Lake Stevens boys fall in two-OT thriller

Published 1:27 pm Saturday, March 7, 2009

TACOMA — The Lake Stevens boys basketball team worked overtime — two, in fact — before losing their cool and the game in Saturday’s fifth-place contest of the 4A state tournament on Saturday.

Redmond clinched the win at the free-throw line for a 70-64 win. Lake Stevens earned an eighth-place trophy, its first hardware since 1982.

Sean Stickney, who carried the Vikings throughout the tournament and had a team-high 27 points Saturday, got called for his fifth foul, and a technical for arguing with the official with 35.6 seconds left in the second overtime. Three made free throws put Redmond ahead by four, at 68-64, and effectively ended the game.

Redmond’s Chris Harrington had 34 points, the most in any game of the boys tournament this year.

Stickney hit two free throws, including the score-tying shot, with 48 seconds left in regulation to send the game into a first overtime.

The Vikings’ Mike Schneider made a nifty shot in the lane to give Lake Stevens the 62-60 lead with five seconds left in the first overtime, but a foul call gave Redmond a chance to tie. The Mustangs’ Harrington hit two free throws with no time left on the clock to force the second OT.