Falcons Follow Floyd Into Semifinals

Night session

Ryan Floyd appreciates the opportunity to showcase his basketball talents before a large audience.

Tonight, however, Floyd would settle for a smaller starring role than he had on Thursday.

Carrying the load with his free-throw shooting, rebounding and ballhandling, Floyd steered second-ranked Sprague- Harrington (28-1) over unranked but scrappy Snohomish County Christian, 64-51, at the Coliseum.

Floyd scored 17 of his 25 points in the first half and shouldered the burden when the Falcons’ No. 2 scorer, Nick Colbert, spent much of the game on the bench with foul trouble.

The quarterfinal win at the boys State B basketball tournament lands S-H in its first state semifinal. The Falcons play No. 5 Toutle Lake (24-1) at 8 tonight.

“Floyd picked everyone up,” said S-H coach Jay Aune. “He put them on his shoulders.

“We’ve seen him so much that we take him for granted.”

Colbert (14.2 points per game) picked up two fouls less than 90 seconds into the game. The 6-foot-3 senior returned to start the second quarter, but was whistled for his third foul less than 90 seconds later and sat down.

Floyd said the sight of Colbert on the bench gave him the flutters. The senior guard felt his outside shot was off, so he didn’t know how the Falcons would react to an early 12-10 lead for the Lions (18-7).

Floyd changed tactics and sought to penetrate instead of pulling up for shots. SCC repeatedly fouled Floyd, who made 8 of 10 free throws to fuel a 12-1 run that put S-H in charge.

“The free throws got my outside game going,” Floyd said.

Aune asked Brett Bly to shut down Lions forward Ben Swetman, who scored 32 Wednesday against Pe Ell. Bly, David Countryman and Gene Korby hounded Swetman and limited him to 10 points.

SCC trimmed a nine-point Falcons lead to two late in the second quarter, but Floyd had two baskets during an 8-0 run that resulted in a 35-24 halftime lead. Colbert made it halfway through the

third quarter before picking up his fourth foul. S-H backup post Ryan Hattrup followed with his fourth foul. Before the quarter ended, another Falcons post, Ray Schmitt, dislocated his shoulder.

Swetman led a brief spree that put SCC in striking distance, trailing 45-39 heading into the final quarter.

But Colbert and Hattrup avoided their fifth fouls and combined for 12 fourth-quarter points.

Floyd had a game-high 12 rebounds and seven assists. Brady Quinlan, who scored eight in the first quarter, led SCC with 10 points and eight rebounds.

The day’s attendance was 10,818.