Two Basin teams advance to trophy round

SPOKANE — The Almira-Coulee/Hartline boys basketball team played Lummi Nation School for the Class 1B boys state basketball title Saturday night at the Spokane Arena. The score was not available at press time, but a full story on the game will be in Tuesday’s Columbia Basin Herald. 

ACH made their way to the state title game with a 64-56 win over DeSales on Friday. The Warriors got off to a slow start, trailing 17-12 after the first quarter and 29-26 at the end of the first half. They still trailed by three, 44-41, at the end of the third quarter. But the Warriors outscored DeSales 23-12 in the fourth quarter to take the semifinal victory. 

The Royal Knights played for third place at the Class 1A tournament Saturday after a 56-49 loss to Lynden Christian in the semifinals Friday.  

Royal had a one-point lead after the first quarter, but the Lyncs outscored the Knights 15-5 in the second quarter to take a 10-point lead, 30-20, at halftime. Royal came back in the third quarter and led 42-39 going into the fourth quarter, but Lynden Christian finished with a strong fourth quarter to take the win.  

The score of the third-place game wasn’t available at press time. A full story on the game will be in the Tuesday Columbia Basin Herald.  

The Moses Lake Christian Academy/Covenant Christian School Lions ended their season one game short of the trophy with a 67-54 loss to Tulalip Heritage High School on Friday.  

ACH-MLCA/CCS 

The Warriors advanced to the semifinals with a 63-48 win over MLCA/CCS in a game that proved Lions coach Emerson Ferguson was right. 

“It’s never easy at state,” Ferguson said in an earlier interview, and it was a hard-fought game the whole way.  

The Lions broke out on top early, with a seven-point lead about halfway through the first quarter. Almira-Coulee/Hartline came back to lead 16-15 at the end of the first quarter, but MLCA/CCS held ACH to three points in the second quarter and went into halftime with a 26-19 lead.  

Warrior Coach Graham Grindy said cold shooting and the MLCA/CCS defense made the first half a struggle. 

“We just couldn’t get anything going,” Grindy said. “We talked about that a little bit at halftime. I liked the way we made adjustments – the second half was excellent for us.” 

ACH stepped up its defense in the second half, he said, and that adjustment was crucial – that and the Warriors’ increase in intensity. 

“This game is more a dogfight than a basketball game, and we have to fight back,” Grindy said of his team’s attitude. “We’re going to push back.”  

He cited the Warriors’ response when guard Max Grindy went to the bench during the third quarter. Grindy had scored seven straight points to give ACH the lead, but had to leave the game. ACH built a six-point lead while he was on the bench with his third foul.  

“The guys, team-wise, just stepped up defensively,” Grindy said. “It was fun in that respect, to see the guys fight like that.” 

Grindy gave credit to center Tucker Bayless for his defense under the basket. 

“He was tough inside,” Grindy said. 

Royal  

The Knights earned their berth in the semifinals with a 67-46 win over Chelan on Thursday night. 

Royal had a 41-24 lead at the half, but the Goats outscored them in the third quarter and cut the lead to 51-39, and cut it further early in the fourth. 

“I think it got to within nine (points),” said Royal coach Greg Jenks. “As there have been some comebacks in (district and state tournament play), that got a little scary. A little nervous there for a little bit.” 

But the Knights stepped up their defense and rebuilt their lead. 

“I feel like defensively we were able to get some stops that led to easier shots,” Jenks said. 

The Columbia Basin Herald will have finalized coverage fo the state basketball tournament in Tuesday's edition of the paper.

    ACH’s Josh Booker (13) drives the lane against MLCA/CCS’s Johnny Ferguson (24).
  

    MLCA/CCS’s Max Gulenko (20) puts up the shot against ACH.
  

    The Lions’ James Robertson (14) tries to beat ACH’s Caden Correia (32) to the lane.
  

    In a game that featured intense defense, MLCA/CCS’s Dennis Gulenko (32) challenges ACH’s Max Grindy (25).