MOUNTLAKE TERRACE — An offseason of change for last year’s District 1 3A boys basketball finalists culminated in an anticipated rematch Tuesday night — with Mountlake Terrace getting their revenge over Arlington High School (3-1) in a 47-46 non-league thriller.
After some clutch shots from Arlington senior stars Leyton Martin (18 points, five rebounds) and Billy Kooy (12 points), the Hawks (3-0) locked in defensively. Mountlake Terrace senior forward Svayjeet Singh, who had team-highs in both points (11) and rebounds (6), had a clutch block on Martin late in the fourth on a left-handed layup attempt similar to one he had been burned on earlier in the quarter.
Singh, a post-heavy scorer, would go on to dish out his only assist of the night to junior Shan Shah for a go-ahead 3-pointer with 50 seconds remaining in the contest.
Singh credited the memory of their 61-53 loss to Arlington in last season’s district championship and controlled moments like these for a win in which they lost the turnover battle 20-14.
“We remember what happened last year in the district championship, and we knew we had to get it back,” said Singh. “We just had to slow down and notice we were rushing [shots].”
Arlington, which moved up to Class 4A this season, had no quit in them though, as Martin tied the game 46-46 with seven seconds remaining. After a timeout to try and break Arlington’s full-court trap, senior Rayshaun Connor (11 points, 4-6 free throws) took a full-court sprint at the rim. The sharpshooter was fouled on a layup attempt and split a pair of free throws with 2.9 seconds to give the Hawks a 47-46 advantage.
A running 3-point fling by the Eagles would miss off the left side of the rim as time expired — punctuating a rough 3-point shooting night for Arlington and first-year head coach Drew Bryson — as they did not make a 3-pointer. Unlike the Hawks, who relished the opportunity to get some revenge for last year’s district loss, Bryson suggested the Eagles were not sold on the rivalry.
“I think we overlooked [Terrace],” said Bryson. “I think our guys came in and thought because we returned more guys that we were gonna come out and be able to do our thing… They wanted it more than we did and I gotta give my hat off.”
Considering the turnover that Hawks head coach Johnny Phillips, also in his first season, has seen his roster undergo this offseason, the underestimation on Arlington’s part was not unfounded.
“This is the youngest team we’ve ever had in school history,” said Philips. “Tonight, they grew up a lot… I’m on them pretty hard, but it’s for games like today.”
Outside of Connor and Singh, none of the players on Mountlake Terrace’s roster played significant roles on last year’s team — which finished fourth in the state tournament. With All-Wesco selections Jaxon Dubiel and Zaveon Jones graduating after last year, it set the stage for a complete revamping of the Hawks’ roster.
Tuesday night saw a balanced game for the young team, as five players (including Connor and Singh) contributed five or more points. As far as leadership goes, those duties fall on the senior duo.
“For the last couple of years, they had a really veteran squad above them, so they didn’t have to take that charge. … For them, it’s brand new,” said Phillips of Connor and Singh. “They’re getting better at it. Today was really good.”
For the Eagles, the loss is a lesson.
“You can’t win until you learn, and it’s hard to learn when you’re winning every game,” said Martin. “We’re only averaging like 50-something points a game, which is not going to cut it in league play. So we got to just dial in offensively.”
The lesson comes at a good time, as Arlington will begin Wesco 4A play Friday night at Glacier Peak. Mountlake Terrace will begin 3A league play at home against Shorecrest, also on Friday night.
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