Second batch of games

With Colfax already winning their first game of the boys’ State 2B tournament, Northwest Christian and La Conner will do battle to earn the right to face the Bulldogs in the second round. NWC, who shared the Bi-County 2B league title with the Bulldogs’ will hope to meet them in the semifinals.

In the State 1B girls’ game, Mary M. Knight will hope to continue its recent run against Sunnyside Christian. MMK needed two wins to advance to Spokane and did just that, beating Highland Christian and Lopez back-to-back.

NORTHWEST CHRISTIAN VS. LA CONNER

Cole Ramey scores six consecutive points in the first quarter to gie the Crusaders a six-point lead. Mike Wilbur has all seven points for the La Conner Braves in the early going.

Northwest Christian 17, La Conner 15 through one quarter

Jack Shannon’s bucket at the end of the quarter gives the Crusaders a two-point lead. Ramey leads the way for the Crusaders with eight points. Wilbur has nine for the Braves.

The Crusaders carry a three-point lead halfway through the second quarter, but missed a big opportunity to jumpstart the docile morning crowd at the Arena. Ramey’s ally-oop pass to Reuben Clark would’ve certainly boosted the decible level, but the dunk attempt slid off the rim.

Northwest Christian 32, La Conner 26 halftime

Ramey finishes the first half with a game-high 10 points and the Crusaders enter the break with their biggest lead of the game at six-points. Trying to hold that lead in the second half, th Crusaders will have to play the rest of the game without leadin scorer Kwinn Hanson, who left early in the game to get stitches after taking an elbow to the mouth in the first quarter. Hanson was averaging almost 19 points a game for NWC.

NWC halftime leaders

Cole Ramey 10 points 2-3 from 3-point range

La Conner halftime leaders

Mike Wilbur 9 points 2 steals

Landy James 7 points

Dakota Winward is helping to pick up a little bit of the slack caused by the absence of Hanson. Winward has 10 of the Crusaders’ 12 points in the third quarter.

Northwest Christian 44, La Conner 41 through three quarters

Winward has been the catalyst for the Crusader offense thus far in the second half, while La Conner has relied on Wilbur and james to this point in the game. Wilbur scored four in the third to give him a team-high 13 points.

After Spencer Novak’s 3-pointer tied the game for La Conner, the Crusader’s answered right back with a 2-point basket and a steal-and-layup from Jon Williams to take a four-point lead. The exchange forced a La Conner timeout with 4:32 left in the fourth quarter.

Novak is bound and determined to keep the Braves in the game, hitting another 3-pointer to cut the lead to oneat 52-51. In the second half, Novak has 11 points.

James gives La Conner the lead 53-52. It’s the Braves’ first lead since the opening quarter.

La Conner’s Sten Mejlaender scores his first bucket of the game to tie the game at 56-56, but a neat pass from Ramey to Williams results in a basket and a two point NWC lead. Mejlaender is fouled but hits 1 of 2 and the Braves trail by one with 13 seconds left.

Ramey hits 1 of 2 to give the Crusaders a two-point cushion with five seconds left. On La Conner’s last possession, Wilbur is called for traveling in the paint trying to worm his way around Shannon.

Northwest Christian 59, La Conner 57 final

MARY M. KNIGHT VS. SUNNYSIDE CHRISTIAN

Sunnyside Christian is putting it to the Owls early, currently on a 15-0 run at the 5:07 mark in the first quarter. The Owls finally get on the board at the four-minute mark, but it makes it an 18-point game as the Knights now lead 20-2.

Sunnyside Christian 26, Mary M. Knight 2 through one quarter

The Knights close out a particularly one-sided first quarter, allowing just one field goal by the reeling Owls. Katie Long and Alyssa Haak have been the spark both offensively and defensively for the Knights thus far.

Sunnyside Christian 47, Mary M. Knight 4 halftime

The Owls matched their first quarter score, but that only leaves them with four points at the break. Sunnyside Christian has been dominant offensively and defensively, forcing turnover after turnover. It will be interesting to see what tactic the SC coaching staff takes in the second half. They could continue at this clip in hopes that continued intensity will carry over into tomorrow’s semifinal, or take their foot off the gas and keep the second team in the rest of the way.

Sunnyside Christian 62, Mary M. Knight 10 through three quarters

We have reached the point of the running clock in this one as the Knights hold a 52-point advantage with one quarter to go. It has been a long day for the Owls.

In the win, the Knights held the Owls to a record low 11 points. That score broke the previous record of points by a losing team of 15 points set by several teams.

Sunnyside Christian 73, Mary M. Knight 11 final