3A boys state hoops: 5 players who stood out on Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome
Eight teams squared off in four games in the Class 3A boys high school state tournament bracket in the opening round on Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome. Here are the results and our picks for five players who stood out.
Follow our full coverage from the Tacoma Dome on Wednesday here, complete with game recaps, stats, photo galleries from TNT photographers Tony Overman and Brian Hayes, coach and player interviews and more.
RESULTS
No. 3 Garfield 60, No. 11 Arlington 58 (OT)
No. 10 Rainier Beach 66, No. 7 North Thurston 45
No. 5 Mountlake Terrace 69, No. 13 Todd Beamer 59
No. 17 Lincoln 60, No. 1 Auburn 56
FAB FIVE
Legend Smiley, Garfield — After leading the Bulldogs to the 3A state title last year, we saw more of the same from Garfield’s star guard one game into this year’s tournament. Smiley poured in 18 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field in the Bulldogs’ overtime win over Arlington in the first game of the day on Wednesday. The 6-foot-5 guard holds an offer from the hometown Washington Huskies.
Leyton Martin, Arlington — Had Martin not fouled out in the second half of Arlington’s game against Garfield, the Eagles had a good chance to knock off the defending 3A state champions. Martin was electric both scoring and dishing on Wednesday morning, scoring 24 points, tallying seven assists and pulling down 10 boards. Also a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
Nyale Robinson, Rainier Beach — The son of former UW great and NBA player Nate Robinson, the Rainier Beach guard scored 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including making 4-of-6 shots from beyond the arc in a comfortable win over North Thurston. His 66 percentage from 3-point range was the highest of the day in the 3A bracket. Also had four rebounds and three assists.
Jaxon Dubiel, Mountlake Terrace — Had 13 points for the Hawks on 3-of-13 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 free throw shooting, but stood out mostly on the defensive end, making life difficult for talented Todd Beamer guard Will Tellis in the fourth quarter. Had four steals, tied for the most on the day in the 3A boys bracket.
Omarion Boston, Lincoln — Lincoln’s powerful forward flexed on the top-seeded Auburn Trojans in Lincoln’s upset win, scoring a game-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field to send the 17th-seeded Abes through to the tournament quarterfinals.
QUOTABLE
Garfield’s Legend Smiley: “We had to make our own energy. I thought we came out good, but we laid an egg (in the) third quarter.”
Rainier Beach’s Nyale Robinson: “You’ve got to be confident. That’s everything. If you’re not confident, all of your skills are out the window.”
Lincoln’s Omarion Boston: “This is amazing. The feeling’s great. This is a special, special feeling right now. This is my first year here (at the Tacoma Dome), and I’m ready for it.”
This story was originally published February 28, 2024 at 5:35 PM.
