State 3A Boys: Second-half scoring drought dooms Mt. Spokane; Edmonds-Woodway reaches first title game in program history
TACOMA – Despite eight consecutive trips to state and four consecutive appearances in the semifinals, Mt. Spokane boys basketball coach David Wagenblast never takes it for granted – every team, every group of young people is different.
But with all the considerable success for Mt. Spokane in recent memory, that last-game victory still remains elusive.
The shooting woes and offensive limitations that the Wildcats battled through on Wednesday and Thursday appeared again on Friday – but this time, no work-around was to be found.
Cameron Hiatt scored 28 points and the Edmonds-Woodway Warriors beat the Wildcats 41-34 in a State 3A semifinal at Tacoma Dome on Friday.
It’s the first time in school history Edmonds-Woodway (26-2) so much as reached a state semifinal, let alone advanced to the title game, where they will face Rainier Beach.
Mt. Spokane (19-9), which takes on Garfield in the third-place game on Saturday at 1 p.m., was limited to nine points in the second half.
“We know that they’re a very, very, very solid half-court defensive team,” Wagenblast said. “We weren’t able to get out in transition like we needed to be able to do to score against them.”
The woes were systemic – the Wildcats shot 27% from the field and went 3 of 18 (16.7%) from beyond the arc. Thursday’s saving grace, free-throw shooting, was a woeful 41%.
Nalu Vargas led Mt. Spokane with 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting from the field and 10 rebounds. Greater Spokane League MVP Jaden Ghoreishi had 12 points and 14 boards – but was 4 of 11 from the field and 4 of 10 from the line.
Mt. Spokane was stingy on defense, as it has been each of its games in the Dome this week. The Wildcats allowed 39, 48 and 41 points this week.
“I’m so proud of our kids, because we were so tough defensively,” Wagenblast said. “We held their best player in check for most of the game, and it just came down to, I didn’t do a good enough job for my boys, and I’m really disappointed in how I didn’t get it done.”
Ghoreishi, Cade Stroscher and Vargas all had two buckets in the early going as the Wildcats built a 13-4 lead. Vargas hit his second 3-pointer of the quarter late and Mt. Spokane led 16-10 after one.
Vargas hit another 3-pointer at the start of the second quarter, but the scoring slowed for both sides as the teams turned up the defensive pressure. The Warriors were especially physical with Ghoreishi, using 6-foot-5 Julian Gray and 6-7 Harris Dobson to lead on and foul him.
Ghoreishi went 11 of 11 from the line on Thursday, but was just 2 of 6 in the second quarter.
“We were trying to go inside, whether it be throwing it inside, or setting screens to get him trying to get (Ghoreishi) open, or having him drive,” Wagenblast said. “And in a game where (physical play) was not called, you have to find other ways to step up. … We were just not able to finish today.”
Hiatt, who is headed to Dartmouth in the fall, drove for a pair of buckets with 90 seconds left in the quarter to make it a three-point game and the Wildcats got out of the half with a 25-21 lead. Vargas had 11 points; Ghoreishi eight.
The teams combined for three points over the first four minutes of the third quarter. Hiatt hit a 3-pointer then drove the lane to tie it at 28. His steal and fast-break layup put E-W up 30-28 and Wagenblast asked for timeout.
Mt. Spokane scored four points in the quarter and trailed 32-29 entering the fourth. The drought extended through the first 2½ minutes of the fourth until Ghoreishi’s layup through traffic.
Hiatt hit a 3-pointer with a hand in his face to make it an eight-point game, but Ghoreishi made a free throw and Colt Kenison converted a steal into points and it was 39-34 with 3:01 left.
But Mt. Spokane didn’t score again.
“I love what I do, because I get to work with some really great kids,” Wagenblast said. “I’m just disappointed for them that the result wasn’t the way we wanted, but we get to play on the very last day of the season.”