Last-gasp shot knocks off Curlew

YAKIMA – Curlew will be revisiting the same question several times in upcoming days.

Just how did the Cougars allow an opponent’s best player to wiggle free and beat them with a last-second jumper?

Whatever the answer, Liberty Christian’s Drew Hegarty knocked down a 15-foot jumper with 2 seconds left Saturday to lift the Patriots to a 49-48 victory over Curlew for third place in the State 1B boys basketball tournament at the SunDome.

Curlew settled for sixth place and finished its season 17-10. Sunnyside Christian won the boys title Tulalip Heritage 58-50.

The Cougars took a 48-47 lead with 15 seconds left when guard Dillon Strandberg located Austin Mannick in the post for a layup. After a timeout, however, Curlew failed to keep track of Hegarty when he curled around a screen, got himself a wide-open look and drilled the shot.

Hegarty, who finished with 11 points, came into the game averaging 18.3 per game in the state tournament.

“It was a high-pressure shot, and he hit nothing but net,” said Curlew coach Doug Grumbach, who announced after the game he was stepping down to take over his parents’ cattle ranch operation. “It does hurt. We feel like we should be the third-best team in the state.”

Mannick was an active presence in the post and finished with 24 points and eight rebounds. He played all 32 minutes.

The Cougars couldn’t slow Liberty Christian’s offense in the second half. The Patriots made 13 of 28 attempts from the floor in the second half to overcome their 7-for-24 effort in the first two quarters.

Grumbach and Strandberg both said they were proud of how the team overcame midseason adversity and reached the state semifinals.

“I thought we had a great run at the state tournament,” Grumbach said. “We struggled many times, but it seemed like we got over it. It was the perfect time to make a run. I think the guys created some special memories for themselves.”