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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Gar-Pal comes up shy in quarterfinal

Michael Anderson Special to The Spokesman-Review

YAKIMA – Just one more basket, Tim Coles thought.

One more basket and we pull it out to bleed the clock.

Coles was hoping his Vikings could open a three-point lead on Moses Lake Christian in the fourth period and allow his backcourt to work the court.

Alas, the Vikings could never get those additional points and the Lions escaped with a 51-48 win in the quarterfinals of the State 1B boys basketball tournament Wednesday at the SunDome.

Gar-Pal’s loss snapped a five-game winning streak in the quarterfinals and dropped it into a loser-out game at 2 p.m. today. The winner advances to play in the game for fourth and seventh places on Saturday.

Coles had watched his team reel in the Lions after MLC opened a 10-point lead in the third period and he felt certain that the momentum would continue in his team’s favor.

But after the teams swapped one-point leads, Moses Lake Christian moved its lead back to three points and kept it there.

The Vikings were by all rights fortunate to be in that position after Lions freshman Issac Murrell scorched them for 10 first-half points, almost double his season average.

Murrell hit two deep 3-pointers and Jesse Bassett hit another.

“We were thinking we could let those kids shoot and they killed us,” Coles said.

Scott Smith led the Vikings with 15 points and added eight rebounds. Tyson Palmer had 10 points and Todd Pinter added eight points and 11 rebounds.

“All three of those guys were the X Factor in getting us back in it during the second half,” Coles said.

Tekoa-Oakesdale 48, Lake Quinault 32: The Nighthawks kept the Whitman County League’s hopes for a title alive with an upset over the second-ranked Elks in the late game.

Kelly Cook scored 12 of his 17 points in the first half as T-O raced to an 18-8 first-period advantage – the Nighthawks led 16-3 at one point – and moved into the semifinals for the fourth time as a co-op program.

T-O will face Moses Lake Christian in the 7:30 semifinal.

Sunnyside Christian 43, Rosalia 25: It didn’t take long for the defending champions, the Knights, to make it clear that they had no plans of having their march to a fourth state title in nine years slowed, taking the measure of the Spartans.

Rosalia will play Neah Bay, a 45-34 loser to Entiat, in an elimination game at 12:30 p.m. today. The winner will advance to the game for fourth and seventh places on Saturday.

“They are a tough matchup for us,” Rosalia coach Rob Hudkins said. “(Joel) Koopmans finished and we couldn’t rebound.”

The Spartans didn’t have an answer for Koopmans in the first half. The burly senior had 13 of the Knights’ 23 points as SC dominated in every phase to take a 23-11 lead.

The Spartans hit 25 percent of their shots from the floor and the free-throw line.

Rosalia also had to play most of the game without 6-foot-4 post Nathan Richards. The freshman aggravated a right calf injury early and played less than 3 minutes.

John Kuhn came off the bench to replace Richards, and Hudkins had praise for his effort in 28 minutes of play.

“He had a couple big rebounds and the 3-pointer he hit gave us some hope there for a while.”

Kuhn hit a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left in the third period to cut the Knights’ lead to nine. Koopmans came back 22 seconds later with a field goal and the Knights took off from there.

Koopmans finished with 26 points and grabbed six rebounds.

Sophomore Jim Maley led the Spartans with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Odessa 52, North River 37: James Glenn scored 17 points and had nine rebounds, Bryce Todd scored 11 points and Travis Todd 10 to lead the Tigers (12-11) past the undermanned Mustangs (13-10) in loser-out play.

Glenn also contributed five steals as Odessa forced 25 turnovers.

Jeff Oliver led North River with 14 points.

Cusick 61, Lopez 54: Raymond Ostlie’s four-point play with 4:50 to play put the Panthers (18-6) up for good in a loser-out victory over the Lobos (18-4).

Ostlie finished with a team-high 17 points. Spencer Shanholtzer added 15 points and Louie Bluff had 11 rebounds.

Jordan Smith scored 21, 14 less than his season average, for Lopez.