Big 3-on-3 basketball tournament in Marysville this weekend

The annual basketball event billed as the largest 3-on-3 competition in Western Washington is back.

About 750 athletes and 3,000 spectators are expected for the sixth annual Tulalip Resort Casino I-5 Extravaganza 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament, which takes place Saturday and Sunday.

Male and female divisions in the double-elimination event range in age groups from fourth grade to over-30. It will take place on 18 half-courts set up in the Tulalip Resort Casino parking lot. Games begin at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Participation is significantly down this year. In the past, about 200 teams signed up; 161 teams are set to compete this time.

“It’s fallen off as the economy dictates,” said tournament coordinator Charlie Cobb, who is also the athletic administrator for the Boys &Girls Clubs of Snohomish County.

Still, the event features the same number of divisions as before, with one exception: There is no women’s elite bracket because of lower-than-expected interest, Cobb said.

Teams are guaranteed at least three games. Division champion and runner-up squads get commemorative T-shirts, with the first-place teams also receiving medals.

Games last 25 minutes. To win, a team must lead by two points when time expires. If there is a one-point deficit or a tie, teams play a two-minute overtime session.

Instead of using volunteer officials like many 3-on-3 competitions, the I-5 Extravaganza features paid officials (one per half-court) from the Snohomish County Boys Basketball Officials Association. Paid officials generally do a much better job than volunteers, Cobb said.

The Tulalip Resort Casino co-sponsors the event, which benefits the Boys &Girls Clubs of Snohomish County.

Cobb, the tournament coordinator, values the event’s family-focused feel.

“The neat thing about the 3-on-3 versus some of the other (Boys &Girls Club) activities we have is we have the parents involved, simply because it’s on a weekend,” he said. “It’s more of a family get-together. A family on the weekend spending time together isn’t a bad thing.”

Players and spectators should park in the lot located south of the courts at the northeast corner of Quil Ceda Blvd. and 99th Place NE. For more I-5 Extravaganza details, go to www.bgcsc.org.

Herald Writer Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com.