District basketball results, recaps: Jones drops 25, lifts Puyallup into state tournament
Game recaps, box scores, and scoring leaders from the opening rounds of boys and girls district basketball tournaments around the South Sound.
DISTRICT BRACKETS
SATURDAY’S RESULTS (FEB. 15)
4A GIRLS (Winner-to-state)
No. 6 Auburn 42, No. 3 Tahoma 41
No. 7 Emerald Ridge 53, No. 2 Sumner 48
3A GIRLS (Winner-to-state)
No. 1 North Thurston 94, No. 8 Lincoln 60
No. 2 White River 59, No. 7 Evergreen (Vancouver) 46
No. 5 River Ridge 50, No. 4 Mountain View 47
No. 14 Decatur 36, No. 6 Auburn Mountainview 26
FRIDAY’S RESULTS (FEB. 14)
4A BOYS (Winner-to-state)
DISTRICT 3/4 QUARTERFINALS
No. 3 PUYALLUP 67, No. 6 EMERALD RIDGE 47
Ticket punched: Puyallup’s going back to the state bracket.
Senior guard Drew Jones instantly took over Friday night’s district quarterfinals, and the Vikings beat SPSL-rival Emerald Ridge, 67-47, to guarantee Puyallup one of the bracket’s six state allocations.
The slick scorer and dangerous perimeter shooter dropped 15 points in the first quarter (three triples) and finished with a game-high 25, pushing Puyallup’s lead to 19 by halftime.
“(Drew) wants to go to state,” Vikings head coach Kevin Olson said. “He wants to go to the (Tacoma) Dome so badly.
“He was just like, ‘Get on board, guys.’ He was ready to go.”
Puyallup will visit No. 2 Auburn in the district semifinals on Feb. 18, though both programs have already clinched state berths regardless of result with top-four finishes.
“That’s really the ultimate goal – every team, every year – is to get to the state tournament,” Olson said. “Specifically the Dome… Getting (there), it’s special.”
This was round four of the Puyallup-Emerald Ridge rivalry after the programs split two regular-season meetings and the Vikings won a competitive 4A SPSL championship game, 53-48, at Tacoma Community College last weekend. Advantage Puyallup, 3-1.
The Vikings are guaranteed a trip to the state tournament’s regional round: Seeds 1-8 avoid single elimination and compete for 4A quarterfinal berths at the Tacoma Dome’s Hardwood Classic (losers to Round of 12). Seeds 9-16 clash for the final Tacoma Dome allocations.
“The Dome is a really special place,” Olson said. “We still haven’t 100 percent clinched that. We’ve got to be top eight in the committee’s eyes.
“We’ve got some more work to do, but I think we’re right there.”
BOX SCORE
ER: 10-8-15-14—47
P: 19-18-20-10—67
Scoring: (P) Jones 25, Nasinec 13, Hedman 11, Sonntag 8, Looker 5, Richardson 5; (ER) McGriff 14, Norris 10, Aoki 5, Muehlenbruch 5, Turner 5, Bennett 4, Lindsay 1, Pace 1
No. 2 AUBURN 71, No. 10 ROGERS 64
Auburn guard Carter Hansen scored a game-high 25 points, and the No. 2 Trojans outlasted Rogers to punch their state-tournament tickets in Friday night’s district quarterfinals.
Junior guard Daniel Johnson had 17 points and 6-foot-7 sophomore Isaiah Englund posted a 13-point, 15-rebound double-double.
Auburn hosts No. 3 Puyallup in a district semifinal on Feb. 18. Both programs already clinched one of the district bracket’s six state allocations.
3A BOYS (Winner-to-state)
DISTRICT 3/4 QUARTERFINALS
No. 1 AUBURN MOUNTAINVIEW 72, No. 8 MOUNTAIN VIEW 47
Junior guard Kolven Posey paced Auburn Mountainview with 14 points, and the Lions handled Mountain View in Friday’s district semifinals, 72-47, to clinch a 3A state tournament berth.
