EVERETT — After a tough loss in the district semifinals against Arlington on Wednesday, the Shorecrest boys basketball team rebounded in a big way, pulling out the victory they needed and punching a ticket to the state regionals.
The Scots took down Everett 58-50, holding the Seagulls to nine fourth-quarter points in a winner-to-state 3A District 1 game.
The Seagulls will play Saturday at 4 p.m. in a loser-out game against Marysville Getchell (16-8), which came up short in a 69-68 loss to Mount Vernon.
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Senior 6-foot-5 guard Parker Baumann registered 17 points and hauled in 12 rebounds with four assists as Shorecrest’s surrounding pieces helped seal the win late.
Everett senior 6-foot-6 post Hayden Conaxis had 11 points, eight rebounds and a pair of blocks, but was held scoreless in the second half while junior combo guard Isaiah White pitched in 13 points and four boards.
“We knew they had two good shooters,” Shorecrest coach Eddie George said. “So we wanted to key in on those guys, and kinda shrink the floor on them a bit. … As far as our scoring, in the fourth quarter I felt like we ran our sets and took our time, because (Everett) likes to muck the game up a little bit.”
The Scots 2-3 matchup zone proved to be a problem for Everett (14-10) down the stretch, as senior guard Daniel Savovic mustered just seven points in the contest, with three coming in the final frame.
“I think we just ran out of gas,” Everett coach Bobby Thompson said. “Credit to Shorecrest, they’re a heckuva team and they had some guys who stepped up and made big shots for them during that stretch. … The beautiful thing is that we get to come back tomorrow and get another crack at it.”
In the first half, neither group could take control of the reigns as neither team led by more than seven. Conaxis flushed in a breakaway dunk to end the first as Everett took a 16-9 lead heading into the second.
Baumann went on his nightly scoring binge before the half, dropping nine in the quarter and knocking down a wing triple to boost the Scots back in front 21-20 midway through the period.
At the half, Everett led 28-24.
“It means a lot,” Baumann said. “Earlier in the year (when) we played Everett, they put a beatdown on us. It was one of those games where we weren’t as disciplined as they were and we made a lot of mistakes. … We’ve been working harder, especially since that Arlington loss (on Wednesday) that made a lot of us mad. Whoever we play next is whoever we play next, it’s just a jersey at the end of the day.”
In the third, Shorecrest went on an 11-2 spurt to take a 35-30 lead with 3:10 left in the quarter. The Seagulls matched that run, going on an 11-2 rally of their own to regain momentum and a 41-37 advantage entering the fourth.
With the outcome teetering, Scots freshman guard Brayden Fischer stepped up after secondary scorer Anthony Najera (13 points, two steals) left the game midway through the fourth with an injury and would not return. Fischer hit a high-arching corner 3 off a pinpoint feed from Baumann to tie the game at 44 with 6:13 left.
Savovic strolled up the floor on the other end and drilled a 3, putting Everett back ahead 47-44. Fischer sent home another trey on the ensuing possession to re-tie it at 47.
Baumann split a pair of free throws, giving his squad a 50-47 lead with 4:02 remaining, and Fischer came in clutch with a running floater, giving Shorecrest a 52-47 lead at the 3:05 mark.
The ‘Gulls couldn’t claw back within single digits as the Scots took care of business the rest of the way.
Fischer came off the bench and finished with eight of his 12 points in the fourth, and senior 6-foot-5 swingman Adarrius Hilliard chipped in eight points.
“They did great,” Baumann said of his teammates contributions. “Anthony Najera played amazing, just him being confident. Everybody knows what type of player he is and we know he’s a star player, so him coming out strong and everybody else who came in brought energy. When we play with that type of energy, it’s just what we need.”
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