Level up: Makai Daniels paces North Central over Ridgeline in 3A district play-in game

The North Central boys basketball team qualified for the State 3A tournament last season and upset No. 1 Auburn in the regional round, advancing to a quarterfinal, where it fell to eventual state runner-up Rainier Beach.

But the Wolfpack were hurt as much as anyone over the offseason by graduation and transfer.

Though NC is recognized by the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association as a member of the 3A classification, as with all the other NC programs during the 2024-25 school year the boys basketball team was allowed by the Greater Spokane League to play a 2A schedule this year in order to promote a better competitive balance for all its sports programs.

By virtue of finishing above .500 in 2A league play at 9-3, the Wolfpack boys qualified to face Ridgeline, which finished fifth among 3A teams, in the District 6 3A tournament play-in game.

On Tuesday, on a neutral floor at Gonzaga Prep, the Wolfpack proved up to the task.

Makai Daniels scored 20 points, eight in the fourth quarter, and the Wolfpack eliminated the Falcons 69-58. North Central travels to No. 1 seed Kennewick on Saturday at 5 p.m. in a first-round game.

Elijah Wright scored 15 points and Trevelle Jones added 14 for North Central (16-6). Caden Andreas led Ridgeline with 32 points and Brayden Allen added 12.

“I’m proud of these guys. And it’s cliche, but defense wins championships,” North Central coach Robert Sacre said. “We just had to lock in and play great defense.”

It’s a unique situation to play a 2A schedule then have to play against a level up in the playoffs.

“It was a bit of adjustment, especially from last year, all the competition we played, and we got a new team this year,” Daniels said. “But we work harder than anybody in practice, so I just believe in our guys, and I knew we were going to pull this out.”

Daniels said the team felt “a little disrespected” playing 2A this season, but they wanted to make the best of it.

“We made it so far last year and did so good, and then we turned around and had to play a weaker schedule,” he said. “But it just put a chip on our shoulder, and we’re showing that now.”

“West Valley and Pullman are great teams,” Sacre said. “So, you know, basketball is basketball. We just have to make sure that we are ready for whoever. I don’t really pay attention what other teams are doing. If we don’t do the things that we need to do with energy, defense – all the things that required to win games – then it doesn’t matter. So, we have to focus on ourselves.”

Daniels made 12 of 13 free-throw attempts – including 6 of 7 in the fourth quarter – as NC went 21 of 23 at the line for the game. Tied after three quarters, NC (16-6) outscored Ridgeline 21-10 in the fourth.

“Every day we work on (free throws),” Sacre said. “I’m not going to leave it in the hands of anything else but us knocking free throws down. They’re free. Anything that’s free, I’m going to take.”

Andreas scored nine points in the first quarter and the Falcons led 19-18 . He scored five in the second quarter and Ridgeline led 31-30 at halftime.

The Falcons (7-14) opened the third quarter with a 9-4 run, with Andreas hitting a long 3-pointer and fastbreak layup, to open their biggest lead at 40-36. But NC got driving layups by Isaac Williams and Trevelle Jones to tie it up midway through the quarter.

NC countered with a 6-0 run before Andreas hit a 3-pointer . Andreas made another 3-pointer with 40 seconds left and it was tied at 48 entering the fourth quarter.

Scoring dried up in the final quarter, with every shot contested at both ends. Wright blocked Allen from behind and Jones’ follow-up at the other end put NC up 56-51 with 2:45 left.

NC forced a turnover and Daniels got free for a fast-break layup. He missed the free throw, but Wright converted the follow and NC led 62-53 with 51 seconds left.

Daniels made 5 of 6 at the line down the stretch .

“We’ve been riding that horse all the way to the finish line,” Sacre said of Daniels, a senior. “And we’re gonna keep riding him, so he’d better be ready.”