TACOMA — Often when a basketball team loses on the first day of the state tournament, it quickly becomes an afterthought in the consolation bracket at the Tacoma Dome.
Meadowdale’s Connor Hamlett almost single-handedly assured that Wednesday’s loss to Enumclaw — a team that finished as state runner-up Saturday — would not define the Mavericks’ tournament.
Hamlett recorded his fourth straight double-double with 33 points and 10 rebounds to overwhelm defending champion Franklin in a 66-55 triumph in the 5th-place game Saturday morning.
“He’s probably about as difficult a post assignment that I’ve seen in about ten years,” Franklin coach Jason Kerr said. “We tried everything in terms of bringing help from all kinds of locations and pressuring and trapping. At the end of the day he just kept getting it in there and finishing strong.”
Kerr, who completed his 11th year at the South Seattle school, is about as good a judge of prep talent as there is in the state with three former players currently on Division I scholarships and others playing professionally including the Houston Rockets’ Aaron Brooks.
Peyton Siva (Louisville) and the Quakers blew out Meadowdale 58-37 in the 2009 semifinals, so this win was a bit of revenge for the Mavericks (22-7).
“We’ve been here the last three years and it feels good my senior year to pull it out against the team that beat us last year,” guard Sam Werner said. “It’s not quite the same. They are without Peyton Siva and their best players. … They are young, but I have a lot of respect for (Franklin).”
Werner and Hamlett are two of the Mavs’ six seniors, five of whom started Saturday’s game and helped claim the best trophy in Meadowdale history, fifth place. Riley Neff-Warner, Dillon Sand and Matt Beucherie also suited up in blue and white for the last time Saturday.
“To come back and win three in a row after losing the first day shows a lot of character,” Meadowdale coach Chad McGuire said. “We proved that we are one of the best teams in the state this week. Fifth place is nothing to be ashamed of. The kids are happy.”
Hamlett came out blazing in the first half, shooting 8-of-8 from the floor and the Quakers had no answer. When Franklin triple-teamed the 6-foot-8 center it opened things up for Werner and the guards who found the holes in the Quaker defense. Werner took it coast-to-coast three times for scores on the way to 13 points. He added three assists and no turnovers.
Franklin’s Anrio Adams finished third in the tournament in scoring, one spot behind Hamlett who ended up with 24 points per game. The Mavs couldn’t stop Adams, who scored 16 points in just 10 minutes on 6-for-7 shooting. Foul trouble put the sophomore on the bench early and often. When he went to the bench in the third he had a heated discussion with Kerr and never returned.
Meadowdale’s trophy may cause the rest of the state to take notice that Snohomish County boys basketball is as strong as ever.
“With Glacier Peak getting a trophy and Jackson (2nd in 4A) last week, I think it shows that Wesco South basketball is pretty good,” McGuire said.
At The Tacoma Dome
Franklin15101614—55
Meadowdale19141518—66
Franklin—Adams 16, Grigsby 5, Conway 2, Garrett 4, Nelson 10, Hawkins 6, Moss 0, Bash 0, Buchannan 5, Rogers 2, Hennings 5. Meadowdale—Neff-Warner 5, Linton 3, Werner 13, Beucherie 7, Tallman 2, Dooley 0, Sand 3, Buck 0, Hamlett 33, Spade 0. Three-Point Goals— Hawkins 2, Adams 1, Grigsby 1, Linton 1, Beucherie 1, Franklin 17-14 overall, Meadowdale 22-7.
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