Freeman Loses State Title Hopes, Win Streak

Freeman’s 23-game winning streak came a cropper at the hot first-half hand of Seattle Christian’s John Hagensen Thursday and with it went thoughts of a boys State A high school basketball finals date.

The Warriors ultimately romped 65-40 to advance to the tournament semifinals.

The Scotties’ loss concluded a bleak day for Northeast A League boys. Liberty, playing its second straight 9 a.m. game, was eliminated 49-45 by Chief Leschi.

Seattle Christian 65, Freeman 40

Hagensen made 5 of 7 first-half shots and added four free throws for a total of 15 points to pace Seattle Christian to a 33-20 first-half lead.

His teammates, Jeff Jeremiah and Nate Lindseth, added four 3-point baskets in seven attempts during a stunning display of long-range marksmanship.

Forced into an open-court game by the assault, Freeman, with its more-patterned style of play, could not respond.

“We had a game plan, but got bombed out in the first three or four minutes of the second quarter,” said Scotties coach Mike Thacker. “We can’t do that.”

Freeman led early and kept it close until a Jeremiah 3-pointer late in the first quarter. That began a 13-4 run into the second quarter and a 27-18 lead. The Warriors upped their lead to 42-23 midway through the third quarter and withstood Bill DePell’s best efforts of mounting a comeback.

“It was desperation stuff,” said DePell, whose three fourth-quarter baskets, two of them 3s, cut Seattle Christian’s lead to 49-36.

But the red-clad winners polished off the victory at the foul line, making 12 of 17 shots in the game’s final 6:55.

Thacker said his players were disappointed that they don’t have a chance at winning the state championship. He hopes they will bounce back today.

“You’ve got to move on,” said Thacker. “We won’t look back. We’re going to take home some hardware.”

Seattle Christian 17 16 16 16 - 65

Freeman 13 7 11 9 - 40

Seattle Christian (21-5)-Adam Collier 12, Tyler Bell 4, John Hagensen 17, Nate Lindseth 15, Max Fletcher 4, John Bensen 2, Jeff Jeremiah 9, Rob Peterson 2.

Freeman (23-3)-Preston Carrell 8, Tanner Townsend 6, Bill DePell 8, Eric Hendrickson 2, Jeff Hyndman 9, Todd Reed 1, Dan Shrempp 3, Jake DePell 3.

Chief Leschi 49, Liberty 45

Teams that played in last year’s State B tournament, faced each other as first-time Class 1A schools.

After making a solid start behind Ben Holling and Derek Repp, the Lancers played much of the first half and all the third quarter without Holling, who was in foul trouble.

That enabled the Warriors to forge a 24-14 lead they never relinquished. But the game was in doubt right up to the end, when Anthony LaFountaine made a free throw with 15 seconds left for the final score.

Liberty had rallied to within a point late in the third quarter on Henry’s Smith’s 3-point basket. He scored twice more, including another 3 with 1:03 left, to bring his team to within a basket, 45-43 after Chief Leschi took a seven-point lead. Liberty ended the season with a 17-10 record.

Liberty 14 6 11 14 - 45

Chief Leschi 13 15 6 15 - 49

Liberty (17-10)-Ben Holling 10, Jake Holling 9, Henry Smith 16, Derek Repp 6, Tyler Greenwalt 2, Reed Wiman 2.

Chief Leschi (18-9)-Isaac Richardson 4, Derrick Zigan 8, Brandon Brown 22, Anthony LaFountaine 5, Dominique Davis 2, Rahmaud Lawrence 2, Vernon Jackson, Curtis Dillon 6.