hornets dominated the boards. “We’re not the biggest team or the most athletic team, so we’ve got to have five guys pursue the ball, and our guys did that today.”
Johnson’s defense denied Anacortes second chances in the paint and forced the Seahawks to resort to long jumpers. That defensive focus sparked Enumclaw’s blazing start.
Seabrands was an efficient 8-for-15 from the field; Enumclaw shot 47 percent from the field as a team.
“(Noah) just let things come to him,” Johnson said. “We got the ball moving, and he was the guy who was open. And we’re confident in all of our guys.
“Today, it was just his turn.”
Hornets wing Karson Holt posted nine points and a team-high 10 rebounds. Junior guard Wyatt Neu added eight points.
The win eliminated Anacortes and pushed Enumclaw into Thursday’s state quarterfinal. The road gets tougher: No. 1 Pullman awaits. Tip-off is set for 10:30 a.m.
“They’re number one for a reason,” Johnson said of Pullman. “It’s going to take another incredible effort and probably a little bit of luck, but our guys are confident. We’re enjoying the ride and we’re going to compete to the best of our ability as we’ve been doing all year, and just have fun with the moment.”
SCORING: (E) Noah Seabrands 22, Karson Holt 9, Wyatt Neu 8, Carter DeRosier 7, Liam Leonard 7, Austin Pierce 5, Ty Hanson 3, Evan Cheney 2; (A) John-Fritz Von Hagel 11, Davis Fogle 6, Jacob Hayes 6
CLASS 2A GIRLS
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
NO. 5 TUMWATER 36, NO. 12 ENUMCLAW 29
T: 9-7-14-6--36
E: 2-6-9-12--29
Turnovers and missed shots were the story for the T-Birds and Hornets. Despite the game being less than ideal for both teams, Tumwater ultimately got the edge in the end thanks to senior Kylie Waltermeyer’s big game.
Leading all scored with 19 points, Waltermeyer was 8-for-24 shooting from the floor including going 2-for-7 at the free throw line. For Enumclaw, junior Natalie DeMarco was their best scorer with 10 points in the contest.
Despite holding a 30-17 lead entering the fourth quarter, the T-Birds lead was almost erased as the Hornets had their best offensive performance in that quarter. However, the 12-6 run was not enough and Enumclaw will be sent home.
Tumwater advances to the quarterfinals where they will meet up with No. 3 Burlington-Edison. Their matchup will be at 7:15 p.m. Thursday, March 2 at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
Enumclaw will finish their season with a 18-7 record.
SCORING: (T) Kylie Waltermeyer 19, Morgan Simmons 6, Rhylee Beebe 6, Cierra Larson 2, Kendall Gjurasic 3; (E) Marissa Lindbergh 3, Charlee Torgison 8, Gabi Martel 2, Bella Firnkoess 4, Natalie DeMarco 10, McKinley Rubin 2
CLASS 1A GIRLS
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
NO. 7 CASHMERE 35, NO. 15 ANNIE WRIGHT 31
AW: 5-7-13-6—31
C: 3-9-9-14–35
Cashmere pulled away in the final minutes to beat Annie Wright and avoid a first-round upset in the 1A bracket.
Maddie Hammond and Brianna Talley knocked down clutch three-pointers to open the fourth quarter — just 36 seconds apart — part of a vital 8-0 run that gave the Bulldogs a definitive lead.
“They hit some shots that dropped for them. We had good looks that didn’t drop for us,” Gators coach Chris Spivey said. “I just thought all the way through, it was a winnable game. We have nothing to hang our heads about whatsoever.”
Annie Wright’s Aaliyeh Martin paced all scorers with 24, adding three steals. The freshman standout battled through a late-game knee injury to be the game’s best player in her first state-tournament action.
“Heart, you know what I mean? She just gutted it out,” Spivey said. “She stepped up on the biggest stage and delivered.”
Cashmere’s Talley, a junior guard, posted a team-high 10 points. Sophomore forward Ellie Bessonette snagged a game-high 12 rebounds.
Cashmere out-rebounded Annie Wright, 44-25.
The Bulldogs advance to Thursday’s 1A quarterfinal in Yakima. Cashmere meets top-seed Nooksack Valley, scheduled for a 10:30 a.m. tip-off.
“You don’t want the moral victories,” Spivey said. “We really feel like we’re leaving Yakima empty-handed, literally. Because we felt like we could have definitely won that game.
“We let one slip through our hands. But we left our mark.”
SCORING: (AW) Aaliyeh Martin 24, Malia Oden 4, Monee’ Dubose 3; (C) Brianna Talley 10, Maddie Hammond 8, Kaitlyn Bjorklund 6, Ellie Bessonette 5, Allie McKenna 3, Katie Piepel 3
CLASS 2B BOYS
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
NO. 7 NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN OF COLBERT 56, NO. 10 CHIEF LESCHI 55
In the final seconds of a one-point game, Titus Spuler swatted Chief Leschi’s game-winning attempt. Instead, Northwest Christian’s junior captain had the game-sealing denial.
The buzzer sounded and Spuler dashed to his team’s bench. He embraced the coaching staff as a mob of teammates surrounded and Chief Leschi exited the court, hands over heads.
