UPDATE: Boys basketball game thread: Meadowdale vs. Mariner

Final score: Mariner 64, Meadowdale 56

EVERETT — Michael Minor’s steal and layin with 35 seconds to go helped Mariner outlast Meadowdale 64-56 in a Wesco South boys basketball game tonight at the Mariner High gym.

With the regular season winding down, Mariner improved its division record to 12-2 and is tied with Mountlake Terrace for first place in the Wesco South. Meadowdale (11-3), which came into the game tied with Mariner, dropped to third place.

Minor scored 17 of his team-high 22 points in the first half and grabbed eight rebounds for Mariner, which increased its winning streak to five and has won eight of nine. Minor’s final basket, the timely fast-break layin, helped set up a big showdown between Mariner and Mountlake Terrace (12-2) on Tuesday.

Mariner and Mountlake Terrace have already clinched Class 4A District 1 tournament berths. They’re jostling for seeding and a league title. Edmonds-Woodway upset Terrace 61-56 in overtime Friday.

Roger O’Neill had another stellar outing for Class 3A Meadowdale, tallying 24 points, including five 3-point shots. O’Neill, a senior guard, verbally committed this week to play for Saint Martin’s University in Lacey.

At Mariner H.S.

Meadowdale1714718-56

Mariner15241312-64

Meadowdale: O’Neill 24, Surur 10, Kyobe 8, Hamlett 8, Larson 2, Beucherie, Carroll 4, Coleman, Johnson. Mariner: Minor 22, Doerscher 5, Dillon 10, Malysheff 10, Purnell 12, McCulloch 2, Yusuf, Stepura, Kiehl 3, Zerahaimanot. 3-point goals-O’Neill 5, Surur 2, Minor 1, Doerscher 1, Kiehl 1. Records-Meadowdale 11-3 in division, 12-4 overall. Mariner 12-2, 13-3.

*****

Through three quarters: Mariner 52, Meadowdale 38

Mariner increased its lead in the third quarter. One big reason was more hot shooting: The Marauders made 7 of 8 field goal attempts in the period.

Meanwhile, Meadowdale was just 2-for-9.

*****

Halftime score: Mariner 39, Meadowdale 31

Mariner was down by six points (17-11) in the first quarter, but since then the Marauders have been nearly unstoppable. They scored the last four points of the first period and outscored Meadowdale 24-14 in the second quarter.

Mariner’s largest lead of the half was 11 points (33-22), which they accomplished with a 9-0 scoring run. Tevin Dillon finished the spurt with a steal and three-point play on a leaning fast break layin.

Here are the first half scoring leaders.

Meadowdale

Roger O’Neill, 14 points (three 3-pointers)

Khalid Surur, 7 points

Mariner

Michael Minor, 17 points

Damascus Purnell, 10 points

*****

Two teams with identical records and hopes of winning a division title are about to face off here in south Everett.

I’m at Mariner High School, where the Class 4A Marauders are set to play host to the 3A Meadowdale Mavericks in a Wesco South game. Both teams are 11-2 in division (tied for second place behind first-place Mountlake Terrace) and 12-3 overall.

Here’s a quick look at Meadowdale and Mariner.

Meadowdale Mavericks (11-2, 12-3)

-HEAD COACH: Chad McGuire

-REMAINING GAMES: host to Shorecrest Tuesday, host to Jackson 2.6, at Lynnwood 2.9, host to Mountlake Terrace 2.11

-LATELY: Won four straight and five of past six

*Team scores 54.6 points per game, allows 43.8 ppg

-SCORING LEADERS:

Player Games Pts P/G

Roger O’Neill 15 267 17.8

Connor Hamlett 15 207 13.8

Kris Larson 15 92 6.1

Nasser Kyobe 15 82 5.5