Posey was one of four Lions to reach double-figures, a team effort at Auburn Mountainview High School. Senior guard Sebastian Arius tallied 13 points; Cody Bennion and Beckett Jones added a dozen points each.
Mountain View guard Malcolm Weatherspoon dropped 10 points (two treys) in the first quarter and finished with a game-high 18.
No. 1 Auburn Mountainview meets No. 12 Gig Harbor in a District 3/4 semifinal at Mount Tahoma High School on Feb. 18. Tip-off is TBD.
BOX SCORE
MV: 17-12-6-12—47
AMV: 18-14-18-22—72
Scoring: (AMV) Posey 14, Arius 13, Bennion 12, Jones 12, Luok 7, McClendon 7, Evenson 6; (MV) Weatherspoon 18, Hughes-Farmer 11, Swerdlik 11
MORE RESULTS
4A BOYS
Winner-to-state
No. 2 Auburn 71, No. 10 Rogers 64
No. 4 Olympia 76, No. 5 Kentwood 50
3A BOYS
Winner-to-state
No. 2 Lincoln 60, No. 7 Timberline 40
No. 3 Federal Way 64, No. 6 Prairie 53
No. 12 Gig Harbor 56, No. 4 Bellarmine Prep 53
THURSDAY’S RESULTS (FEB. 13)
4A GIRLS — First Round
No. 7 EMERALD RIDGE 53, No. 10 BONNEY LAKE 37
Semaj Williams drained three triples and finished with a game-high 19 points to lift No. 7 Emerald Ridge over Bonney Lake in Thursday night’s district opener.
The junior point guard hit all three treys in the first half, the top scoring option for a Jaguars offense in rhythm at Emerald Ridge High School.
Consider Emerald Ridge’s loss to Bonney Lake in last week’s 4A SPSL tournament avenged.
“We just played with a lot more poise, a lot better rhythm,” Jaguars head coach Arvin Mosley Jr. said. “We just had a better game plan. I feel like I coached better. I feel like the girls executed better... just a better night for us as a team.”
Emerald Ridge guards contained Bonney Lake’s star forward Azy Jackson, swarmed by double-teams that forced the Panthers into perimeter shooting. The 4A SPSL South MVP finished with 10 points.
“Really good ball pressure,” Mosley Jr. said of his defense. “We were able to pick up full-court and just cause problems for them that way.”
Jaguars forward Raymiah Jackson added 10 points for Emerald Ridge. Senior guard Savannah So scored nine points and junior guard Naleila Cammack had eight.
Emerald Ridge visits SPSL rival and second-ranked Sumner for Saturday’s District 3/4 quarterfinal. The winner reserves a spot in the state bracket.
BOX SCORE
BL: 8-12-11-6—37
ER: 20-10-11-12—53
Scoring: (ER) Williams 19, R. Jackson 10, So 9, Cammack 8, Norse 3, Fair 2, Muehlenbruch 2; (BL) Meki 16, A. Jackson 10
No. 2 SUMNER 52, No. 15 KENTRIDGE 27
Spartans guard Olivia Collins had 18 points, and No. 2 Sumner rolled in Thursday night’s district opener with Kentridge.
Sumner’s star backcourt stuffed the stat sheet: Collins added seven steals and four rebounds, and sophomore standout Kawehi Borden tallied 12 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and a pair of blocks.
The Spartans host league-rival Emerald Ridge in a winner-to-state district quarterfinal on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Scoring: (S) Collins 18, Borden 12
3A GIRLS — First Round
No. 2 WHITE RIVER 80, No. 15 SILAS 41
Hornets guard Malia Froemke dropped a game-high 26 points, and White River shooters caught fire in Thursday’s district playoff win over Silas.
Froemke paired four rebounds with her game-high 26 points, senior forward Vivian Kingston posted a double-double, and sophomore guard Maggee Schmitz added 20 points in a selfless effort at White River High School.
“They’re a great family,” Gibson said. “They share the basketball. They don’t care who scores. They play extremely hard, and I’m really proud of them.”
Kingston finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds.
