EVERETT — Glacier Peak boys basketball has shown no sign of relinquishing their Wesco 4A title defense, starting the season in near-perfect fashion. The Grizzlies’ 58-35 win over Mariner on Friday night pushed their season record to 11-1 and their league record to 5-0. The Marauders dropped to 6-7 and 2-4 in league play.
As lopsided as the score may appear, this was a 22-18 game at halftime. Mariner’s physical defense and active hands stalled a GP attack accustomed to generating well over 30 points per half. But the Grizzlies stayed ahead thanks to tough play down low from seniors Jayce Nelson (13 points, seven rebounds) and Luke Posey (six points, game-high eight rebounds), and saved their collective best for last. After an injury timeout for a downed Mariner player that stalled play midway through the third quarter, Glacier Peak went on an 11-3 run to create separation.
Mariner’s aggressive flocking to the ball left shooters open all night, and Glacier Peak junior Paulos Mulugeta (11 points) made the Marauders pay with three late 3s to widen the margin. GP senior star and Le Moyne commit Jo Lee shook off a second-quarter nose injury to score 11 in the second half, finishing with a game-high 17 on the night.
Although Glacier Peak placed third at state last season and is currently the first-ranked 4A team in the state in rating percentage index, head coach Brian Hunter knew better than to take an away game against the Marauders for granted.
“We knew that Mariner is a prideful team and that they’re going to play hard, and we had a feeling this game would be like this,” Hunter said. “I just told the guys you need to understand the game is gonna be played at a certain level tonight with physicality.”
For Lee, there wasn’t a second thought when it came to weathering the storm Mariner threw the Grizzlies’ way.
“It’s just basketball… you’re gonna get hit, you’ve just got to learn to play through it and keep going,” Lee said.
“When you’re the marked guy and you’re someone that people kind of get excited to guard, it’s different,” Hunter said of Lee. “I think that’s big for Jo, to have that ability to kind of embrace those moments and then do what he needed to do at the end.”
Although Mariner played a physical game against one of the better teams in Washington, it wasn’t a one-off deal. Mariner senior Stavontai McSwain, who led his team with 14 points and five rebounds, knows playing frenzied defense is just part of being a Marauder.
“We’re known for our defense. Especially growing up as a little kid, I’ve always been around Mariner and it’s been defense,” McSwain said. “My brother went here and my cousins that’s gone here, like it’s always been defense.”
McSwain has seen that identity lead to success, as the Marauders finished second and first in the league in his respective freshman and sophomore campaigns. But last season saw Mariner go 1-15, leading to a last-place finish.
First-year Mariner head coach Tim Prater has had his hands full navigating the aftermath of the polar opposite seasons. The improvement to being a near-500 squad this season and giving a top team a run for their money has taken patience.
“I knew a lot of (the players), but a lot of the seniors, their barriers were up,” Prater said. “They wanted to make sure they trust the coach, so once I earned their trust, it became a lot easier. But they still got some bad habits from last year.”
Those habits were apparent on the offensive end, as the Marauders rarely moved off-ball early in the game and finished with just five assists on 14 made shots — a far cry from their constant defensive activity. Some individual efforts in isolation ball and tough shotmaking from McSwain and fellow senior Ethan Stewart (seven points, four rebounds) kept Prater’s team in it, but Mariner was left behind when GP found its flow in the third and finished with eight turnovers to the Marauders’ 17.
Despite those habits, McSwain is confident that the navy and gold will stay in the postseason mix.
“We’re going toe to toe with the number one team in the state… I’m not worried at all,” McSwain said of Mariner’s season outlook. “We’re gonna be top-three in Wesco for sure, go to the playoffs and we’re just gonna fight against Arlington and GP.”
Sitting atop the league with wins over other contenders in the history book, Glacier Peak has plenty to be happy about so far. This scrappy contest saw GP still play relatively clean basketball in a season where the Grizzlies have posted statement league wins over Arlington, Jackson and now Mariner.
Still, the early season is no time to plan a parade route for Hunter and company.
“Shoot, it’s 12 games in. We’d like to be thought of in that high level in March, not in January,” Hunter said.
The Grizzlies will be back next Tuesday night when they host Cascade to continue their Wesco 4A slate. Mariner will play its last non-league contest next Monday when they battle Lynnwood on the road.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
