Glacier Peak boys battle back to beat Mount Vernon

Published 10:19 pm Wednesday, February 8, 2012

MOUNT VERNON — Going into Wednesday night’s district basketball game, the Glacier Peak boys were the less experienced squad.

After it, however, the Grizzlies can feel plenty battle tested.

Glacier Peak, which only has one player on its team with any real playoff experience, battled back from a 12-point first-quarter deficit to beat Mount Vernon in the first round of the 3A District 1 tournament.

“I told the kids that’s one of the most satisfying wins we’ve ever had at Glacier Peak,” GP head coach Brian Hunter said. “To have those kids step up having never done it before makes me as proud as I can get.”

The host Bulldogs, who returned most of the team that made last year’s district championship, could seemingly do no wrong in the first quarter, scoring 28 points behind strong perimeter shooting. But over the next three quarters Glacier Peak limited Mount Vernon to just 10 points in each quarter and fought back, finally drawing even midway through the third quarter.

“We stopped giving them the looks they wanted to get and started limiting them to one shot,” Hunter said of the difference.

In the fourth quarter, Glacier Peak fell behind again but regained the lead at 57-56 on a Riley Preece layin late in the fourth quarter. Preece, who grabbed a number of key rebounds and scored eight of his 12 points in the decisive fourth quarter, was the key to the Grizzlies’ comeback, according to Hunter.

“He was really big,” Hunter said of Preece, who came into the game in the second quarter to help in the post. “He’s very difficult to block out because he never stops and he’s not the biggest guy on the team but he’s got long arms and some people understand where the ball is going to go and you can’t coach it but when you combine that with a drive he has a knack to get to the ball and he has a desire to get to it.”

After Mount Vernon regained the lead on a fastbreak layin, Glacier Peak’s Zach Pederson hit a shot in the post to help the Grizzlies regain the lead. Mount Vernon missed on its next three possessions, the last one ending with Pederson getting fouled. He made one of two free throws to give Glacier Peak a 60-58 lead with 15 seconds left. Mount Vernon missed its 3-point attempt with 5 seconds remaining to ice the game.

Besides scoring the eventual game-winning basket, Glacier Peak’s lone player with playoff experience, Pederson, was solid all night for the Grizzlies, scoring 26 points and coming up with a number of baskets in big moments.

“Zach is incredibly consistent,” Hunter said. “His highs aren’t too high and his lows aren’t too low. The kids understand that Zach’s going to do his job so that frees them up to just go out there and do what they do.”

The win, coupled with Oak Harbor’s win over Shorewood, gives Glacier Peak a home game in the second round of the tournament. The Grizzlies host Oak Harbor Friday night at 7 p.m. for the right to go to the championship game.

At Mount Vernon H.S.

Glacier Peak16151613—60

Mount Vernon28101010—58

Glacier Peak—Tarvin 9, Klop 0, Vader 0, Rosales 0, Kiser 0, Preece 12, Wampler 0, Pederson 26, Porhman 5, Davelaar 8. Mount Vernon—Vopnford 8, Fitzgerald 15, Otos, Hofstad 2, Servoss 8, McDowell 17, Leek 8. 3-point goals—Tarvin 3, Pederson 1, Vopnford 1, Fitzgerald 4, McDowell 2. Glacier Peak 15-6 overall. Mount Vernon 10-11.