The Anacortes Seahawks advanced to the semifinals of the 2A Boys District Tournament with a 61-56 win at home, over the Squalicum Storm.
The game started with Seahawk junior forward, Micah Dickison, on the free throw line, shooing two free throws as a technical foul was assessed to the Storm during pre-game warmups. He missed both free throws, but things got much better for Dickison as the game wore on.
Early on, Squalicum’s zone defense played denial on Dickison in the low post area, opening up mid-range shots, which aloud Seahawks senior Brennan Morgenthaler to take advantage. He hit a couple jumpers from inside the foul line, and added a 3-pointer for 11 first-half points.
Morgenthaler had help from senior guard Jake Andrew, as hit drilled three 3-pointers in the first half, as the Seahawks led by as many as nine points, before settling for a 33-28 lead at halftime.
That’s when the Seahawks moved Dickison to the mid-range area, where he hit nothing but net on five jump-shots, and added two free throws for a 12-point third quarter. The Seahawks lead grew to twelve points in the middle of the quarter. Sophomore guard Blake Elston’s fourth 3-pointer of the game for the Storm, which came at the third quarter buzzer, trimmed the Seahawks lead to 50-42.
Squalicum senior wing Jaxon Hofer hit his first of two 3-pointesr in the fourth quarter with 3:40 to play. Then senior guard Marcus Nixon followed with a bucket at 3:10, and the Storm were back in the game, down only 54-50.
The teams exchanged empty possessions as the Seahawks hung on to the lead, despite scoring only four points in the first seven-plus minutes of the fourth quarter.
Trailing 54-51, Hofer missed on a 3-point attempt. At the other end, it was Dickison hitting the shot of the game. His 21-footer from the top of the key with 50 seconds left, doubled the Seahawks lead. The Seahawks added four free throws in the final 40 seconds to offset another 3-pointer by Hofer, and held on for the win.
The Storm hit nine 3-point shots on the night to eight for the Seahawks. But the difference was the Seahawks success inside the arc.
Dickison scored 17 of his 24 points in the second half. Mergenthaler scored 17, with three 3-pointers. Andrew also had three from beyond the arc for 13 points.
Nixon led the Storm with 16 points, followed by Elston with 15, all on 3-pointers. Hofer’s 12 also came on four 3-point shots.
The Storm (11-10) will host Sehome (6-16), at Squalicum High School, Saturday, at 7:00pm, in a loser-out contest. The Mariners lost to Lynden, 67-25, on Thursday.
Anacortes (13-8) will play Lynden (22-0), at Mount Vernon High School, in the second semifinal game of the night, scheduled for 7:00pm.
MORE TOURNAMENT ACTION
The Lions had no trouble with Sehome in their quarterfinal at Jake Maberry Gym, leading 40-15 at halftime. The Lions got 21 points and 11 rebounds from senior forward Brant Heppner.
The Lions defeated the Seahawks 72-48 in the final week of the regular season.
In another rematch from the last week of the regular season, the Burlington-Edison Tigers dominated the Bellingham Bayhawks in the second half, and advanced to the district semis with a 76-57 win.
After trailing 7-0 and 12-2 to the Tigers, the Bayhawks outscored the Tigers 13-2 in the early minutes of the second quarter to force a 22-22 tie. The game was knotted at 28-28 at halftime.
The Bayhawks were down just 52-46 in the final minute of the third quarter, but by the time 90 seconds of the fourth quarter had elapsed, the Tigers outscored the Bayhawks 13-4 to take a 15-point lead. The Bayhawks would get no closer.
Tiger junior Logan Heigert scored 29 points, while Bayhawk junior, Joe Harward led the Bayhawks with 28.
The Bayhawks (8-13) will host Archbishop Murphy (8-13), Saturday, at 7:00pm. This is a loser out contest. The Wildcats lost to Lakewood, 80-42, on Thursday.
The Tigers (15-6) will be a part of semifinal #1 at Mount Vernon High School on Saturday, at 5:15pm, against Lakewood (16-6). The Tigers edged the Cougars in overtime in the regular season.
In 3A boys tournament action, #6 seed Sedro-Woolley (12-6) got a 64-60 win over #11 Everett (9-13), a team the Cubs lost to earlier in the season.
In this loser out contest, the Cubs trailed most of the first two and one-half quarters. Junior guard Cliff Tadema hit a 3-point shot with 3:50 left in the third quarter to tie the score at 44-44. Senior Logan Roth added two free throws a few second later, giving the Cubs the lead, but they still trailed by three points at the end of the quarter.
Tied at 60-60 crossing the two-minute mark of the fourth quarter, a steal by Tadema led to a fast break lay-in by senior guard Connor Griffin, giving the Cubs the lead.
Then, maybe the play of the year happened for the Cubs.
Leading 62-60, the Cubs inbounded on their baseline with 28 seconds left. The ball found its way to junior forward, and the league’s leading scorer, Ethan DeJong (good idea!).
DeJong was double-teamed out high on the left wing. He managed to split the defenders, and drive toward the hoop where there was an open lane. He went airborne and flushed a 2-handed dunk with 17 seconds left, giving the Cubs an important four-point lead, and they held on from there. DeJong finished with 23 points.
The season ends there for the Seagulls, while the Cubs will travel to #3 seed Monroe (18-3) for a district quarterfinal game, Saturday, at 7:00pm.
The #8 seed Ferndale Golden Eagles (11-9) also advanced to the quarterfinals as they made it through their own loser out game. They eliminated the #9 Meadowdale Mavericks (10-12), 59-44, Thursday night, at home.
Like the Cubs, the Golden Eagles advance to the double-elimination portion of the tournament, where four teams will qualify for regionals. Ferndale will take on #1 seed Edmonds-Woodway (21-1), at EWHS, 7:00pm, Saturday.
The news was not so good for the Mount Vernon Bulldogs (10-11), who’s season came to an end in the hands of the Marysville-Getchell Chargers (15-7), 67-54.
Seniors Baron Dorsey Brown scored 21 points on seven 3-pointers, and Michael Johnson scored 13 points in their game for the Bulldogs.
~ Ted House
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