Spuler had blocked Warriors guard Brendon Brown’s attempt to win -- a drive to the hoop through the middle - to clinch a 56-55 win in the state tournament’s first round on Wednesday morning. Chief Leschi felt it should have advanced to a second day.
“It was one of those games that we notoriously all year have succeeded in,” said Warriors coach Scott Halasz. “We all thought it was gonna happen. We thought we were gonna hit that open shot, or (this) one, or that one.
“It was a tough one-point loss.”
Brown finished with a team-high 15, Chief Leschi’s tone-setter who hit a trio of three-pointers in the first half. Northwest Christian took notice, and a flurry of new-look defensive schemes later proved vital in lessening Brown’s output.
The Wolverines knocked down clutch free throws off consecutive Chief Leschi reach-in fouls, enough to hold the lead in the fourth before Spuler’s game-winning block.
“We still had our opportunities,” Halasz said. “We had a game-winner at the end, we had a couple inbound plays we executed and got the wide open shot... (but) missed them.”
Chief Leschi exits the 2B bracket and Northwest Christian moves to Thursday’s quarterfinal in the Spokane Arena. The Wolverines meet top-seed Davenport at 10:30 a.m.
“They play hard. They work hard,” Halasz said of his group. “A lot of that work ethic is what won them a lot of games.
“We hang our hat on our (defense), and that’s what keeps you in every game. That’s why we were in this game.”
CLASS 2B GIRLS
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
NO. 7 RAINIER 54, NO. 12 UPPER COLUMBIA 50
UC: 18-11-15-6--50
R: 8-11-15-20--54
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers were down 44-34 and were out-rebounded by the Lions. However, a quick change in the defensive scheme going from man to zone sped up Upper Columbia and Rainier took full advantage.
Not quite playing a full-court defense now, the Mountaineers got out in transition a lot more and scoring opportunities opened up for them. They kept chipping away at the lead until about 90 seconds left when sophomore Janess Blackburn scored the bucket that gave Rainier their lead.
“At halftime, I told them there needs to be a lot of just settling down and not making the game bigger than it was,” said coach Brandon Eygabroad. “We have to go out and play together, be strong and play as the better team. We went out there and battled in the second half. The girls kept believing and it was doable. I’m so proud of these girls. They responded well to adversity, and wanted the season to continue. They really showed some grit.”
The Mountaineer defense continued their lockdown pressure against the Lions and held on for the win. Leading the Mountaineers in scoring was sophomore Bryn Beckman, who scored 24 points in the game. Fellow sophomore Angelica Askey chipped in 13 in her effort.
Seniors Mia Pierce and Sidney Folkenberg scored 21 and 14 points, respectively, for Upper Columbia.
The road gets tougher for Rainier, however. They are now slated to play the number one-seeded team in the state tournament in Colfax. That quarterfinal game takes place Thursday at the Spokane Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
SCORING: (R) Brooklyn Swenson 4, Angelica Askey 13, Janess Blackburn 6, Bryn Beckman 24, Acacia Murphy 3, Haleigh Manson 4; (UC) Sadie Pierce 7, Genevieve Harbour 6, Mia Pierce 21, Megan Christensen 2, Sidney Folkenberg 14
CLASS 1B BOYS
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
NO. 5 MOSES LAKE CHRISTIAN 58, NO. 12 SOUND CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 54
MLC: 13-20-11-14--58
SCA: 17-14-5-18--54
In the first half, Sound Christian Academy had no trouble generating offense. They were able to move the ball, get penetration, and kick it out when they could for the deep field goal.
The second half, however, saw Moses Lake Christian tighten up their defense and start to pour on their own offense. They held a lead as big as 13 heading into the fourth quarter.
That didn’t deter Sound Christian from making a comeback. With less than 10 seconds left in the game, Sound Christian had a play set up that would give eighth grader Michael Coffman a look to shoot a three to get the game close. Unfortunately, the ball was swatted away from Coffman at the last second to seal the game for Moses Lake.
“We were moving the ball and knocking down shots. When we move the ball, penetrate and kick it out, good things happen,” said coach Rich Hamlin. “We had a couple of silly turnovers near the end of the second quarter that hurt us. I felt like we were in good shape. We made some adjustments, but we could not penetrate their zone and were a little stagnant in the second half. As difficult as this was, we have no seniors so we aren’t saying goodbye to anyone. We want more of this, so it’s going to motivate us in the offseason.”
Sound Christian’s leading scorers were sophomores Makai Resseau with 13 and Noah Pitts with 10. For Moses Lake, their top scorers were junior Jonah Robertson with 21 points, and seniors Michael Podolyan and Jeff Boorman with 16 and 13 respectively.
With the loss, Sound Christian Academy’s season comes to an end. They will finish with a record of 21-5.
SCORING: (MLC) Jeff Boorman 13, Dennis Gulenko 3, Jonah Robertson 21, Michael Podolyan 16, Caleb Jones 5; (SCA) Michael Coffman 6, Makai Resseau 13, Noah Pitts 10, Michael Kessel 8, Kona Resseau 5, David Mesler 12
This story was originally published March 1, 2023 at 8:00 AM.