4A state regionals: Lewis and Clark, Gonzaga Prep teams win

The Lewis and Clark Tigers weren’t about to make it easy on their state regional opponents Saturday at West Valley High School.

The Lewis and Clark girls, led by Riley Lupfer’s all-around performance, pulled away for a 70-46 win over the undersized Sunnyside Grizzlies. Then, the Tiger boys, playing in their first state tournament game in 20 years, locked down the Davis Pirates for a 56-39 victory.

With the wins, both teams will travel to the Tacoma Dome for state quarterfinal games Thursday against opponents to be determined today. Both 4A State draws take place at 3 p.m.

Boys

Lewis and Clark 56, Davis 39: Senior guard Isaiah Hernandez set the stage, scoring 11 of his game-high 17 points in the first quarter, as the Tigers (20-6) tallied their 20th victory for only the third time in school history and for the first time in half a century.

“My team trusts me with the ball,” said Hernandez, who had three steals to boot. “We have six seniors. We’ve been visualizing this for four years now. We’re super excited and very blessed.”

Despite the early buckets, Hernandez’s best play in the first quarter was a jumping touch-pass in the lane to sophomore Naje Smith, who promptly rose up for a two-hand dunk and an early 12-4 lead. The play was indicative of Lewis and Clark’s unselfish play, and the Tigers never looked back.

“For three quarters of the season, we’ve been good defensively,” said Tigers coach Jim Redmon. “We had a team meeting [recently] and they really bought in.”

The Tigers’ defense was tremendous. During one stretch in the first quarter, Lewis and Clark forced turnovers on five of seven Davis possessions. Trailing 20-9 after one quarter and 33-19 at the half, any hopes of a Pirate siege was squelched when the Tigers held them to just 3-for-19 in the third quarter.

“They definitely have the size, and they definitely have the speed,” said Davis coach Eli Juarez of the Tigers’ chances in Tacoma. “But there’s some tough teams out there. We’ll have to see.”

Smith finished with 10 points, and Dominick Oliveri pulled down 11 rebounds for Lewis and Clark. Davis, which was led by Jonathan Imperial’s 13 points, finishes the season at 14-8.

Gonzaga Prep 34, Wenatchee 32: Sam Lockett followed up a dunk with a game-sealing steal with 5 seconds left to send the Bullpups (23-2) past the Panthers in a state regional game at Eastmont High School in East Wenatchee.

Wenatchee had the ball with 2.1 seconds left, but couldn’t get a good look at the hoop.

Lockett scored a team-high 11 points for Gonzaga Prep, which claimed a spot in the 4A State tournament.

Girls

Lewis and Clark 70, Sunnyside 46: The Tigers’ size and experience were too much for the guard-heavy Grizzlies as Lewis and Clark blew open a tight game in the fourth quarter.

The Tigers (18-6) featured a balanced attack, with four players scoring in double figures. Lupfer led the attack with 22 points, including 16 in the second half, while grabbing seven rebounds and dishing out five assists. Fellow senior Brooklyn Howlett opened the game in a frenzy, pitching in 12 of her 18 points in the first quarter, and senior Taylor Cunningham had 14 and seven boards. Freshman guard Dominique Arquette tossed in 10.

“We had a pile of rebounds,” said Lewis and Clark coach George Pfeiffer, whose team outrebounded the Grizzlies 30-10 and also tallied 17 assists. “Our freshmen are growing up, and our seniors are setting the tone.”

Junior guard Emilee Maldonado led the Grizzlies (14-7) with 23 points, including a third-quarter 3-point barrage that kept the game close. “She has the heart of a champion,” Sunnyside coach Enrique Puente said of his star guard. “She never gives up.”

The Grizzlies (14-7) cut the lead to 49-40 on Ashley Maldonado’s 3 to open the fourth quarter, but the Tigers outscored Sunnyside 21-6 to close out the contest.

Pfeiffer acknowledged that his team’s ball-handling was a bit “goofy” in the first half, and the score was tied at 16 after the first quarter. But Sunnyside’s pressure couldn’t outmatch the Tigers’ inside advantage, and for the game, the Grizzlies managed just two steals.

Pfeiffer said his team is embracing the opportunity to play in the state quarterfinals.

“I’ve been coaching 35 years,” he said. “And this is every bit as good a group of kids as I’ve been around.”