MARYSVILLE

Even before Tim Diederichs sank a catch-and-heave 3-point basket as the buzzer blared to end the second quarter, something was very clear.

This game belonged to the Snohomish Panthers.

Diederichs, a 6-foot-8 forward, tumbled onto his back, his legs sprawling into the air, after draining the 3-pointer. It capped an incredible first half for the Snohomish boys basketball team, which led 36-12 at intermission and beat Jackson 79-58 Feb. 23 in a winner-to-state, loser-out Class 4A District 1 tournament game at Jim Linden Field House.

Diederichs (13 points) and senior guard Kegan Bone (25 points, a career high) led a cast of six Panthers who scored at least six points to help Snohomish, the Wesco North No. 1 seed, earn its fifth state tourney berth in six seasons. Snohomish, which improved to 22-2, also went to state in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006.

Normally known for its defense, Snohomish made seven 3-pointers in the first half and led by 30 points midway through the third quarter.

“I was hitting ‘em and Clayton (Johnson) hit one and (Diederichs) hit one,” said Bone, who sank five 3s in the first two quarters.

The long-range barrage was difficult to keep track of, and seemingly impossible for Jackson (17-7), the Wesco South No. 1 seed, to stop.

“I don’t know how many 3s we had in the first half, but we were shooting pretty well,” said Bone, who scored 17 points in the first half, matching his previous career-high for an entire game.

Bone was 5-for-7 on 3-pointers in the first half, including 3-for-3 in the second quarter, when Snohomish outscored Jackson 22-6.

“We didn’t want Bone to shoot 3s,” Jackson coach Steve Johnson said. “We were sagging off some guys (but) some of the guys we weren’t supposed to be sagging off of were getting open for 3-pointers.”

Snohomish grabbed the district’s third and final berth into the 4A state tourney, which takes place this week at the Tacoma Dome.

Snohomish zipped to a 7-0 lead and went ahead 16-7 early in the second quarter on Zach Wilde’s 12-foot jumper. Chris Reimer’s backdoor layup got Jackson within six, but things got much worse from there for the Timberwolves.

Snohomish closed the half with a 20-2 run and led by 24 at the break.

Bone — and all of his teammates, for that matter — seemingly couldn’t miss. Meanwhile, the Panthers used their major height advantage to rule the glass. Jackson didn’t get one offensive rebound in the first half and grabbed just five in the second half.

“We were giving up 5, 6, 7 inches at every spot on the front line. I thought we could play with them,” coach Johnson said. “… But with the fast start they had and the slow start we had, we never even got a chance really to kind of get that going.”

“We were thrilled with our start, our execution defensively and offensively,” Snohomish coach Len Bone said.

“That was a good half,” he added. “At both ends it was good. … Now we won’t talk about the second half.”

Led by senior point guard Jamie Eisinger, Jackson forced 10 turnovers in the final two quarters. Eisinger, who led Jackson with 24 points, scored five straight during a 10-1 run that put the Timberwolves within 21.

But Snohomish used excellent ball movement to get several layups and maintain control. Tanner Jenkins (11 points) and Wilde (10) combined for 14 second-half points.

Reimer and Dan Wishko scored eight points apiece for Jackson, which was seeking its second straight state tourney berth. The Timberwolves placed fifth last season in their 4A state debut.

Jackson put together a strong season despite losing two starters who were removed from the team in early January after violating the district athletic code. Several young players stepped up, and Eisinger somehow lifted his already stellar game a few notches.

Mike Cane writes for The Herald in Everett.