EVERETT – Trailing by 11 points with one minute, 57 seconds to play, it seemed the Seagulls of Everett High School were destined for defeat.
But instead of folding, Everett heeded coach Darrell Olson’s ongoing motto: “You can’t ever quit. You never know what’s going to happen in a basketball game.”
You sure don’t.
Led by junior marksman Bryce Levin, the Seagulls erupted for 13 points in the final 112 seconds and held Cascade scoreless during the same stretch to upset the Bruins 55-53 Friday night in a non-division, season-opening boys basketball game at a raucous Norm Lowery gymnasium.
Everett students stormed the court after their team’s shocking comeback victory. Most Wesco North coaches expect Cascade to finish among the top four in its division, while Everett was thought to be one of the weaker Wesco South squads.
“I was pleased with the way (the Seagulls) just hung in there,” Olson said. “They didn’t panic. We left it out there. We played with a lot of heart.”
Levin scored 12 of his team-high 25 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning 3-point basket from the baseline with 10 seconds to go. Overall, Levin shot 5-for-7 from 3-point range.
Levin nailed his first 3-pointer of the fourth with 1:37 to play, pulling Everett to within 53-49. After a Cascade turnover, junior Gia Luu sank another 3 to get the Seagulls within one.
Following another Bruins turnover, Luu found Levin open on the baseline. His shot wasn’t exactly how he planned it – it banked off the glass from a seemingly impossible angle – but he got the job done.
“I’d been hitting ‘em before so I just figured I’d put another (3-pointer) up,” Levin said. “I got lucky.”
Senior guard Jared Gans, who came off the bench to score seven points, set the screen that freed up Levin.
Down 55-53 and trailing for the first time since Everett led 4-3 in the first, Cascade turned the ball over again with four seconds remaining to end any hope of tying it. Junior guard Mike Matson had a breakout game for the Bruins, scoring a game-high 28 points.
He made nine of 12 field goal attempts, including 3-for-5 from 3-point range.
“That was the best game I’ve seen him play,” Cascade coach Kevin Rohrich said, adding that his team has a lot to work on before starting its Wesco North schedule.
Cascade led 19-9 after one quarter and 43-33 after three, but the Bruins hurt themselves with turnovers down the stretch. They also struggled mightily at the free-throw line, making just seven of 29 attempts.
Evan Crawford and Sean Carter led Cascade with six rebounds apiece. Teammate Mike Chiarelli added seven assists.
Andy Blacker pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds for Everett.
At Everett
Cascade19111310-53
Everett915922-55
Cascade-Matson 28, Hilliard 5, Guffey 5, Carter 3, Snel 6, Gill 4, Crawford 2. Everett-Luu 5, Lampi 4, Levin 25, Stanovsky 4, Blacker 4, Overton 4, O’Brien 1, Gans 7, Wertheimer 1. 3-point goals-Matson 3, Guffey 1, Luu 1, Levin 5. JV score-Cascade 44, Everett 39. Records-Cascade 0-1 overall. Everett 1-0.
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