Hawks hang on to beat Mariner, 40-39

Published 10:58 pm Tuesday, February 3, 2009

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — Last month Jacob Champoux wasn’t in the starting lineup once for the Mountlake Terrace High School boys basketball team.

But after getting a chance to start for the first time since Dec. 30, Champoux definitely made an impression.

Champoux, a junior guard, scored 13 points — including three 3-point shots — and the Mountlake Terrace Hawks edged the Mariner Marauders 40-39 Tuesday.

In a battle between Western Conference South Division contenders, Champoux drilled two 3-pointers during a span of 45 seconds midway through the fourth quarter for Terrace (13-2 in division), which took sole possession of first place. Champoux’s second long-range basket gave the Hawks a 37-34 lead and they never fell behind again.

“That obviously had a huge impact,” Mariner head coach Dexter Griffen said, “because we didn’t cover it very well and it helped them get going. It gave them momentum.”

Michael Minor scored a game-high 17 points for Mariner (12-3). Minor had a chance to win it at the end but his leaning 15-foot shot rolled off the rim. Just like that, Terrace completed a regular-season sweep of Mariner and moved closer to its first league title since 2005. With three regular-season games to go, Terrace also is in good shape to secure a No. 1 seed into the Class 4A District 1 tournament.

“We’re in the driver’s seat right now,” Mountlake Terrace head coach Nalin Sood said, “but, I tell you, it’s an ejection seat also, as we learned on Friday.”

That’s when Terrace endured a surprising overtime loss against Edmonds-Woodway (4-11). The Hawks played with much more focus on defense against Mariner, Sood said.

He credited Champoux for doing a solid job when he guarded Mariner’s Minor, who scored 14 points in the second half, including a 3-pointer that tied it at 37-37 with 1 minute, 49 seconds remaining.

“You’re not going to stop Minor. You’re only going to contain him,” Sood said of Minor, Mariner’s season-leading scorer at 11.9 points per game.

After Minor’s game-tying shot, Jaykob Sells powered in a 6-foot basket from the left side. His brother, Ryan Sells, scored Terrace’s last point on a foul shot with 24.1 seconds to go.

Thanks to 1-for-5 free-throw shooting by Terrace in the fourth quarter, Mariner had several chances down the stretch. But Terrace prevailed.

Champoux, who entered the game averaging 4.7 points, said Mariner’s defensive pressure was frustrating but Terrace’s supportive fans helped.

“We’re at our gym so it relieves some pressure,” Champoux said. “Our fans help us out a lot.”

Champoux started because Tyler Stracener, a 6-foot-8 post, was out with flu-like symptoms, Sood said.

At Mountlake Terrace High

Mariner1091010—39

Mountlake Terrace771214—40

Mariner—Minor 17, Doerscher, Dillon 8, Malysheff 4, Purnell 8, Stepura, McCulloch, Zerahaimanot, Yusuf 2, Kiehl. Mountlake Terrace—Champoux 13, J. Sells 9, Clingan 2, R. Sells 7, Strieby 6, Estrada 3, Lechtenberg. 3-point goals-Minor 2, Champoux 3, J. Sells 1, Estrada 1. Records-Mariner 12-3 in division, 13-4 overall. Mountlake Terrace 13-2, 13-4.

0Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.