State B boys semifinals: Freeman boys start strong to beat Reardan, reach 2B title game

After surviving in regulation and picking up an overtime win in the quarterfinals, there was a sense among the Freeman boys basketball team that it had hit its stride just in time.

The way Freeman started its semifinal game against Reardan validated that idea.

Participating in the State 2B tournament for the first time, the second-seeded Scotties scored the first 10 points of Friday’s game against the No. 3 seed Screaming Eagles, which proved to be the difference in a 46-36 victory at the Arena.

“Honestly, we had a rough start (Thursday),” Freeman senior Colton Wells said. “Northwest Christian, they brought it, and we didn’t for the first little bit. But we got things going in overtime, and I felt like (the start Friday) was our kickover from overtime, keeping it going for the next game.”

Wells, who made the crucial tip-in basket to tie the game before the regulation buzzer against Northwest Christian, led the Scotties’ charge against Reardan. He scored nine of his game-high 26 points in the first quarter, when Freeman took a 19-4 lead.

“Honestly, I think the boys just needed to get that first (game) out of the way,” Freeman head coach Kyle Olson said.

Freeman needed overtime to beat Reardan 66-58 in the Northeast 2B District championship on Feb. 22, the only matchup between the two programs this season. This is Freeman’s first year in 2B after reclassifying down from 1A.

In Friday’s rematch, the Screaming Eagles made just 6 of 27 shots in the first half and didn’t attempt a free throw until after halftime. Senior Jakari Singleton finished with 18 points and nine rebounds, and senior Rysen Soliday had nine points and four boards.

Singleton and Soliday combined to make 12 of 33 shots; the rest of the Reardan team made only 4 of 18.

“Last time we played them, Jakari and Rysen destroyed us in the post,” Olson said. “We put a lot of focus on their tendencies … and our guys did a great job in our preparation as far as sitting on those tendencies.”

The Scotties’ offense leaned heavily on Wells, who made 11 of 17 shots, including 2 of 4 on 3-pointers. He also grabbed 13 of Freeman’s 31 rebounds and had three of Freeman’s 11 steals.

Trailing 36-25 heading into the fourth quarter, Reardan never got closer than eight points the rest of the way.

Junior Micah Hodges scored eight points for Freeman. Senior Vance Coyner added four points and five steals.

In Saturday ’s 9 p.m. 2B championship game, Freeman will face No. 1 seed Columbia (Burbank), which defeated the Scotties 54-50 on Dec. 13 and has yet to lose to a 2B team this season (26-1).

Freeman was 1A runner-up three straight years from 2016 to 2018; Columbia’s lone title game appearance was in last year’s loss to Colfax. Both teams are looking to win their first state championship.

Columbia (Burbank) 59, Colfax 56: Senior Quincy Scott made 3 of 4 free throws in the final 30 seconds to help the top-seeded Coyotes hold back the fourth-seeded Bulldogs and ice a semifinal victory.

Scott finished with 35 points, making 12 of 22 shots from the field, including 6 of 12 on 3-pointers. Senior Tristan Frimodt added 14 points and five rebounds.

The Coyotes took a 47-32 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Bulldogs (24-4) began the fourth on a 7-0 run and eventually got within three in the game’s final minute.

Senior Jayce Kelly scored 30 points for the Bulldogs, and Ledger Kelly added 13 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Sophomore Caleb Lustig had four points, four assists and 18 rebounds.

Colfax defeated Columbia in last year’s championship game, but Friday’s loss was its second to the Coyotes this season following a 70-55 loss on Dec. 14.

1B boys

Almira/Coulee-Hartline 64, DeSales 56: The top-seeded Warriors overcame an 11-point first-half deficit to defeat the Irish , earning a spot in the 1B championship game for the second time in four years.

Eighth-grader Nolan Grindy made 7 of 15 shots, including 5 of 9 3-pointers, to score a game-high 22 points for the Warriors. Max Grindy, his sophomore brother, added 13 points and was one of four ACH players with six rebounds.

DeSales, the No. 4 seed, got 17 points from junior Spencer Green and 11 from sophomore Cohen Wood. Two of DeSales’ three losses this season (26-3) have been to ACH.

ACH finished 13 of 19 at the free-throw line, where DeSales was 4 of 7.

The Warriors (25-1) have been to three state championship games since they won their lone title in 2012.

Lummi Nation 49, Neah Bay 45: Sophomore Deandre James hit two free throws in the final seconds to clinch a semifinal victory Friday for the second-seeded Blackhawks at Spokane Arena.

James scored all six of his points at the free-throw line, where he went 6-of-6. Lummi Nation sophomore Dyson Edwards scored a team-high 17 points.

Playing its third game in three days, No. 5 seed Neah Bay traded the lead with the Blackhawks 15 times. Junior Tyler Swan led the Red Devils with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Neah Bay (20-6) will play No. 4 DeSales for third place at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Lummi Nation (25-3) last reached the championship game in 2017 and last won a state title in 2015, when it beat Neah Bay, 54-33. Neah Bay won its lone state championship the next season, in 2016.