That’s 14 straight wins for the perennial contender, a White River program that has reached the state’s Final 16 teams in every season since 2008-09. The Hornets would return to the state bracket with a win over Lakes or Evergreen (Vancouver) in Saturday’s District 3/4 semifinals.
“Our kids played really hard,” Gibson said. “We shot the ball extremely well. Silas is a nice club. They’ve got some big wins this year.
“This just gets us one one step closer to the state (tournament), and we’re looking forward to what’s next.”
BOX SCORE
S: 10-11-11-9—41
WR: 22-30-14-14—80
Scoring: (WR) Froemke 26, Kingston 22, Schmitz 20
No. 1 NORTH THURSTON 79, No. 16 FEDERAL WAY 16
Twenty-three straight wins for North Thurston: The South Sound’s longest-active streak lives on.
Junior guard Shayla Cordis dropped a game-high 25 points, senior guard Soraya Ogaldez had 21, and the No. 1 Rams crushed Federal Way in the first round of the district playoffs on Thursday night.
North Thurston’s Grace Lee and Sierra Cordis added 10 points each.
Cordis and Ogaldez remain undefeated against 3A opponents (and lower) in the 2024-25 season. Since North Thurston’s loss to 4A-Olympia in December’s opener, the Rams are stomping opponents by an average of 40 points across the 23-game streak, or an average score of 68-28.
The Rams would clinch a state tournament berth with a win over No. 8 Lincoln in Saturday’s District 3/4 quarterfinals at North Thurston High School. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m.
MORE RESULTS
4A GIRLS
No. 9 Kennedy Catholic 63, No. 8 Rogers 55
3A GIRLS
No. 8 Lincoln 51, No. 9 Gig Harbor 44
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS (FEB. 12)
4A BOYS — First Round
No. 3 PUYALLUP 66, No. 14 MOUNT RAINIER 50
Drew Jones’ game-high 20 points powered the Puyallup Vikings over Mount Rainier in Wednesday’s opening round of the District 3/4 tournament.
Puyallup’s star point guard took over in crunch time and delivered four field goals in the final period, sealing a 66-50 win over the Rams that puts the Vikings one win away from a state tournament berth.
It’s just Drew being Drew, Puyallup head coach Kevin Olson says.
“They were switching up defenses, and Drew was just being aggressive to make sure that we were getting good shots possession after possession,” Olson said. “He wants to win. He wants to clinch that state berth and go win a district championship. He’s really dialed in and focused, and it’s nice to have a senior like that.”
Vikings wing Mason Sonntag emerged in the second half of a physical matchup at Puyallup High School with 10 points in the third and fourth quarters, a trusted finisher at the rim when Mount Rainier defensive traps fell apart.
“(Mount Rainier) was crashing the boards,” Olson said. “It wasn’t easy for us.”
Sonntag finished with 15 points, and junior post Will Nasinec added a dozen.
Rams guard Jayden Dolce led Mount Rainier with 16 points.
Puyallup’s next opponent is the team they beat in last Saturday’s 4A SPSL championship game at Tacoma Community College, 53-48, just four days ago: Emerald Ridge. The Vikings lead the season series, 2-1, but the lights are brightest for round four. Friday’s district quarterfinal guarantees the winner a trip to the state tournament.
“Back to one of the rivalry games,” Olson said. “We know it’s gonna be a battle. We know that they’re gonna be fired up after Saturday’s game... We’re gonna have to go earn it.”
BOX SCORE
MR: 9-13-14-14—50
P: 15-17-16-18—66
Scoring: (P) Jones 20, Sonntag 15, Nasinec 12, Looker 8, Mburu 5, Richardson 4, Thomas 2; (MR) Dolce 16, Emil 13, Brown 7, Simpson 5, Patton 4, Abdi 2, Tross 2, Keane 1
No. 8 SUMNER 54, No. 9 SKYVIEW 40
Senior guard Colton Kelley paced Sumner with 15 points, and the Spartans won every quarter of Wednesday night’s playoff win over Skyview.
Experience within a competitive, stacked 4A SPSL North division alongside the likes of Puyallup, Emerald Ridge, and Rogers continues to pay dividends: Make it five wins in a row for a Spartans program that could punch a state-tournament ticket by Friday night.
