By Aaron Coe
Herald Writer
MUKILTEO — Mariner’s Josh Bollinger had lost to Mukilteo School District-rival Kamiak too many times.
The senior wing rescued the Marauders by scoring 16 of his 27 points in an 8-minute span Friday night as Mariner beat the Knights 62-53 in a boys basketball game played at Kamiak High School.
The Marauders had suffered four straight losses to the Knights since Mariner moved up to Class 4A in 1999.
Friday’s game, for a time, seemed as if it would be no different.
But this was a new season and the Western Conference South Division opener for both teams.
Even when the Knights seemed to be putting the game away late in the third period, Bollinger and his teammates believed the outcome would be different this time.
Kamiak extended a 27-24 halftime lead to 12 point with a 9-point surge to open the third quarter.
They maintained that lead until 2:40 remained in the third, before Mariner unleashed an improbable comeback in Kamiak’s packed gym.
"We’ve worked hard now for three years," Bollinger said. "The second half we just stepped it up, forced a lot of turnovers and made some shots."
Scott Grondahl, who missed much of the game because of foul trouble, got things going with a 3-point play, and the Marauders’ defense began harassing the Knights. Joe Coates, who also had early foul trouble, cut Kamiak’s lead to seven points (41-34).
The Knights had foul trouble of their own. Leading rebounder Jamaul Jackson and sixth man Aaron Rosenberger missed large portions of the fourth quarter after picking up their fourth fouls.
After Grondahl and Coates got Mariner started, it was time for Bollinger to bring the Marauders back and put Kamiak away.
Bollinger’s 3-point goal cut Kamiak’s lead to four. After a Knights basket, point guard Josh Olson sank a 3 to pull the Knights within 3 points at the end of the third quarter.
Hans Ditlev, who scored 13 points in the game, put some momentum back on Kamiak’s side with a 3-point play, but Bollinger quickly deflated the crowd with a 3 to begin a 13-0 run that put away the Knights.
Bollinger scored all but two of the points during the decisive burst. After Kamiak’s Nate Saban cut Mariner’s lead to 52-49 with a 3 of his own with three minutes left, Bollinger came right back with his sixth 3-pointer of the night to equal his career high of 27 points.
"We have a lot of heart, and we have some shooters," Mariner coach Dexter Griffen said. "That’s what you need to get back into a game like this one. We didn’t execute well at times tonight, but I’m happy with the way the guys fought through it."
The Marauders’ defense was just as solid as Bollinger’s jump shot late in the game. Kamiak turned the ball over eight times in the final 10 minutes, compared to just two by the Marauders.
Bollinger’s heroics erased those of Kamiak’s Chris Grounds to begin the second half. The 5-foot-9 senior guard was largely responsible for putting Mariner in the 12-point hole.
He made a spectacular inside pass to teammate Jamaul Jackson, then stole the ball away from Mariner and went the other way for a layup. Grounds, who scored a game-high 14 points, then completed Kamiak’s 9-0 outburst with a driving layup.
The 12 points seemed to be enough on Kamiak’s home floor, but Bollinger believed differently.
"We were fired up — believing we could win," Bollinger said. "We said, ‘we’re not going to lose to them again.’ "
The district rivals took some time to get things going to begin the game. Nearly three minutes went by before Bollinger’s 3-point goal opened the scoring.
But after the ice was broken, the shots started sinking. The teams traded baskets eight times in three minutes before the Knights turned a Mariner miss into back-to-back field goals and an 11-10 advantage.
After a back-and-forth first quarter, Kamiak put together a 10-3 run to pull ahead 26-17 with 3:19 remaining in the half. The Marauders closed the gap to 27-24 by outscoring the Knights 7-1 to close the first half.
Mariner |
14 |
10 |
16 |
22 |
— |
62 |
Kamiak |
16 |
11 |
16 |
10 |
— |
53 |
Mariner—Stockl 2, Harmon 1, Quinn 4, Coates 12, Olson 11, Bollinger 27, Martin 2, Grondahl 3. Kamiak—Grounds 14, Saban 3, Lowery 1, Ditlev 13, Rosenberger 6, Jackson 6. 3-point goals—Olson 2, Bollinger 6, Grounds 2, Saban 3, Rosenberger 1. JV score—Mariner def. Kamiak. Records—Mariner 1-0 in division, 2-1 overall. Kamiak 0-1, 1-2.
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