Edmonds-Woodway boys record impressive wins

Published 8:06 pm Tuesday, January 31, 2012

An extended break due to the snow didn’t seem to bother Edmonds-Woodway.

The Warriors posted a pair of convincing victories, beating top-10 ranked Snohomish 71-67 and then topping Mariner 58-34 in Western Conference 4A boys basketball play.

Sophomore center Travis Bakken led a fourth-quarter rally by scoring 12 of his team-high 23 points in the final period as Edmonds-Woodway rallied from an 8-point third quarter deficit to defeat the Panthers.

“It was a good week for us,” Edmonds-Woodway head coach Steve Call said. “We didn’t play for 12 days.”

The Warriors did their best to contain Snohomish’s Luke Hamlin, who nevertheless scored 29 points.

“We really focused on him in the second half,” Call said. “We made somebody else try to beat us. Fortunately for us, they didn’t shoot well in the fourth quarter. We really got after it defensively with pressure.”

Alex Hull drew the defensive assignment on Hamlin.

Call acknowledged that Snohomish might have been a little tired on Wednesday night because the Panthers had played the night before.

Grant Pattison scored 13 points and Devin Joseph added 12 for the Warriors.

On Friday night, balanced scoring and tough defense lifted Edmonds-Woodway past South Division rival Mariner. The Warriors took a 29-13 lead into halftime.

Pattison and Henry Olson each scored 11 points and Joseph had 10. Bakken was one of three players with eight points.

“That was our game plan,” Call said. “We wanted everybody to get a good shot.”

The Warriors, who improved to 7-4 in the league and 12-5 overall, ended the week still having a shot at earning the South Division’s No. 1 seed. First-place Jackson (10-2, 13-5) hosts the Warriors at 7;15 p.m., Feb. 3.

The first-year Edmonds-Woodway coach admits he’s been pleasantly surprised by his young team. The Warriors came into the season with only a handful of returners with varsity experience.

“We’re in a good place,” Call said. “I like our energy and effort. We share the ball. Three guys are averaging double figures. We rotate well on defense.”

Bakken, Joseph and Pattison all are averaging about 11 points per game.

“That’s the way we started the season,” Call said. “Our focus was on team ball, not relying on one player. It helps guys to stay motivated.”

Bakken steps up his game in key matchups.

“He’s responded well,” Call said. “We rely on him in big games. He likes that pressure and the intensity of the environment.”

So does Joseph, the point guard.

“He’s been a fourth quarter player for us this season,” Call said. “He takes care of the ball well and the majority of his scoring is in the fourth quarter. That’s his game time.”

One recent change Call has implemented in terms of practice is that now the varsity and junior varsity squads face off against each other.

“The intensity rises a little bit,” Call said. “They are pushing each other and really working hard.”

Call’s rotation depends on the game but ranges from eight to 10 players.

The North Division’s seeding likely will go down to the final week of the regular season. Lake Stevens and Snohomish were battling for first place and Monroe and Arlington were in a tight battle for the fourth seed.

“It’s a wide open race,” Call said. “It’s tough to prepare. … We’ll get to strategies once we know who we’ll get in that first game.”

Regardless of who Edmonds-Woodway faces, Call feels his team is playing well.

“I like our chances,” Call said.