Boys basketball: ROYAL 47, Columbia-Burbank 43

ROYAL CITY - Needing two wins just to forge a South Central Athletic Conference (SCAC) East playoff tiebreaker, the Royal Knights dug deep enough at just the right time.

Saturday night, the Knights held on for a 47-43 win over visiting Columbia-Burbank, just 24 hours after a narrow 42-41 win over River View.

With the two wins, Royal advanced to last night's playoff with Connell at Wahluke High School. Results will be available in Wednesday's Columbia Basin Herald.

The two teams split their two games this season.

"This has been an emotional week of basketball for our young team," Royal head coach Pete Christensen said. "We have come down to a must win weekend and the guys have risen to the occasion and learn a few valuable lessons they can use as they mature as a team."

Royal (10-10, 6-6) held on against C-B, as they almost let an eight-point fourth quarter lead slip away.

"It was do or die for the Knights," Christensen said. "It was a close game the entire way.  I don't believe we ever lost the lead once we had it but the game never got out of hand for either team."

Danny Vermeer led Royal with 19 points.

Against River View, Vermeer added 13 points to help Kent Christensen's 18 points and seven rebounds for Royal as they stormed back from a 30-24 deficit heading into the fourth quarter.

"They let us get back in the game and a couple quick three pointers in the last minute brought it up to near even," Pete Christensen said.  "We started fouling them the last minute of the game and they didn't capitalize on their opportunities."

Trailing by one point late, Royal watched as River View missed two free throws with just seconds remaining. Vermeer ripped the rebound and drove down court for a shot that missed but was followed by Neil Leitz who put the ball in for the buzzer-beating win."

"Wow that was fun," Pete Christensen said.