TACOMA — It all began on the Internet.
Before his team’s 2007-2008 season began, Edmonds-Woodway boys basketball coach Gail Pintler made a bold prediction on the Warriors’ Web site: E-W will play a game March 1, Pintler proclaimed online.
That meant the Warriors would have to advance to the final day of the Class 4A state tournament for the first time in program history.
On Friday, Pintler’s team turned the coach’s prediction into fact.
Propelled by another fine defensive performance and 31 combined points by seniors Connor Donaldson and James Conti, Edmonds-Woodway blasted Foss 59-44 in a loser-out consolation game during the 4A state tourney at the Tacoma Dome.
“Looking at what we had, you wouldn’t be real excited,” Pintler said, poking fun at his lofty preseason prediction.
But the Warriors turned into a fine team, thanks largely to their reliable defense. For the second time in three games this week, they limited an opponent to less than 45 points.
“That’s what we do,” said Pintler.
Sean Laue contributed seven rebounds and six points for E-W (21-5), which plays Lincoln (24-5) at 1:30 p.m. today in the fourth/seventh-place game.
“It really hasn’t set in yet,” Donaldson said of clinching a top-eight trophy. “We’re still trying to get top five instead of (just) top eight.”
“It’s crazy,” he added. “All the hard work pays off.”
E-W limited Foss to just 13 points in the first half, including five in the opening quarter. The Falcons had 10 turnovers in the first two quarters and only one Foss player, TeAire Bell, scored at least 10 points.
E-W made 18 of 45 (40 percent) field-goal attempts in the game — not overly impressive — but it limited Foss to a woeful 15-for-51 (29.4 percent) shooting effort.
“We just wanted to slow it down,” Conti said. “(The Falcons) like to run.”
Foss ran plenty, but it didn’t score much.
Pintler said he doesn’t know much about Lincoln, which beat Mariner in the first round, lost against Federal Way in the quarterfinals and defeated Shadle Park Friday in an earlier loser-out consolation contest.
At the Tacoma Dome
Foss10141421—59
E-W581120—44
Edmonds-Woodway—Ortiz 4, Wilson 3, McCartney 3, Conti 14, Wafer 6, Reilly 2, Enquist 4, Laue 6, Heard, Donaldson 17, Polovina, Willcock. Foss—Harper, Walker 6, Gorham 6, Carter 3, Cruell 4, Edwards 6, Brown, Bell 10, Lewis, Payne 2, Thompson 7, Sutton. 3-point goals—Wafer 2, Donaldson 1, Cruell 1, Edwards 1. Records—Edmonds-Woodway 21-5 overall. Foss 16-13.
Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam.
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