Seahawks Squeek by Cubs in OT

Anacortes junior guard Spencer Roberts swished a 17-foot shot from the right baseline with 3.5 seconds left on overtime, as the Seahawks won a “battle royale,” 65-63, over Sedro-Woolley, Monday night in the Cubs gym.

The rivalry between the Seahawks and the Cubs is obvious, but this one doesn’t have a cool nickname, like the “Tiger-Hawk Challenge,” or the “Battle of the Bridge,” or even my personal favorite, “Chickenfest.”  But maybe it needs one.

If I were to give it a name just for this night, the “WoolleyCortes Brawl,” would be one consideration.

A four or five-point lead in this game seemed insurmountable, but if there were any leads that size, they were short lived.

To get to overtime, Cubs senior forward Ethan DeJong blocked a driving lay-in attempt by Seahawks senior guard Brennan Morgenthaler with 28 seconds left in regulation.  The Seahawks were leading by two points at the time.  That action was the result of a steal on the Cubs perimeter by Spencer Roberts.  He fed Morgenthaler who then went hard to the rim, one-on-one with DeJong.  The Cubs got the rebound and played on as the clock ran down.

A missed 3-pointer from the left corner by the Cubs junior forward Camden Howell was eventually corralled by Morgenthaler, who from his back tried to hit a teammate before he slid out of bounds.  His pass was intercepted by Cubs senior guard Cliff Tadema, who backhanded a pass to the cutting DeJong, who scooped in the tying shot with ten seconds left.

After consecutive timeouts by the Seahawks, they worked the ball down the floor but were unable to get a shot off, as the Cubs were able to knock the ball loose three seconds left, and the clocked ticked away, with the game even at 59-59.

With 1:55 left in overtime, Anacortes senior guard Gunner Willoughby, hit two free throws to tie the game at 63-63.  Willoughby had re-entered the game after getting hit in the face with an elbow with just under two minutes left in regulation.  He was bloodied when he left the game but came back and played an important role.

The teams went through empty possessions through the final two minutes of overtime until the Seahawks had a chance to take the lead in the final 30 seconds. 

Tadema stepped through a double-team on the right wing and drove for a ten-foot jumper but drew defense from 6-4 senior forward, Micah Dickison.  Morgenthaler grabbed the rebound, and the Seahawks played for the win.

With 12 seconds left, Dickison drove from the right wing into the key, but picked up plenty of attention along the way, only to have Tadema block his scoop shot.  Just as DeJong secured the ball for a brief second, he then turned his head down the floor.  But before he secured the ball, Willoughby poked it free from DeJong’s blind side.  The ball landed directly in the hands of Spencer Roberts, who immediately sent the ball through the net for the game winner.

The Cubs had 3.5 seconds left from the baseline in back court.  DeJong was the first option but was covered running up the right sideline.  So, the ball ended up in the hands of senior forward Isaac Johnson, 25 feet out on the left wing.  Johnson could not get into good shooting position after receiving the ball, and with Morgenthaler holding strong close by with hands raised, Johnson could not get anything on the shot to make it close.

Spencer Roberts and Morgenthaler led the Seahawks with 15 points each.  Roberts had two 3-pointers and two dunks.  Morgenthaler just made every shot he put up, including three 3-pointers.  Dickison had 14 points, and Lucas Roberts added 13.

DeJong led the Cubs with 27 points.  Howell came of the bench to add 13 for the Cubs, with four 3-pointers.  Johnson finished with 11.

The game was played with post-season intensity, with neither team gaining more than a five-point lead.  The score was knotted at the end of the second, third, and fourth quarters.

The Seahawks have played two games so far, both league games and are now 2-0 on the season.  The Cubs fall to 1-1 in the NWC, and 2-1 on the season.

This was truly a February game in December.

~ Ted House