2A Boys State Basketball Preview

Published 2:40 pm Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Thursday’s Quarterfinals

Clarkston vs. Woodland, 3:45 p.m.

Lynden vs. Wapato, 5:30 p.m.

River Ridge vs. Shorecrest, 7:15 p.m.

Ellensburg vs. Tumwater, 9 p.m.

The Favorite

River Ridge. The top-ranked Hawks have lost just one game this season and enter their quarterfinal matchup against Shorecrest riding a 16-game winning streak. They received five first-place votes in the final Associated Press poll of the season, while Lynden received four. The Hawks and Lions are on opposite sides of the bracket and could meet in the title game.

The Dark Horse

Shorecrest. The Scots get top-ranked River Ridge in the quarterfinals, but given what they’ve accomplished in recent weeks, they won’t be intimidated. With wins over Lynden and Squalicum, the Scots defeated two of the top four teams in the state in back-to-back contests to earn a spot in the regional round, where they held off the Steilacoom Sentinels 66-57 in overtime last Friday.

Did you know?

Just four of the eight teams remaining in the tournament were ranked in the final Associated Press Class 2A poll of the season — River Ridge (No. 1), Lynden (No. 2), Clarkston (No. 3) and Wapato (No. 10).

Player to watch

Sterling Somers, guard, Lynden. The 6-foot-5 senior is averaging 18.9 points per game

and has committed to play basketball at Seattle Pacific University

next season.

Game we want to see

River Ridge vs. Lynden. There aren’t many classifications where the top two teams in the state could meet in the championship game, but this is one of them. If River Ridge and Lynden take care of business on Thursday and Friday, they will meet in the title game on Saturday.

Prediction

River Ridge gets a challenge from Shorecrest in the first round, but survives. The Hawks go on to defeat Ellensburg on Friday and Lynden on Saturday to win the championship.