“We’ve been playing playoff basketball for about a month now,” Sumner head coach Bill Liley laughed. “We’ve been putting the heat on the kids to make these games a must-win, to get them used to some intensity.
“It helped us tonight. That Skyview team, they’re tough. They play good basketball down in Southwest Washington. Those guys came up here ready to play.”
Sumner’s 6-foot-5 forward Goose Frederick kept Skyview bigs off the glass and posted double-digits (10 points) on the offensive end. Senior guard Jalen Hyppa totaled 14 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Spartans point guard Owen Liedtke grabbed 13 rebounds – yes, a point guard! – and dished eight assists with two points, committing just one turnover.
“(Owen’s) usually the toughest kid on the floor, and he played like it tonight,” Liley said.
The Spartans visit No. 1 Camas in Friday night’s district quarterfinals after the Papermakers toppled No. 16 Graham-Kapowsin, 66-48, in the tournament’s opening round.
Can Sumner knock off the bracket’s top seed and punch a state ticket? Few teams are so battle-tested.
“We’ll see if we’re ready to go down there and take on Camas,” Liley said.
BOX SCORE
SKY: 8-13-10-9—40
SUM: 10-20-13-11—54
Scoring: (SUM) Kelley 15, Hyppa 14, Frederick 10, Schmidt 10, Collins 3, Liedtke 2
No. 10 ROGERS 77, No. 7 KENNEDY CATHOLIC 72
Rams guard Dylan Gilderhus tallied a game-high 22 points (one shy of season-high), and Rogers rallied for an upset win over Kennedy Catholic on Wednesday night.
The Rams erupted for 48 points in the second half after the offense mustered just eight points in the first quarter. Gilderhus sparked the scoring barrage with a dozen points in the third period (three treys).
Senior guards Nick Sanders and Treyshawn Weatherspoon scored 17 points apiece; Rams forward Ryan Avary and junior guard Joshua Steiger added eight points each.
Wednesday night’s win pushes Rogers into Friday’s district quarterfinals at No. 2 Auburn. The winner clinches a state berth.
Scoring: (R) Gilderhus 22, Sanders 17, Weatherspoon 17, Avary 8, Steiger 8, Draper 5; (KC) Garcia 19, Truong 15, Forehand 13, Mwale 13, Lanier 8
No. 2 AUBURN 71, No. 15 BONNEY LAKE 41
Carter Hansen posted a double-double, Daniel Johnson paced Auburn with 16 points, and the Trojans rolled over Bonney Lake, 71-41, in the opening round of the District 3/4 tournament Wednesday night.
Hansen, Auburn’s senior point guard, fell two rebounds shy of a triple-double with 10 points, 11 assists, and eight boards.
Sophomore forward Isaiah Englund added a dozen points.
Auburn’s fifth straight win lifts the Trojans into Friday’s district quarterfinals at home with No. 10 Rogers. The winner secures a state tournament berth.
No. 5 KENTWOOD 86, No. 12 CURTIS 66
Brandon Tagle’s game-high 22 points lifted Kentwood over Curtis in Wednesday’s opening round of the District 3/4 tournament.
Five Conquerors posted double-digit scoring performances in Covington, paced by Tagle and followed by Mason St. Louis’ 19 points. Kentwood guard Aaron Ton dropped 15 points and Corey Tita added 13.
Curtis shooting guard Skylar Clement scored a team-high 21 points, one of four Vikings in double-figures.
Kentwood visits No. 4 Olympia in Friday night’s District 3/4 quarterfinals. Tip-off is TBD.
Scoring: (KW) Tagle 22, St. Louis 19, Ton 15, Tita 13, Jamerson 10, Bail 4, Ross 2; (C) Clement 21, Ahrens 20, Babbs 11, Torrone 10, Lavata’i 2
3A BOYS — First Round
No. 2 LINCOLN 82, No. 15 RIVER RIDGE 44
Lincoln’s defense suffocated a familiar foe, and the Abes stormed past River Ridge in Wednesday night’s district playoffs.
