2A Boys State Tournament: Anacortes Advances to State Semifinals

The Anacortes Seahawks are headed for the 2A boys state semifinals, after a 71-61 win over the Tumwater Thunderbirds.  It will be the Seahawks first semifinal appearance since their second-place finish in 2015.  They are also assured of their first state tournament hardware since 2017.

The Thunderbirds scored six quick points on two 3-point shots which prompted a Seahawks timeout just 90 seconds into the game.  That would be all the scoring Tumwater could accomplish in the first eight minutes.

It took the Seahawks a while to adjust to the surroundings, as the game was tied at just 6-6 with 1:40 left in the opening period.  But the Seahawks closed on a run that included a steal and lay-in by junior guard Lucas Roberts, and a lengthy 3-pointer at the buzzer by senior forward Micah Dickison. 

The Seahawks led 11-6 at the quarter, then Dickison added another bucket to start the second quarter, which ended the Seahawks 13-0 run.

Anacortes stretched the lead to as much as nine points in the second quarter and led 29-20 at halftime. 

Tumwater 6-4 junior forward Landon Anchors scored 24 points in the Thunderbirds win over West Valley-Spokane on Wednesday.  On this night, he was held to just three points through the first three quarters due to the defense of senior forward Brennan Morgenthaler, with help from junior forward Ryan Harrington.  Two of those free throws came with nine seconds left in the third quarter. 

In the fourth quarter, the Thunderbirds went to constant pressing and trapping.  They managed to whittle down a 16-point lead to single-digits, as both teams raced end to end.  The Thunderbirds scored 33 points through the first three quarters, and 28 in the fourth. 

But the Seahawks were doing enough to keep a comfortable lead as Dickison scored 14 of his game-high 29 points in the final eight minutes.

Harrington was the only other Seahawk in double figures, as he scored ten points.  But the Seahawks had four more players between six and nine points.

The biggest difference in the game, statistically, was the 24 turnovers committed by the Thunderbirds to just six for the Seahawks.

The #5 seeded Thunderbirds (22-4) will play in an elimination game, Friday at 200pm, against the loser of the game in progress between Renton and RA Long.

The Seahawks will play the winner of that contest at 900pm in the second state semifinal.  The first semifinal game will be at 715pm between #1 Bremerton and #11 Columbia River.

~ Ted House

STATS

Tumwater: Wall 0, Reamer 16, Anchors 11, Bello 11, Konrad 0, Johnson 0, Overbay 5, Balsley 13, Reid 5

FG: 21-47, 44.7%

3P: 9-23, 39.1%

FT: 10-16, 62.5%

Anacortes: Houston 0, S.Roberts 9, Willoughby 7, L.Roberts 8, Moore 2, Harrington 10, Morgenthaler 6, Dickison 29.

FG: 28-60, 46.7%

3P: 6-16, 37.5%

FT: 9-16, 56.3%