BELLINGHAM — The Sultan Turks boys basketball team found out first-hand why Squalicum is the No. 1-ranked Class 2A team in Washington in the Associated Press poll.
Squalicum (21-1 overall) buried Sultan with a barrage of 3-pointers and efficient offense en route to a 94-54 win in the semifinals of the 2A District 1 tournament Saturday night at Squalicum High School in Bellingham.
Playing in front of its home crowd, the Storm made 12 of 29 3-pointers, including seven by guard Derek Dickerson, and jumped on Sultan (13-9) with runs of 15-2 and 16-3 in the first half for a sizeable lead.
And the offensive attack continued well into the second quarter as Squalicum, playing its first year in Class 2A after moving down from 3A, went on an 11-4 run to open the third quarter.
Michael Greene, a 6-foot-5 junior forward, muscled down low and earned six quick points to start the third quarter. Greene, who was in charge of guarding Sultan’s Jordan Nicholes, also finished the contest with 11 rebounds.
“He (Greene) did a phenomenal job of checking Jordan Nicholes,” said Storm head coach Dave Dickson. “Michael’s one of those kind of guys who does a lot of intangibles to help a team win.”
Sultan struggled to make shots throughout the contest, but received strong efforts from senior leaders Nicholes and Michael LaMunyon.
“They all played hard,” Sultan head coach Nate Trichler said of his squad. “It’s not like they (Squalicum) forced a bunch of turnovers.”
LaMunyon finished with a team-high 16 points, including 4-for-11 shooting from 3-point range. Nicholes, who scored 22 points in a first-round win over Bellingham, added 15 points and five rebounds.
“It’s always tough playing a team at their home court,” Trichler said.
Sultan, looking to secure its first trip to the state tournament in 48 years, now faces a familiar foe in Archbishop Murphy at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Squalicum in a loser-out, winner-to-state game. The Turks were 0-2 against the Wildcats, the Cascade Conference No.1 seed, during the regular season. Sultan lost 66-64 at home to Archbishop Murphy on February 3.
“I expect it to be a close one,” Trichler said. “Both teams are fighting for their lives now.”
Squalicum secured a spot in the state tournament for the sixth-straight season. The Storm hosts Burlington-Edison in the championship game of the district tournament ay 7:45 p.m. Friday.
The Storm placed third in last season’s 3A state tournament.
Despite the lopsided score, Sultan’s Trichler said his team can come away from the game with confidence that they can play with the state’s best teams.
“You take the idea that we can play with anyone, we can put the ball in the hoop,” Trichler said. “It’s just a matter of getting stops at the other end.”
At Squalicum H.S.
Sultan10131516—54
Squalicum19262920—94
Sultan—Ruddock 4, Barnhill 0, Beebe 13, Knoles 2, LaMunyon 16, T. VandenEkert 4, Hall 0, Nicholes 15. Squalicum—Dickerson 33, Stackhouse 19, Vail 1, Kurtz 3, Wolderich 0, Voeut 8, King 0, Qualls 2, Greene 17, Thompson 3, Hooper 8. 3-pointers—LaMunyon 4, Dickerson 7, Stackhouse 3, Thompson 1, Kurtz 1. Records—Sultan 13-9 overall. Squalicum 21-1.
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