TACOMA — A year ago, the Glacier Peak Grizzlies got the best of Bellevue at the Tacoma Dome. But this time the Wolverines got the last laugh, with much more at stake.
Outscoring Glacier Peak 30-12 in a thoroughly dominant second half, the Bellevue High School boys basketball team beat the Gr
izzlies 52-40 on Friday night in the Class 3A state semifinals at the Tacoma Dome.
Seeking its first-ever trip to the title game, Glacier Peak played well in the first half but seemed lethargic and less aggressive after halftime.
“Bellevue picked up their intensity a little bit,” Glacier Peak coach Brian Hunter said. “In a game like that, it’s all about momentum and swings. We just kind of lost our aggressiveness there for a while.”
Senior forward Nate Sikma (18 points, 14 rebounds) was the star for Bellevue (24-5), which plays the Lakes Lancers in the 3A title game at 7 p.m. today. Lakes outlasted Kamiakin 54-48 in overtime on Friday.
In the 2010 tournament in its state debut, Glacier Peak went 3-1 in the T-Dome, including a 63-59 win over Bellevue in the fourth/seventh-place trophy game. Did Bellevue have some extra motivation to beat Glacier Peak because of last year’s result?
“Yeah, I think that’s always in the back of their minds,” said Glacier Peak senior Jack Bonner, who scored a team-high 16 points. “But it’s a new year and teams in the semifinals — it’s kind of hard not to get up for it.”
Both teams were clearly up for Friday’s game, but Bellevue seemed to consistently have a little more energy, a little more hustle, and that made the difference.
“Our shots just weren’t falling in the second half,” said Bonner, who scored 11 points in the first half, including 3-for-3 shooting from 3-point range. “Our guys were pretty tired, and I think it showed. We were just worn down.”
Glacier Peak finished 16-for-42 from the field (38.1 percent) and attempted just six foul shots. The Grizzlies play a consolation bracket game against Kamiakin at 1 p.m. today. The winner places third; the loser takes fifth.
Third place would be the best in Glacier Peak’s brief school history.
“Our goal was to place higher than last year,” Bonner said, “so definitely the goal now is third place.”
Glacier Peak, the Western Conference 3A champion, advanced to the semifinals by beating North Central of Spokane 51-41 in the late boys game on Thursday. Earlier that night, KingCo 3A/2A champ Bellevue edged Chief Sealth 49-48 in a back-and-forth thriller.
Despite a horrific start, during which it fell behind 8-0 versus Bellevue, Glacier Peak bounced back and took a 28-22 lead into the intermission. After struggling early, the Grizzlies started moving the ball better on offense and got lots of open looks. Bonner was the top scorer, making four of five shots from the field with three 3s.
Bonner’s second 3 of the half, a swish from the left wing, came late in the first quarter. It kick-started a 12-0 Glacier Peak scoring run that turned a 13-10 deficit into a 22-13 lead.
But Bellevue roared back in the third quarter, outscoring Glacier Peak 13-8. Entering the fourth, the Grizzlies led 36-35. But Bellevue continued its strong play in the final quarter, using a 12-2 scoring surge to expand its lead to 47-38 with 2:52 remaining. The Grizzlies never made it interesting after that.
Despite the disappointment of coming up short of the title game, Glacier Peak has plenty to play for. The Grizzlies certainly will go all-out in an attempt to grab the third-place hardware, coach Hunter said.
“I know the guys are (hurting) a little bit,” he said, “but I (also) know that playing on Saturday has always been a goal for the team. I do expect them to bounce back and play as hard as they can.”
At the Tacoma Dome
Bellevue 13 9 13 17 — 52
Glacier Peak 15 12 8 4 — 40
Bellevue — Laura, Locke 10, Ahrens 4, VanAckeren 9, Carlson 0, Richard 6, Walton 5, Sikma 18. Glacier Peak — Williams 0, Vargas 5, Southard 11, Harrison 4, Harris 0, Pederson 4, Bonner 16. 3-point goals — VanAckeren 2, Vargas 1, Southard 1, Bonner 3. Records — Bellevue 24-5. Glacier Peak 23-5.
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at www.heraldnet.com/doubleteam and follow Cane on Twitter at MikeCaneHerald.
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