Highlanders get cold start

TACOMA – Shadle Park added itself to the boys State 3A tournament record book Friday.

It just wasn’t in a way the Highlanders would have liked.

Shadle Park failed to score a point in the opening quarter of its eventual 46-34 semifinal loss to No. 1 Enumclaw at the Tacoma Dome, sending the unbeaten Hornets into the title game tonight at 7 against Union.

Shadle Park will play Lakes today at 1:30 p.m. for third and sixth places.

“It started with the tip play at the beginning,” Shadle Park coach Tim Gaede said. “We had a layin and we didn’t convert it. We couldn’t get any rhythm at all tonight.”

The Highlanders’ inability to put the ball in the hole was chronic.

Shadle Park made only 3 of 23 field-goal attempts in the first half – a dismal 13 percent – and trailed 24-11 at the half.

Leading scorer Robby Douglas, who came in averaging nearly 21 points a game, made only 3 of 18 field goals and finished with 12 points.

“We just couldn’t hit anything,” Douglas said. “I’ve never shot that bad – ever. If we’d made just half of those shots, we would have been in it.”

Scott Anderson was the one to finally get the Highlanders on the scoreboard, making a 3-pointer with 6 minutes, 50 seconds left in the second quarter.

Shadle Park couldn’t get any closer than six points to make a good defensive effort pay off.

The Highlanders got it to 17-11 with 3 minutes to go in the first half. They cut the deficit to 33-26 after three quarters.

But Enumclaw went on a 7-0 run to close the first half and extend out to 24-11 at halftime. Then the Hornets scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to get the lead back into double digits again.

“Our defense made them take some bad shots,” Enumclaw coach Phil Engebretsen said.

For the Hornets, Taylor Myers scored 15 points and Riley Carel had 16, including big 3-pointers to end the first half and another during the third quarter.

“That’s what playmakers do,” Gaede said. “That kid did it tonight. It’s why they’re moving on and we’re not.”

Franklin 82, North Central 55: The Indians stayed close – for a half.

North Central (16-13) made 53 percent of its shots in the first half and trailed by just 32-25 at the break. But the Quakers (17-13) pulled away after halftime behind Anrio Adams and his 34 points.

Adams was one of four Franklin players to score in double figures. Brandon Olsen was the only Indian to reach that plateau, with 14 points.

The Quakers got it done with sheer volume.

Franklin put up 11 more shots than North Central (54-43) and made 13 more free throws (26-13).