Day 1: Top performers from 4A, 3A boys basketball tournaments at Tacoma Dome
Day 1 of the WIAA 3A and 4A high school boys basketball state tournaments on Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome is in the books. Here are the results and five players from each session who stood out.
Follow our roundup coverage from the Tacoma Dome on Wednesday, complete with game recaps, stats, photo galleries from TNT photographer Brian Hayes, coach and player interviews and more.
CLASS 3A BOYS
RESULTS
No. 11 Edmonds-Woodway 49, No. 6 Prairie 46
No. 2 O’Dea 62, No. 10 Shorewood 52
No. 4 Eastside Catholic 79, No. 12 Liberty 70
No. 8 Bellevue 85, No. 9 Auburn Mountainview 71
FAB FIVE
G Dennis Karl, Edmonds-Woodway — No Cam Hiatt this year (he’s now playing at Dartmouth), no problem. Karl scored 17 points and pulled down three rebounds, leading Edmonds-Woodway to an upset win over Prairie in the opening round.
G Brian Webster, O’Dea — Think the Irish were motivated after last weekend’s regional loss to Lincoln of Tacoma? Webster had his way with Shorewood’s defense, pouring in 29 points, six rebounds, an assist and a steal.
F Yabi Aklog, Eastside Catholic — Being 6-foot-10 has its benefits, especially when the skills match the frame. The Crusaders big posted a double-double with 32 points and 13 rebounds, adding two assists, two blocked shots and a steal in win over Liberty.
G Jackson Whitaker, Liberty (Renton) — Liberty couldn’t match Eastside Catholic’s size and talent, but Liberty’s star guard did everything he could, scoring a team-high 31 points with seven rebounds, three assists and a steal in the loss.
G Jackson Skaggs, Bellevue — Nearly had a double-double with 22 points, nine rebounds and a pair of steals on an efficient 8-of-16 shooting from the field. Made four of his five free throw attempts.
QUOTABLE
Bellevue’s Jackson Skaggs on the team peaking at the right time: “We had a bit of a dry spell in the middle of the season, kind of feeling down. Now that we’re back up, it feels great.”
Eastside Catholic’s Yabi Aklog on his dominant effort: “I know what I have to do. I know I have to score, rebound, do all that, get blocks. I just try to buy into that and play my role. “Everybody has a role. That’s my role.”
O’Dea guard Brian Webster on quarterfinal matchup with Rainier Beach, Part 5: “We’ve gotta bring energy from the start like we usually do. I feel like we’ll get them if we just play defense and take care of the ball.”
CLASS 4A BOYS
RESULTS
No. 6 Puyallup 60, No. 11 Chiawana 51
No. 7 Emerald Ridge 63, No. 10 Redmond 47
No. 4 Glacier Peak 57, No. 13 Woodinville 38
No. 8 West Valley 71, No. 9 Auburn 67
FAB FIVE
G Mychal Turner, Emerald Ridge — Wasn’t the team’s leading scorer, but a contested shot on the low block and a clutch 3-pointer on consecutive trips down the floor iced the game against Redmond in the fourth quarter. Scored 13 points, had six rebounds, an assist, a blocked shot and two steals.
F Will Nasinec, Puyallup — Puyallup’s post has been virtually unstoppable as of late and kept his scorching pace up on Wednesday, posting a 23-point, 12-rebound double double. Hit three of his six 3-point attempts.
F Paulos Mulugeta, Glacier Peak — Forward scored 20 points, knocking down four 3-pointers and shooting 7-of-9 from the field with five rebounds in win over Woodinville.
G Luke Unruh, Woodinville — A quiet night for Woodinville’s offense, except Unruh, who scored 20 points, had five rebounds and three assists.
G Austin Birley, West Valley of Yakima — Guard posted a double-double, scoring 22 points with 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots.
QUOTABLE
Will Nasinec on Puyallup’s defensive effort: “I think the only points they had in the first quarter were free throws. Just being solid, playing straight-up. We feel like we’re, defensively, a great team. We can play together and switch things and talk.”
Paulos Mulugeta on Glacier Peak’s 3-point shooting: “Our coach tells us: If you’re at the Dome, the No. 1 thing is layups. Layups, free throws, rebounds… all that stuff is what’s going to help you win the game. Threes are like the cherry on top.”
