Sultan headed to state
Published 11:15 pm Wednesday, March 4, 2009
BELLINGHAM — Sultan head coach Nate Trichler wasn’t born the last time the Turks boys basketball team made an appearance at the state tournament in 1961.
Nearly five decades later, Sultan (14-9 overall) is headed to the 2A state tournament following a thrilling 57-53 overtime win over Cascade Conference foe Archbishop Murphy in a 2A District 1 loser-out, winner-to-state game Wednesday night at Squalicum High School.
The Turks survived a late-game charge by the Wildcats (17-5) to see the game into overtime. Archbishop Murphy’s J.J. Quinlan grabbed an offensive rebound, hit a layup and was fouled with 38.1 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the score at 47-47. Quinlan missed the free throw and Michael LaMunyon missed two at the other end for Sultan and neither team could find the basket before regulation ended.
In the overtime period, 6-foot-2 junior Clayton Knowles scored six points and the Turks shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the floor to hold on for the win and a trip to Yakima.
“I don’t think there was ever any doubt that they were going to win that game,” Trichler said of the Turks’ confidence and mentality heading into overtime.
Archbishop Murphy gave up a couple of uncontested buckets early in the extra frame while they tried to pressure Sultan.
“They were so worried about Jordan (Nicholes) that it leaves other guys open,” Trichler said. “He’s (Nicholes) such an unselfish kid.”
Nicholes, Sultan’s 6-foot-2 senior leader, scored a team-high 13 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and put the clamps on Archbishop Murphy’s leading scorer Paris Felder, holding him to just four points and a handful of turnovers.
“He (Nicholes) does such a good job of building them (Sultan) up,” Trichler said. “He always plays with a smile on his face.”
Joining Nicholes was fellow senior LaMunyon, who scored 12 points, including nine on three-straight 3-pointers in the first quarter. Junior forward Zach Beebe and Knowles each scored 10 points for the Turks.
“We did it for our city,” Nicholes said. “We’re making history and we’re not done yet.”
Nicholes, who averaged 22.5 points per game prior to the contest, vowed that the Turks would prove that their 40-point loss to Class 2A No. 1-ranked Squalicum in the tournament’s second round was a fluke.
After regulation, the Turks’ guard said he told his teammates that winning was never in doubt.
“I said, ‘we did it, we earned it … leave everything out there (on the court),’” Nicholes said.
Archbishop Murphy, winners of 16-straight games before the tournament, trailed from the beginning, but grabbed a one point lead 33-32 on a Davon Fleming layup off a steal with 2:46 to go in the third quarter. But Nicholes responded with a quick drive and foul for three points to give the Turks the lead again.
“The leadership showed through tonight,” Trichler said.
Sultan faces Anacortes, which beat Sehome 57-56, at 6 p.m. Friday at Squalicum to determine the third and fourth seeds to the state tournament.
At Squalicum H.S.
Sultan131412810—57
A. Murphy121013126—53
Sultan—Nicholes 13, LaMunyon 12, Barnhill 7, Ruddock 5, Beebe 10, Knowles 10, Hall 0. Archbishop Murphy—Felder 4, Quinlan 12, Melton 7, Fleming 13, Wagner 0, Smith 10, Woolman-Otis 2, McCann 2, Hards 3. 3-pointers—LaMunyon 3, Ruddock 1, Smith 2, Hards 1, Fleming 1. Records—Sultan 14-9 overall. Archbishop Murphy 17-5.
