Renton ousts Wildcats

Two second-half lulls offset two great runs for Mt. Spokane and the Wildcats’ season came to an end Thursday with a 50-44 loss to Renton at the State 3A boys basketball tournament at KeyArena in Seattle.

Mt. Spokane scored the first 10 points of the second quarter to wipe out a 12-7 deficit and led 30-21 early in the second half before things unraveled. Fouls and turnovers were the culprits.

Renton also made three 3-pointers while scoring 14 straight points over the next 4 minutes for a 35-30 advantage. The Indians were ahead by seven points before the Wildcats (14-11) mounted one more charge.

Ryan Selland scored eight straight points, making two 3-pointers, and Mt. Spokane regained a 42-41 lead with 3:54 remaining in the game.

Ryan Quigtar’s 3-pointer put Renton back in front 15 seconds later. Trailing 46-42, the Wildcats surrendered four offensive rebounds down the stretch and missed four shots before Quigtar made a couple of free throws with 16 seconds remaining.

Mt. Spokane made nine 3-pointers in 19 attempts. Seniors Selland and Jordan Poynor hit four apiece.

Selland scored 14 points, and Poynor and Connor Haley had 12 apiece. Renton had seven 3-pointers, three each by Quigtar and Najee Ali.

Coach Bill Ayers, in the midst of packing for the return to Spokane, said by telephone that his players “took care of the stuff they could.”

“We just played two teams who were ranked all year and who scored in the 70s and 80s and held them where we needed to in the 50s,” Ayers said. “But we don’t have a large margin of error and the balance of things wasn’t on our side.”

Ayers said that his players represented the Greater Spokane League well, losing by just five and six points at state.

“I’m pleased with the guys and told them to walk out with their heads up,” Ayers said.