Terrace boys knocked out of state tournament

Published 5:29 pm Thursday, March 5, 2009

The Mountlake Terrace boys basketball team squandered a 14-point halftime lead Thursday and lost to Eisenhower 66-64 in a loser-out game at the Class 4A state tournament in the Tacoma Dome.

Terrace finished its season with a 17-8 record.

Eisenhower’s James Lopez fueled his team’s comeback by scoring 22 of his game-high 24 points in the second half.

Mountlake Terrace used a balanced scoring attack and a baffling zone defense to cruise to a 29-15 halftime lead before watching Lopez and the Cadets catch fire in the second half. Eisenhower took its first lead with 2:26 remaining in the game and never trailed again.

Karesten Strieby’s 22 points led Mountlake Terrace. Lopez and Taylor Elmo combined for 46 points for the Cadets (26-2).