It’s no stretch: GSL in finals
TACOMA – Some observers questioned whether Central Valley belonged in the semifinals of the State 4A boys basketball tournament, pointing out they were undersized, lacked the talent of higher profile players and that most of all their style of play was boring.
What the pundits forgot to factor was the Bears resolve.
The Spokane Valley’s Little Engine That Could wrote the most amazing story in this week’s tourney, and likely one of the most memorable in history, with its 58-48 victory Friday over once-beaten South Kitsap for a berth in tonight’s championship game against Franklin (22-5) at 7 in the Tacoma Dome.
The Bears (23-6) had no 51-point-a-game scorer like Curtis’s Isaiah Thomas, playing today for third and sixth. They had no high flyers or speed merchants who put on electrifying transition dunkfests.
Heck. Even 6-foot-5 Nick Ambrose, the tallest player by far on the CV roster, couldn’t dunk to finish off the stunning victory.
But CV’s style – sound defense and opportunistic offense – stood the Bears in good stead one more night.
“You don’t need to run and dunk to be good,” said Matt Morgan, an MVP candidate for his role coming off the bench. “Just play fundamental basketball, do the little things and if you do that you’ll come out on top.”
The Bears stuck to their game plan, a tough man-to-man defensive style that forces opponents to consume time looking for their shot, and patient, passing offense that eventually finds a way to score.
But South Kitsap, 26-1 coming into the game, the West Central district champion and ranked No. 2 in state, and with a style that was a larger version of the Bears, turned the tide midway through the second quarter.
Trailing 18-16, the Wolves parlayed turnovers, rebounding and transition points into an 11-point finish to the half for a 27-18 lead that put CV’s prospects in jeopardy.
“They are a team of runs,” said coach Rick Sloan. “We didn’t panic and I thought if we stayed the course and took away their inside game we’d be all right.”
What did the Bears do? Merely outscore South Kitsap 20-4 in the third quarter thanks to four 3-pointers by a team that earlier this year was the gang that couldn’t shoot straight.
Luke Clift, CV’s top scorer with 18 points had a pair. Morgan, who, following custom, came off the bench, had another on his way to 13 points.
CV was up 38-31 and South Kitsap went into a state of panic. CV’s final 3-pointer, by Kevin Cameron gave the Bears an eight-point lead with 4:38 remaining.
From there CV did what it has done so well of late, reel off 11 free throws in 13 attempts, six by Morgan, to earn its date with destiny.
“We came out and overlooked them,” said 6-6 post Josh Monagle. “We thought we had a cakewalk.”
South Kitsap wasn’t the only one.
“This proves everybody wrong who doubted us,” said Clift.
Still, CV’s third team finalist was a decided underdog in anybody’s book and the least likely of Spokane’s four-team contingent to be playing on the final day.
“These guys are full of magic,” said Sloan. “Maybe the magic carpet ride will still be going tonight.”
Mount Tahoma 67, Ferris 62: Thunderbirds sophomore sensation Patrick McCollum scored 30 points, giving him 65 in two days, and made six 3-pointers as the Saxons’ season came to an end.
Two of his long-range shots ended the first and third quarters and wiped out Ferris leads.
The Saxons led 13-8 and turned the ball over under their basket setting up his first. They were up 40-39 when he beat the buzzer to end the third quarter.
Brian Hallett ended his career with 17 points, all but two coming in the second and fourth quarters.
Poor first-half free-throw shooting and inside misses conspired against Ferris (25-4).
“You’ve got to have two halves of good free-throw shooting or you’re not going to play on Saturday,” said coach Don Van Lierop. “This was a great group to coach and we didn’t want it to end.”