MILL CREEK – One good half was enough to earn the Mount Vernon Bulldogs a state berth.
But just barely.
Mount Vernon shot 70 percent from the field in the first half to build a double-digit lead, then held off a furious Mountlake Terrace rally in the final period for a 63-61 win Friday in the championship game of the 4A Northwest District Tournament.
Mount Vernon, which won its 11th straight game, improved to 20-3 and clinched its second straight state berth. Terrace, meanwhile, fell to 19-4 and plays Edmonds-Woodway, a 46-44 winner over Snohomish, at 6 p.m. today at Jackson High School for the district’s final state berth.
Mount Vernon built a 39-22 halftime lead, primarily on 14-for-20 shooting from the field, including long-range 3-point buzzer beaters by Corey Boon and Jake Moore to end each quarter.
“We had a bad half,” Terrace coach Nalin Sood said. “We don’t give up 39 points in a half.”
Terrace, which settled for outside shots inside of trying to make use of its height advantage inside, shot just 31 percent from the field in the first half (5-for-16). That, in turn, kept the Hawks from utilizing their most lethal defensive weapon.
“Someone is going to say ‘Why didn’t you press more in the first half?’” Sood said. “You have to score to press.”
Mount Vernon cooled off considerably in the third quarter, making just one of 11 shots from the floor and scoring just four points.
“We were settling (for quick shots) too often in the third quarter,” Mount Vernon coach Torey Swanson said. “In the first half, we weren’t settling for anything, we were making sure we got good shots.”
Terrace, with its offense starting to click, trimmed Mount Vernon’s lead to 43-31 by the end of the third quarter and closed to 54-47 with 2:40 to play.
Mount Vernon appeared to put the game away with a 1:18 remaining when a foul and a subsequent technical gave Mount Vernon four free throws and the ball. Jake Moore, who led the Bulldogs with 20 points, made all four free throws for a 60-48 lead.
But Terrace, using its suffocating press, responded with a lightning strike – six points in less than 20 seconds, trimming the difference to 60-54 with baskets by Justynn Hammond, Christian Hammond and Leigh Swanson.
Mount Vernon next possession again ended with a turnover and Leigh Swanson scored on a put-back to make it 60-56. After a free throw by Mount Vernon’s Justin Burns, Luke Hammond hit a 3-pointer to cut the difference to 61-59 with 9.2 second to go.
“I was scared,” conceded Mount Vernon forward Brady Miller, who had 15 points and six rebounds.
But the Bulldogs sealed the win with two free throws from Moore with 8.3 seconds to play.
“I knew if my team could get to the foul line, we’d make the free throws we needed,” Moore said.
Indeed, the Bulldogs, despite their difficulties getting the ball out of backcourt in the final minutes, hit 14 of 15 free throws in the final 4 1/2minutes.
“We’ve got to execute better at the end of the game,” Swanson said. “But in a game like this when Mountlake Terrace is scrapping and clawing and doing everything it can to stay alive, we have to be happy with the win. You can’t ever complain about a district championship.”
Mountlake Terrace-C. Hammond 6, L. Hammond 13, Blake 14, Swanson 9, Boxley 8, J. Hammond 9, Mundt 2. Mount Vernon-Gibbons 10, Moore 20, Miller 15, Jackson 2, Burns 1, Boon 5, Kendrick 8. 3-point goals-C. Hammond 1, L. Hammond 1, Blake 3, J. Hammond 1, Moore 2, Miller 1, Boon 1 Kendrick 2. Records-Mountlake Terrace 19-4 overall. Mount Vernon 20-3. |
Edmonds-Woodway 46, Snohomish 44 OT: Titus Lester’s three-point play with one minute, 11 seconds to play in overtime provided Edmonds-Woodway with the winning margin in the loser-out game. Teammate Huston Conti tied the score at 41-41 and sent the game into overtime with a free throw with 25.2 seconds remaining.
Edmonds-Woodway-Thoms 7, Conti 13, Donaldson 6, Hopkins 14, Lester 6. Snohomish-Siegel 2, Lorenzen 2, Hammons 11, Brockman 12, Martin 15, Heater 2. 3-point goals-Thoms 1, Conti 2, Lester 1, Hammons 3, Martin 4. Records-Edmonds-Woodway 16-7 overall. Snohomish 15-8. |
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