Wv Starts Out A Winner Eagles Shake Off ‘99 First-Round Flop With 3A Victory Built On 3-Pointers

West Valley erased the memory of last year’s first-game boys State 3A high school basketball tournament debacle under a barrage of 3-point baskets.

The Eagles cashed in eight, including a couple of timely banks, for a 61-45 romp past North Thurston in this year’s tourney opener.

John Wooden would have been proud, even if neither ricochet was intended.

“Those were definitely horse shots,” said Eagles coach Jamie Nilles. “They wouldn’t have been repeated.”

Still, WV can savor a game that was a far cry from the 84-39 spanking it took from Mt. Vernon in last year’s event. But this one was played in a new venue on a brand new day.

The Eagles play again today in a 2 p.m. winners-bracket game against Washington High of Tacoma, which beat Mark Morris 61-55.

“We had a bad draw last year,” said WV point guard Kris Sly, who scored in double figures for just the third time this season. “This year, we weren’t playing a No. 1 team that was ranked in the nation.”

Nor was it the Mt. Vernon team that won its 2000 tourney opener by 22 points just prior to the WV-North Thurston game.

Like the previous 21 victims of West Valley’s relentless defense and timely offense, North Thurston eventually withered.

The Rams fell behind by 13 points on an eight-point WV run in the final 3 minutes of the first half. And they gave up the ghost in the second half, when the Eagles ran off 12 points in a row to lead 48-28 at the start of the fourth quarter.

“Every time they cut our lead under double digits, we hit a 3 to get up by 11,” said Nilles.

Indeed, in a faster-paced game than the Eagles have played of late, John Focht clanked home a 3-pointer off the backboard from the top of the key as time expired in the first quarter. That gave WV a 16-10 lead.

Then Sly and Lance Pecht each made two 3s in that second quarter run. One of Sly’s was a bank.

“I called it,” Sly quipped.

Even when North Thurston mounted a rally early in the fourth quarter, Tony Kopp, who struggled offensively, had the range from afar to stem potential damage.

Time and again, the teamwork of the Eagles freed Pecht for outside shots. Pecht finished with 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting with four of his baskets 3-pointers.

If it wasn’t Pecht, then the guards were driving to the basket or finding an open player inside.

Focht played as if possessed, hauling down a dozen rebounds and getting loose balls inside or steals off the press. He also scored 11 points.

“It’s awesome playing on this court,” said Focht of the Key Arena atmosphere. “The Kingdome was too spacious. This is like being in the pros.”

WV’s aggressiveness flustered North Thurston into 1-on-1 play and 33 percent shooting. And it offset 22 turnovers created by uptempo play.

“I told them to come out quick,” said Nilles. “Someone has to win, why not us.”

West Valley 61, North Thurston 45

North Thurston 10 7 11 17 -45

West Valley 16 14 16 15 -61

North Thurston (14-11) - Kirkwood 12, Pringle 6, Brookreson 6, Markowski 7, Broeker 1, LeMay 8, Zander 3, Burmester 2.

West Valley (22-2) - Kopp 5, Sly 10, McIntyre 6, Pecht 22, Focht 12, Hollifield 4, French 2.