MARYSVILLE – Back in December, Kamiak needed to work double overtime to knock off Marysville-Pilchuck.
This time, thanks to a defensive scheme that worked to near perfection and a slash-and-dash effort from guard Sean Hermes, the Knights took care of business in regulation.
Hermes scored a game-high 23 points and teammate Ben Iddins limited M-P’s leading scorer, guard Jared Stohl, to just three field goals Tuesday as Kamiak upended the Tomahawks 65-50 in a first-round Class 4A District 1 boys basketball tournament game at the Marysville-Pilchuck High gym.
Iddins and Hermes combined for 38 points Dec. 4 when Kamiak outlasted M-P 76-68 in double overtime for a non-league victory at the Kamiak gym. It wasn’t nearly as close Tuesday. Wesco South No. 4 seed Kamiak (15-6 overall) led 52-43 after three quarters and Wesco North No. 1 M-P (13-8) never got closer than seven the rest of the way.
The victory puts Kamiak within one step of its first trip to the state tournament. The Knights, who had lost two consecutive games after a seven-game win streak, play South No. 2 Shorewood (18-3) in a winner-to-state game at 6 p.m. Friday at the Jackson High gym.
“We don’t care who we play,” Hermes said before learning that Shorewood will be his team’s next opponent. The Thunderbirds defeated Mount Vernon 54-42 Tuesday.
“We’re ready to play anyone,” Hermes continued. “We just want to get to state.”
Hermes came in averaging 17.7 points per game. He piled up 14 first-half points to lead all players and sucked the air out of the Tomahawks with several acrobatic drives to the rim. Late in the third quarter he drove through the heart of M-P’s defense, leapt, made a mid-air adjustment and scored a tomahawk layin.
“If I find a hole,” Hermes said, “I’m gonna take it.”
Hermes also found his teammates. His behind-the-back, fast-break assist to trailing teammate Rahiti Marere (15 points) wowed the crowd and helped give Kamiak a 64-47 edge with 1:34 to go.
Iddins scored nine points, but his biggest contribution was stifling Stohl, who came in averaging 17.4 points per game but managed just 11. Stohl, a dangerous outside shooter, made one 3-point basket in the game, and that came when Iddins took a brief trip to the bench. “That was his job tonight,” Kamiak coach Jeff Leary said of Iddins.
Forward David Gallaher and point guard Keaton Taitingfong scored 14 points apiece to lead M-P, which faces a loser-out game against Mount Vernon (15-6) at 6 p.m. Thursday at Jackson High. The Tomahawks had won 10 of their past 11 games, and Taitingfong is confident they can bounce back.
“This loss hurts but it’s not devastating,” said Taitingfong, whose team got off to a 2-3 start in the Wesco North before rallying to earn a share of the division championship. “It’s putting us in a spot we’ve been before. It’s not the ideal spot, but I’m confident we can (step up). Our guys have a lot of heart.”
After falling behind 33-20, M-P ended the first half with a 10-4 run to close to 37-30 by the break. Stohl scored five points during the run, including a 3-pointer from the top of the key that rejuvenated the home crowd.
Billy Johnson, Iddins and Marere each made 3-pointers in the first 4:20 of the third quarter to help extend Kamiak’s lead to 48-36. Hermes provided inside punch, slicing to the rim for acrobatic layins. He scored six points in the period to give him 20 for the game.
Kamiak squashed any thoughts of another overtime thriller by outscoring M-P 13-7 in the fourth quarter, bringing the Knights within one victory of their first state tournament.
At Marysville
Kamiak 19 18 15 13 – 65
Marysville-Pilchuck 16 14 13 7 – 50
Kamiak-B. Iddins 9, Hermes 23, M. Iddins 9, Marere 15, Johnson 7, Dawson 2. Marysville-Pilchuck-Stohl 11, Taitingfong 14, Gallaher 14, Moses 6, Lozeau 2, Bailey 1, Lovell 2. 3-point goals-B. Iddins, M. Iddins, Marere, Johnson, Stohl. Records-Kamiak 15-6 overall. Marysville-Pilchuck 13-8.
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