MILL CREEK – The Western Conference hasn’t seen the last of Jon Brockman.
Facing elimination from the 4A District 1 playoffs, Brockman’s Snohomish Panthers blitzed Mount Vernon in the third quarter and came away with a 76-62 win over the Bulldogs in a loser-out game Tuesday at Jackson High School.
Dan Bates / The Herald
Had Snohomish lost, it would have marked the end of Brockman’s high school career. The University of Washington-bound forward will play at least one more game, now.
Snohomish faces Meadowdale, which ousted Shorewood 61-52, in a winner-to-state, loser-out third-place game at 8 p.m. Friday at the Marysville-Pilchuck gym.
Brockman began the second half with three straight scores. His first basket, off an offensive rebound, made it a one-point game. His second gave Snohomish a lead it would not relinquish. He then made one of two free throws for his fifth straight point, launching the Panthers on a 23-7 quarter.
Brockman, who scored only two points in the first half – albeit on a thunderous dunk – finished with 21. While he is without question the Panthers’ leading performer, there were three Oscar-worthy supporting roles played by teammates Tuesday.
The first and foremost was by Jake Hammons, who scored 21 points on seven 3-point goals. He kept Snohomish in the game with four 3s in the first half, including two which brought Snohomish back from its largest deficit at 30-19.
“I just think I can make anytrhing,” Hammons said. “I was just smiling and throwing them up there. Sometimes it happens that way.”
Hammons also made a 3 midway through the third period which was followed by a steal and lay-in by Seth Follis, giving the Panthers a 44-33 advantage and their first double-digit lead of the game.
Follis, who finished with 13 points, also had a steal and layin at the end of the first half which cut Mount Vernon’s lead to three at 30-27 and seemed to send a jolt through the Panthers.
“That gave us the confidence that in the next 16 minutes, if we corrected some things, we’d have a chance,” Snohomish coach Len Bone said.
Follis was also the principle Panther in dealing with Mount Vernon’s game-long, full-court trapping press.
Snohomish had difficulty with Mountlake Terrace’s pressure defense in a 65-42 semifinal loss Friday.
“Mountlake Terrace stole everything,” Hammons said. “We weren’t ready for it. We spent a lot of practice time learning how to break the press.”
The third Panther in double figures was forward Nate Van Duine (15 points), who did almost as must damage in the middle as Brockman.
He had two baskets in a 12-0 first-quarter run that gave Snohomish a 15-7 lead.
The Panthers got sloppy after that, contributing to a 14-0 Mount Vernon run with seven turnovers.
“I’m glad we came back and played like we should have,” Hammons said.
Friday’s game against Meadowdale will be a rematch of a first-round district contest won by Snohomish, 51-48.
“It’s always scary when you play Jon Brockman,” Meadowdale coach Chad McGuire said. “Our guys are excited to play the game. He’s one of the best players in the country. It’s going to be a great challenge, but it”ll be fun on Friday.”
At Mill Creek
Mount Vernon1416725-62
Snohomish17102326-76
Mount Vernon-Burns 14, Moore 9, Squires 5, Kendrick 17, Boon 4, Juarez 13. Snohomish-Follis 13, Reinhard 6, Hammons 21, Brockman 21, Van Duine 15. 3-point goals-Kendrick 4, Squires 1, Burns 1, Reinhard 1, Hammons 7. Records-Mount Vernon 16-7 overall. Snohomish 17-6.
Meadowdale 61, Shorewood 52: Meadowdale came from behind in the second half. Behind by six at the break, the Mavericks climbed back into a tie at 35-35 on a pair of free throws by Jake Linton (22 points) with 4:36 to play. Three minutes later, Jordan McGinnis sank a 3-point goal to break at 39-39 tie and give Meadowdale the lead for good. The Mavs put the game away in the fourth quarter with free throw shooting (15-for-18).
“Both teams wanted to play (Friday),” McGuire said. “We executed better in the second half on both ends of the floor.”
Shorewood’s Rob Diederichs led all scorers with 23 points.
At Mill Creek
Meadowdale12121819-61
Shorewood1713913-52
Meadowdale-Huffman 2, McGinnis 15, Linton 22, Marsh 5, Atcho 3, Larson 2, Rouse 2, Hagen 10. Shorewood-Allen 2, Burns 2, R. Diederichs 23, T. Diederichs 2, Hartman 13, Tracey 10. 3-point goals-McGinnis 3, Linton 2, Marsh 1, Hartman 3, R. Diederichs 1. Records-Meadowdale 18-5 overall. Shorewood 18-5.
Girls basketball
Meridian 63, Archbishop Murphy 46: Meridian shot 26-for-34 from the free-throw line and Karla Johnson (19 points) was 17-for-18 at the stripe in the 2A District 1 loser-out game. Lisa Coate led Archbishop Murphy with 18 points.
At Mount Vernon
Archbishop Murphy1071316-46
Meridian1451727-63
Archbishop Murphy-Lasswell 2, Eknes 8, Coate 18, Reinig 7, Taylor 6, Nelson 5. Meridian-Reinke 2, Johnson 19, Ruzukia 2, Alvord 12, Hayes 11, Huffman 13, Enegren 4. 3-point goals-Nelson 1, Eknes 2, Coate 1, Alvord 1, Johnson 1. Records-Archbishop Murphy 19-4 overall. Meridian 16-7.
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