Pullman boys suffer first loss of season in 2A semifinals to Mark Morris 52-49
YAKIMA – Redemption is not to be for the Pullman boys in the State 2A basketball tournament.
The Greyhounds struggled through one of their poorest-shooting days of the season and fell to No. 4 Mark Morris 52-49 when an attempted game-tying 3-pointer rimmed off as the final seconds evaporated.
The Monarchs (25-2) advance to play defending champion and sixth-seeded Lynden (23-4), which defeated Prosser in the other semifinal, in Saturday’s 9 p.m. championship.
The Greyhounds (25-1) and Mustangs (20-5) will play at 11:15 a.m. Saturday for third and fifth place.
“It’s hard for our kids. Our kids wanted to play in that state championship game,” said Pullman coach Craig Brantner, who guided the Greyhounds to a runner-up finish last March.
“They’ve probably been thinking about it since the last time we played in it.”
The biggest culprit for the Greyhounds’ heartache was unimposing Mark Morris junior Malakai Gray, who might occasionally be forgotten in the Monarchs’ guard-heavy lineup but was the hero Friday.
The 5-foot-10 Gray hit five 3-pointers – including a pair in the final 3 minutes – to finish with a game-high 17 points .
“Pretty unassuming if you look at his body stature,” said longtime Mark Morris coach Bill Bakamus, who will make his third attempt for his first title in a career that’s spanned more than three decades. “He looks like the neighborhood boy who probably delivers papers, but he has a heart as big as any I’ve coached.”
Gray did, in fact, deliver Friday.
After making 1 of 3 3s in the first half, he hit 4 of 6 after halftime. In an 80-second span late in the fourth quarter, Gray first gave the Monarchs a two-point lead. Following a score-tying dunk by Pullman’s Dane Sykes, the junior hit another for a 50-47 edge
.
“Whether it’s the fourth quarter or the first quarter, it doesn’t matter,” Gray said. “We’re going to take the shots that we think are right and we’re going to play the exact same time.”
His effort earned Brantner’s praise.
“He got hot,” Brantner said. “That’s what happens – somebody steps up at this time of the year and makes plays.
“He hit three 3s behind the NBA 3-point line, so you have to give it to him.”
Mark Morris’ deep backcourt depth was key in the victory.
Monarchs senior Kobe Parlin had 15 points and junior Braydon Olson added 12. Both also had six rebounds.
Deacon Dietz, another Mark Morris senior, led the defensive effort on high-scoring Pullman guard Jaedyn Brown.
Brown was held to 12 points, less than half of his average.
“We got a lot of shots around the basket, but we didn’t finish for a minute or two,” said Brantner, who guided the Greyhounds to titles in 2013 and 2014.
“When you shoot your worst percentage of the year, you’re going to have to fight to stay in the game and we did that.”
The Greyhounds used a pair of timeouts working the ball up court and had one last chance with 3.9 seconds remaining, but a 3-pointer rimmed off.
Sykes matched Gray for game-high honors with 17 points and also had 11 rebounds.
1A
Zillah 69, Freeman 57: Dekker Van De Graaf scored 18 points and the Leopards beat the Scotties in a State 1A fourth-place bracket game .
Boen Phelps led Freeman with 20 points.
1A girls
Freeman 49, Montesano 38: Jaycee Goldsmith scored 16 points and the Scotties beat the Bulldogs in a State 1A fourth-place bracket game .
McKynnlie Dalan led Montesano with 13 points.
Cashmere 47, Deer Park 45: Brianna Talley hit four 3-pointers and scored 14 points and the Bulldogs beat the Stags in a State 1A fourth-place bracket game .
Brooklyn Coe led Deer Park with 25 points.