Surur’s clutch free throws late lets Meadowdale boys keep Enumclaw at bay

Published 10:50 pm Thursday, March 12, 2009

TACOMA — One is fun. Two? That’ll do.

Both Meadowdale High School basketball teams are in the Class 3A state semifinals. A few hours after the Mavericks girls won their quarterfinal game Thursday at the Tacoma Dome, the Meadowdale boys earned a trip to the semifinals.

Guard Roger O’Neill and post Connor Hamlett combined to score 35 points, launching the Meadowdale boys to a hard-fought 47-41 victory over the Enumclaw Hornets.

It was the 11th win in a row for Meadowdale (22-4), which once again used reliable free-throw shooting to prevail. The Mavericks were 8-for-9 at the foul line in the final 2 minutes, 16 seconds. Guard Khalid Surur hit all four of his attempts in the final 34 seconds to spoil the rally attempt by Enumclaw (23-3), ranked No. 7 by the Tacoma News Tribune.

“He’s been clutch all year. He’s hit free throws all year long — steps up there with confidence,” said O’Neill, who scored a game-high 18 points. In the third quarter, O’Neill made a driving layin and two smooth 3-point shots that helped ninth-ranked Meadowdale take a 31-24 lead, its biggest of the game.

Hamlett, who sat out most of the first half after picking up two fouls, finished with 17 points and five rebounds. He was 6 for 7 from the field and 5 of 6 on free throws.

The next challenge for Meadowdale is top-ranked Franklin (26-1) at 7 p.m. tonight. Franklin beat Seattle Prep 68-47 Thursday in the quarterfinals.

“It’s a challenge we’re ready to step up to,” O’Neill said. “They’re obviously a great team, ranked nationally and everything. I’m sure everyone’s kind of counting us out, but we believe we can go in there and compete with those guys.”

Based on rankings and win-loss records, Meadowdale wasn’t favored to beat Enumclaw. But the Mavericks stuck with their patient, low-scoring style and tallied another big victory.

“I’m happy for our kids. That was kind of a grind-it-out game,” said Meadowdale coach Chad McGuire, whose team lost in the 3A semifinals in 2003 and 2004, finishing sixth both years. Meadowdale has never placed higher.

By halftime, Enumclaw was ahead 18-17. Both teams struggled from the field, shooting 29.2 percent. Hamlett had just two more points (four) than personal fouls (two) and played 5 minutes.

But Hamlett erupted for 13 second-half points. His strong interior play combined with O’Neill’s outside shooting was difficult for Enumclaw to stop.

Sometimes coaches worry that a player who sat out with foul trouble won’t be in the flow later in the game, McGuire said. But Hamlett had no issues.

“He came back ready to go. He gets mad when he’s on the bench,” McGuire said.

O’Neill, Meadowdale’s season leading scorer, was just 2-for-10 from the field through two quarters. But he warmed up in the third quarter.

“We want him to keep shooting,” McGuire said. “At no point am I going to tell him to stop shooting.”

At the Tacoma Dome

Meadowdale981416—47

Enumclaw5131013—41

Meadowdale — O’Neill 18, Neff-Werner 2, Johnson, Beucherie, Shiferaw, Surur 4, Kyobe, Carroll, Hamlett 17, Larson 6. Enumclaw — Lewis 8, Waters, Clyde 4, Caldwell 4, Klemann, Carel 11, Myers 14, VanTrojen, Maloney. 3-point goals — O’Neill 3, Clyde 1, Carel 1, Myers 1. Records-Meadowdale 22-4. Enumclaw 23-3.

Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.