Freeman, Colfax Post Victories

Both the Freeman boys and Colfax girls reached the trophy round of the State 1A high school basketball tournament Friday with third-day victories.

The two Northeast A League schools will play at 1:30 p.m. today in the Tacoma Dome with the winners placing fourth, the losers seventh.

Freeman’s Scotties pulled out a 38-36 thriller over Onalaska on two Tanner Townsend free throws with a second remaining in the game. The Scotties (24-3) will play Columbia (20-7), a 62-59 winner over Highland.

Colfax, with four players in double figures, rode a 23-10 second-quarter blitz for a 73-59 triumph over King’s. The Bulldogs (20-6) will play Zillah (25-1).

Freeman 38, Onalaska 36

Freeman scored the final seven points of the game to overcome Onalaska. It was the Scotties’ second narrow victory of the tournament.

Townsend scored 16 points, including two fourth-quarter 3-point baskets and his game-winning free throws.

He and Jeff Hyndman, with a dozen points, combined for all but 10 of the team’s points.

Until the fourth quarter no more than four points separated the teams in the close-to-the-vest contest.

Onalaska led 13-11 after a quarter, the teams were tied at intermission, and the Loggers led by a point, 30-29 after three periods.

They upped their advantage to 36-31 with four points in a 14-second span midway through the final quarter. But they failed to score in the remaining 4 minutes.

Townsend hit a 3-point basket with 3:52 to go. Hyndman tied the score with a dunk at 2:44 and that’s how it remained until Townsend was fouled with time nearly expired.

Onalaska had missed a critical free throw with 24 seconds remaining.

Townsend didn’t, and Freeman will play on.

Freeman 11 13 5 9 - 38

Onalaska 13 11 6 6 - 36

Freeman (24-3)-Preston Carrell 4, Tanner Townsend 16, Bill DePell 2, Eric Hendrickson 4, Jeff Hyndman 12.

Onalaska (20-6)-Casey Brady 4, Jeramie Hadaller 11, Luke Bluhm 1, Andy Oien 11, Bart Schoenmaker 7, Jerry McPheeters 2.

Colfax 73, King’s 59

The score was tied 16-16 a minute into the second quarter before Colfax went on a 10-point spree over a 3-minute span.

Becky VanTine fueled the run with six points and she added a layup a couple minutes later as Colfax took a 35-24 lead at the half.

King’s did rally to within five points in the third quarter before Colfax scored another 10 points in a row for a 47-32 lead with 58 seconds left in the quarter.

The Bulldogs’ biggest lead was 18 points early in the fourth quarter. The Knights didn’t cut into that until the final 2 minutes of the game.

VanTine, who always seemed to come up with timely baskets, rebounds or steals, finished with a game-high 20 points and team-high nine rebounds.

Emily Hall had 16 points, Lizzy Mellor 11 and Tara Tribbett 10 to help guide their team to a State 1A trophy.

Colfax 12 23 14 24 - 73

King’s 14 10 11 24 - 59

Colfax (20-6)-Lizzy Mellor 11, Tara Tribbett 10, Emily Hall 16, Becky VanTine 20, Kelsie VanTine 8, Krystel Pierce 6, Joanna Baldree 2.

King’s (21-7)-Danie Blackmer 5, Lindsey Remington 7, Bethany Brediger 14, Mariko Trias 9, Katie Yakovich 6, Brittany Nordtvedt 2, Sara Lussy 1, Jessica Mendezona 7, Shannon Wine 2, Allison Burk 6.

This sidebar appeared with the story:

STATE 1A

Today’s games

Freeman boys (24-3) vs. Columbia (20-7), 1:30 p.m.

Colfax girls (20-6) vs. Zillah (25-1), 1:30 p.m.