Tekoa-Oakesdale sees title slip away
YAKIMA – Who is Ryker Van Belle and what is he doing hucking up a 3-pointer less than a minute after he first entered a state championship basketball game?
Well, he’s a 5-foot-8 freshman at Sunnyside Christian who scored less than three dozen points this season and none was meaningful to the outcome of a game.
That was until Saturday night at the SunDome, when the defending state champions found themselves down by two with the clock ticking to less than 30 seconds in overtime.
That’s when Van Belle found himself wide open on the left wing with all his teammates well guarded, so he calmly swished a 3-pointer with 27 seconds to play.
It still took one last stand by the vaunted Knights’ defense, but the bottom line is Van Belle was the hero of Sunnyside’s 38-37 win over Tekoa-Oakesdale.
“I knew I had to shoot it before something bad happened,” said Van Belle, who only entered the game after a teammate fouled out. “It really is an awesome feeling.”
The Nighthawks (19-10) accomplished what they needed to, which was to let any of the Knights (20-5) other than unanimous tournament MVP Joel Koopsmans beat them.
Koopsmans, who scored 20 points despite being hounded by a variety of defenders in T-O’s box-and-one defense, managed to kick the ball out to Van Belle after driving the lane and finding himself surrounded by blue jerseys.
T-O started the overtime like it started the game, with five quick points. Unfortunately, the Nighthawks ended it the same way.
Casey Cook opened the OT scoring with a short jumper and Josiah Tampien followed with a 3-pointer from the right corner, but the Nighthawks didn’t score again. They missed the front end of a pair of 1-and-1s that could have iced it and also gave up a pair of offensive rebounds after missed free throws, in both cases leading to baskets.
“Down the stretch we had a chance,” coach Russ Tampien said. “We had to make some free throws or get rebounds after missed free throws. We didn’t secure the ball.”
After Van Belle’s basket, T-O took 15 seconds off the clock before calling a timeout. But after setting up a final play, all the Nighhawks could get was a well-defended, desperation 3-pointer from Kelly Cook.
The Nighthawks struck quickly to open the game, hitting their first two shots for a 5-0 lead. They then went almost 12 minutes without scoring, but only fell behind by nine points, thanks to the defensive effort.
Josiah Tampien, who made the all-tournament team, ended the drought with a floater in the lane at the 2:03 mark, but at halftime T-O still trailed 17-10.
The Nighthawks scored six points in the third quarter and trailed by 10. The difference was 32-23 when Koopmans scored with 2:40 to play.
By then, three Nighthawks were saddled with four fouls, making it difficult to foul down the stretch, especially against a deliberate team that had allowed 20, 25 and 24 points in its three previous tournament games.
After Josiah Tampien converted a three-point play at 2:17 and Casey Cook made a short jumper to make it 32-28 at 1:58, the Nighthawks missed three shots and had a turnover. But SC couldn’t make a free throw – the Knights finished 11 of 26 – and Kelly Cook scored from the lane at 50 seconds as did his brother at 12.
T-O had the ball for the final shot but didn’t get a good look in the last 7 seconds.
Kelly Cook finished with 15 points and Tampien 11.
Also making the all-tournament first team was Jim Maley of Rosalia. Scott Smith of Garfield-Palouse, which finished fourth, made the second team.
Garfield-Palouse 54, Neah Bay 48: Scott Smith scored a game-high 19 points, hitting five free throws in the final 40 seconds, and added eight rebounds as the Vikings (22-5) defeated the Red Devils (20-3) in the game for fourth and seventh places.
Smith, who finished 11 of 15 from the line, set tournament records with 31 made free throws and 43 attempts. Drexler Doherty scored 12 points to lead three Neah Bay players in double figures.
Liberty Christian 77, Cusick 41: Jeremy Siefken scored 26 points and Mark Wilson added 21 as the Patriots (21-7) defeated the Panthers (19-7) in the game for fifth and eighth places.
Liberty Christian hit 31 of 57 from the field while Cusick was 15 of 52. Raymond Ostlie had 13 points and six rebounds for the Panthers, who won their first trophy since 1981.