Washington (WIAA) high school 1A basketball state playoffs: Annie Wright boys topple two-time defending champ Lynden Christian; Nooksack Valley girls hold off Wapato
Day 3 of the WIAA Class 1A boys and girls basketball championships resumed Friday at 9 a.m. with consolation and semifinal games in the Yakima Valley SunDome.
WIAA BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES | WIAA GIRLS BASKETBALL SCORES
Semifinal winners move on to the WIAA championship games Saturday.
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CLASS 1A BOYS SEMIFINAL SUMMARIES (Bracket)
Semifinal: No. 3 Annie Wright 48, No. 2 Lynden Christian 46
Up next: vs. No. 1 Zillah in Saturday championship, 7 p.m.
In perhaps the greatest juxtaposition of program prestige in semifinal history, Lynden Christian and its eight state championship met Annie Wright, which is in just its fifth year of playing,
But the Gators, who haven't lost to in-state opponent this season, were up to the task, taking down the two-time defending champs and advance to a championship date with No. 1 Zillah.
"This is big time," Annie Wright point guard Jeremiah Harshman said. "We knew this was a big statement going against the back-to-back champs and we were already viewed as the underdogs because we’ve bever brought any trophies home."
And now they have a shot at the biggest trophy of them all.
The teams traded blows throughout the game with each answering the other.
When the Gators took a seven-point lead into halftime, the Lyncs answered with an eight-run to start the second.
Annie Wright, however, didn't wilt, playing through the struggles.
"I had them play through it because at the end of the moment, through it all we have to play through adversity," second-year Gators coach Dominique Williams said. "They’re gonna score, they’re gonna go on runs but when they do score just keep composed and keep your head throughout the entire 32-minute game."
The Lyncs took a three-point lead into the fourth quarter.
The guard-heavy Gators, would retake the lead on a bucket by sophomore post Amare Breedlove. Breedlove matched Reggie Lester to team-high honors with 13 points, battling reigning tournament MVP Jeremiah Wright, who topped the Lyncs with 15 points and seven rebounds.
"He was ready, he told me he was ready," Williams said. "I told him to keep his great energy all four quarters and he stepped up big."
Lynden Christian (23-3) got a solid game from its backcourt duo of Gannon Dykstra and Dawson, who finished with 13 and 12 points respectively.
Martin Kapanger had eight points for the Gators (24-2) and Harshman and TJ Marshall added seven apiece.
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Semifinal: No. 1 Zillah 65, No. 5 Seattle Academy 41
Up next: vs. No. 3 Annie Wright in Saturday championship, 7 p.m.
With the first-game jitters out of the way, the top-seeded Leopards rolled into the championship game where they await the winner of No. 1 Lynden Christian and third-seeded Annie Wright.
After a survive-and-advance 56-54 opener Thursday afternoon against seventh-seeded Seton Catholic, the Leopards (26-0) jumped on the Cardinals, to take an eight-point lead after the first quarter.
They cruised from there.
SCAC West MVP Dekker Van De Graaf scored a game-high 25 points and added seven rebounds.
Zillah senior Nic Navarre continued to be a force in the middle, scoring 14 points and pulling down 14 rebounds, while Izzy Sandoval was solid as usual at the point with 13 points and four assists.
Alex McCleery-Brown's 10 points led the Cardinals (17-7), who will play Lynden Christian for third and fifth place at 11:15 a.m.
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Consolation final: No. 7 Seton Catholic 49, No. 11 Riverside 40
Consolation: No. 4 Freeman 78, No. 9 King's 56
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CLASS 1A GIRLS SEMIFINAL SUMMARIES (Bracket)
Semifinal: No. 1 Nooksack Valley 66, No. 5 Wapato 56
Up next: vs. Deer Park in Saturday championship, 9 p.m.
Led by reigning tournament MVP Devin Coppinger's 19 points and eight rebounds, the defending champion Pioneers overcame a seven-point deficit after the first quarter to pull away in a matchup many a few weeks forecast as a likely championship game.
Tana Hoekman added 14 points and 11 rebounds for Nooksack Valley (25-1), which advanced to its third title game in a row.
Wapato's Trin Wheeler followed her 26-point effort in Thursday's quarterfinal win against Lakeside with 27 against the Pioneers on 9-for-19 shooting.
The Wolves (23-3) will play for third and fifth place against Lynden Christian.
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Semifinal: No. 2 Deer Park 43, No. 3 Lynden Christian 42
Up next: vs. No. 1 Nooksack Valley in Saturday championship, 9 p.m.
The Stags continued their perfect season by holding off the Lyncs to advance to the state championship game for the first time and deny Lynden Christian a shot at its 16th state championship.
Ashlan Bryant scored 22 points and pulled down eight rebounds to lead Deer Park, which overcame its shooting struggles by forcing 11 turnovers.
Brooklyn Coe added 11 points for the Stags (26-0).
Grace Hintz and Allison Shumate each scored 11 points for the Lyncs (20-7), who outrebound LC 36-27.
FOR MORE ABOUT THE 1A GIRLS SEMIFINALS, CLICK HERE
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Consolation: No. 6 Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls 61, No. 10 Seattle Academy 45
Consolation: No. 9 Cashmere 63, No. 4 King's 55
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TOP BOYS PERFORMERS
Amare Breedlove, Annie Wright
13 points, four rebounds
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Tanner Goldsmith, Lakeside of Nine Mile Falls
37 points, including a tournament record-tying 8 3-pointers
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Nic Navarre, Zillah
14 points, 14 rebounds
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Dekker Van De Graaf, Zillah
25 points, 7 rebounds
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TOP GIRLS PERFORMERS
Ashlan Bryant, Deer Park
22 points, 8 rebounds
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Devin Coppinger, Nooksack Valley
19 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists
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Trin Wheeler, Wapato
27 points to follow a 26-point effort Thursday
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