Hours after the Stanwood High School boys basketball team left Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego where the Spartans watched the Washington State Cougars suffer a Holiday Bowl loss to Minnesota, Stanwood coach Zach Ward jokingly connected the bowl loss with his team’s holiday tournament opener.
“Apparently it was a bad day for Washington sports teams in San Diego,” Ward said with a laugh.
Stanwood, which has breezed through the first month of the season winning each of its first six games by 10 or more points, suffered a 66-61 nonconference loss to Mater Dei Catholic of Chula Vista, Calif., — not to be confused with nationally-ranked powerhouse Mater Dei of Santa Ana 100 miles north up the coast — in its opening game of the UA Holiday Classic at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego.
AJ Martinka led the Spartans with 18 points, Bryson Kelley added 13 and Stanwood nearly overcome the early loss of standout senior Chase Strieby, who exited two minutes in after suffering an ankle injury.
Stanwood trailed by double digits in the third quarter, but the Spartans rallied to tie the game before Mater Dei Catholic extended its lead back out to seven points in the fourth.
Stanwood, which scored 42 of its 61 points during the second half, came back once more and tied the game with two minutes to play, but the Spartans’ slow start proved too much to overcome.
“It was awesome for our kids to play at Torrey Pines High School,” Ward said. “It has an old feel to it and is a pretty historic gym. Of course you like to win, but I think playing with urgency is good for us. I’m proud of the way they played in the second half. If we play like we did in the second half throughout the season we are going to be just fine.”
Stanwood has three more days in San Diego before heading home to resume league play with a road matchup against Edmonds-Woodway on Jan. 3.
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