EDMONDS
Jamie Eisinger scored a career-high 34 points to lead the Jackson Timberwolves to a Wesco South Division title-clinching 67-63 victory over the never-say-quit Edmonds-Woodway Warriors on Feb. 8.
“Jamie makes coaches look a lot smarter than they are,” Jackson coach Steve Johnson said. “I think he’s the best player in the league and he played like it tonight.”
“That was one of the funnest games I’ve ever played in,” said Eisinger, who along with several teammates drew Johnson’s ire for leaping into a throng of Jackson fans after the victory was clinched.
“I don’t think I’ll do that again,” added the Timberwolves’ point guard.
With the triumph Jackson (13-3 in league, 15-5 overall) clinched the No. 1 seed from the division. E-W (12-4, 15-5) is the No. 2 seed from the South Division.
The Warriors roared back behind James Conti (17 points, eight assists, five rebounds) and Max Ortiz (15 points) to cut what had been an 11-point deficit with 2:31 remaining, to trail 62-61 with 1:14 to play.
“The kids worked really hard,” Edmonds-Woodway coach Gail Pintler said. “Coming back was a real boost.”
Jackson earned its second consecutive division crown, despite losing two starters for violating team rules earlier this season.
“I’m unbelievably proud of the kids to maintain their focus and take this league championship,” Johnson said. “We achieved one goal tonight. Now, everybody’s 0-0 and they will all be hard games.”
Against the Warriors, Jackson, which finished fifth in last season’s Class 4A state tournament, pinned its hopes on Eisinger, who used an array of vertigo-inducing moves to deliver 17 points in each half.
“I’ve always thought (Eisinger) is the best player in the league,” Pintler said. “We were in his face the whole time tonight and it didn’t make any difference.”
Jackson enjoyed a huge lift from Chris Reimer, who matched Eisinger with eight first-quarter points, knocked down five 3-pointers and finished the contest with 17 points.
“That kid really hurt us,” Pintler said of Reimer. “Knocking down 3’s from the next county.”
Trailing 62-58, Ortiz buried a 3-pointer with 1:14 remaining to cap the Warriors’ incredible 11-1 run back from an 11-point deficit.
Jackson’s Dan Wishko (nine points) took a baseline in-bounds pass from Reimer, scored and drew a foul with 43 seconds remaining.
Wishko converted the three-point play to give Jackson a 65-61 lead.
Conti’s put-back of a missed 3-point attempt by Eric Greenwood got the Warriors within two with 27 seconds to play.
E-W was forced to foul Eisinger who went to the line, in the double bonus with 21 seconds showing, and coolly converted both free throws to account for the final margin.
“Tonight he just said ‘I’m not gonna get beat,’” Pintler said. “He just put it all on his shoulders.”
Connor Donaldson had 12 points and seven rebounds for E-W. Casey Hamlett added six rebounds.
Trailing 7-5 in the opening minutes, Jackson’s Reimer launched a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer and a bucket off a nice feed from Wishko.
Eisinger’s foul-line jumper made the score 12-7 in Jackson’s favor midway through the first period.
Greenwood banked in a shot from the right side of the lane to get E-W within 16-13.
With a minute to play in the quarter Eisinger pulled up and knocked down another jump-shot from the foul line to get the Timberwolves’ lead back to five.
E-W stormed into the lead with a 7-0 run of its own to start the second quarter and eventually led 28-25 late in the period.
But, Eisinger’s 40-feet heave for a 3-pointer at the buzzer capped a 7-2 run to give Jackson a 32-30 lead at the end of a first half in which there were six lead changes.
The Timberwolves opened the second half with a blistering 10-0 run, spurred by a pair of 3-pointers by Reimer and two free throws and a coast-to-coast driving lay-in by Eisinger that made the score 42-30.
E-W battled back with a 7-2 run of its own, keyed by four points and an assist by Conti. The Warriors trailed 48-39 entering the final quarter.
Bob Mortenson writes for The Herald in Everett.
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