Warden boys fall to La Center in overtime of 1A consolation bracket
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldWarden senior Tanner Skone (20) gets a piece of La Center's Hunter Ecklund's shot during the third quarter of Friday's 1A Hardwood Classic consolation game at the Yakima SunDome.
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin HeraldWarden senior Tanner Skone (20) goes up to block the shot of La Center's Matt Baher (22) during the third quarter of Friday's 1A Hardwood Classic consolation game in the Yakima SunDome.
YAKIMA — A Warden Cougar briefcase leaned up against the wall in the dark corridor just outside the locker room. Down the hallway, Warden head coach Wes Richins was glancing through the final box score, not really paying attention, but it was something to do while he gathered his thoughts after the Cougars 49-42 overtime loss to La Center in the consolation loser-out game of the 1A Hardwood Classic at the Yakima SunDome Friday.
The younger guys and role players gathered their stuff and filed past heading for the bus. Inside, Warden seniors Tanner Skone and J.R. Delgado sat in front of their lockers taking their time.
They’d played together since third-grade AAU ball, it was as if their high school basketball careers would last just that much longer if it took awhile to clear out.
For six Warden seniors, their careers ended in the Yakima SunDome, and that’s something. Friday’s loss was the end to a remarkable story and the program’s first trip to “The Dome.” The Cougars (18-9) were the first team from Warden to play in the 1A Hardwood Classic and the first to play in the SunDome. They beat King’s Way Christian in the opener, then lost to No. 1 Freeman and again on Friday to La Center.
Like everybody who doesn’t win the final game of the year, there is disappointment. But Fernando Barriga, Adam Richins, Issiah Gonzalez, Carlos Reyes, Skone and Delgado had the opportunity to play in the Dome before it was all over. For the underclassmen, it was a taste of things to come.
“We played hard and we gave it all we got,” said Delgado, who finished his final high school game with 21 points and 10 rebounds. “I think we put Warden on the map. It was fun. Our crowd was loud. You could hear them and we played hard for them.”
Delgado, who scored eight points in the fourth quarter, tied the game at 36 with 2:30 remaining in regulation. Skone had a monster block of Jake Wise on the Wildcats ensuing possession, denying the 6-foot-3 La Center senior. Skone finished with eight blocks, four points and nine rebounds before fouling out with 1:16 remaining.
The intensity level between two teams fighting for their tournament lives was more than physical, it was brutal in the paint. Skone and Wise were at the center of every rebound in the last two minutes and more than once ended up on the floor in the mad scramble.
Wise finished with a game-high 28 points and 22 rebounds. Delgado had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Cougars. But where this game was decided was at the free-throw line where the Wildcats shot 13 more free throws, making 21-of-25. The Cougs made 11-12. Adam Richins, Zach Richins and Skone all fouled out in regulation.
Wise had the only Wildcat (18-6) field goal of the overtime and was 6-of-6 from the line as La Center pulled away.
“We battled, but they were more aggressive than we were because of our foul trouble,” Wes Richins said. “The physicality bothered us. My younger guys really got pushed around. “We were within striking distance and we gave ourselves a chance.”
Rodney Harwood is a sports writer for the Columbia Basin Herald and can be reached at rharwood@columbiabasinherald.com
Score by quarters
La Center 14 11 6 9 9 - 49
Warden 7 11 9 13 2 - 42
La Center - Jake Wise 28, Avery Seter 6, Matt Baher 6, Hunter Ecklund 6, Joe Bork 2, Jackson Leslie 1. Totals - Field goals: 12. 3-point goals: 4. Free throws: 21-25. Score: 49
Warden - Zach Richins 5, Martin Arriaga 3, Tanner Skone 4, Adam Richins 7, JR Delgado 21, Jack Hardman 2. Totals - Field goals: 13. 3-point goals: 5. Free throws: 11-12. Score: 42.