Abes junior Kasey Williams dropped a game-high 19 points on efficient 7-of-9 shooting from the field, and 3A PSL Narrows MVP Davion Shareef-Dulaney scored a “quiet” 16 points — the emerging freshman at the forefront of Lincoln’s playoff run.
“Williams was a man among boys out there,” Abes head coach Ryan Rogers said. “Only missed two shots, and was just all over the boards, playing defense and doing all that. Davion did his normal thing… just executing and being super efficient and creating havoc on both sides.
“I think we’re playing well. I think we’ve shown that we can still play better, but I think we’re trending in the right direction.”
Lincoln burst out of the starting gates on an 18-5 run and never relinquished the lead, unattainable for River Ridge once the Abes dropped 30 points in the third quarter and led by as many as 40.
Abes guard Trey Collier scored 14 points with clutch jumpers (two triples) in the second and third quarters. Sophomore guard O’Shea Lamar stuffed the stat sheet elsewhere with eight steals and eight assists.
“(O’Shea’s) really being selfless with the ball and making sure that he takes care of it and gets other guys involved,” Rogers said. “He guards the best point guards all the time, and he makes them have to work the entire game. … Pretty much a team effort all the way through.”
Hawks forward Dominique Harper paced River Ridge with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting.
No. 2 Lincoln hosts No. 7 Timberline for a District 3/4 quarterfinal on Friday night, another PSL rivalry. The Abes lead the season series, 2-0, in competitive victories; Lincoln outscored Timberline in two wins by 16 combined points.
“It’s going to be another close battle,” Rogers said. “I mean, [Timberline coach Allen Thomas] is a great coach over there. They have a good program. We both know what each other are going to do. It’s just going to come down to who’s going to do the little details and who’s going to execute and be disciplined.”
BOX SCORE
RR: 5-15-7-17—44
L: 18-19-30-15—82
Scoring: (L) Williams 19, Shareef-Dulaney 16, Collier 14, Hunter-Seaton 12, Wilson 7, Breedlove 6, Holt 5; (RR) Harper 13, Buchanan 8, Jones 7, Thomas 7, Nunez 6, Wendell 3
No. 1 AUBURN MOUNTAINVIEW 82, No. 16 KENT MERIDIAN 51
Sebastian Arius had 24 points, and No. 1 Auburn Mountainview reinforced its status at the bracket’s top seed in Wednesday’s district playoff win over Kent Meridian.
A one-possession game after the first quarter, Auburn Mountainview pulled away in the second and Arius caught fire after halftime. One of the area’s top guards piled a dozen points in the third period and dropped a pair of triples, part of a 29-point Lions quarter.
Lions guard Cody Bennion and senior wing Beckett Jones added 14 points each.
Auburn Mountainview hosts No. 8 Mountain View in Friday night’s district quarterfinals, now one win away from a state tournament berth. Tip-off is TBD.
BOX SCORE
KM: 11-9-19-12—51
AMV: 13-21-29-19—82
Scoring: (AMV) Arius 24, Bennion 14, Jones 14, Posey 10, Evenson 8; (KM) Secca 15, Townsel 13
MORE RESULTS
4A BOYS
No. 1 Camas 66, No. 16 Graham-Kapowsin 48
No. 4 Olympia 57, No. 13 Stadium 41
No. 6 Emerald Ridge 71, No. 11 Union 54
3A BOYS
No. 3 Federal Way 64, No. 14 Silas 50
No. 4 Bellarmine Prep 61, No. 13 Evergreen (Vancouver) 38
No. 6 Prairie 66, No. 11 Lakes 61
No. 7 Timberline 61, No. 10 Enumclaw 55
No. 8 Mountain View 67, No. 9 White River 60
No. 12 Gig Harbor 70, No. 5 Todd Beamer 65
3A GIRLS
No. 6 Auburn Mountainview 42, No. 11 Enumclaw 23
No. 14 Decatur 44, No. 3 Bellarmine 41
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published February 12, 2025 at 9:12 PM.
