Knights boys suffer loss in semis, despite gritty effort

YAKIMA — The Royal Knights (23-5) fell to the Zillah Leopards 74-64 in the semifinals of the 1A state basketball tournament Friday. Despite the loss, Head Coach Tim Ravet said he was proud of the belief his players showed throughout the game.  

“I'm proud of the kids. They battled and made it a game. Any game in life, it's about hope,” Ravet said. “We took that all the way to the end, (and) everybody played hard.”  

It was evenly contested to start the game, as the Knights and Leopards threw some of their best shots early. After one, Zillah led by three and maintained that lead until halftime. The Knights started strong in the second half; however, Zillah was successful in stunting any momentum Royal gained. Their efficiency on both ends of the court guided them to a victory over the Knights and advanced them to the 1A state finals. 

“More than anything, (they had) the belief that they could win. That's all (you want) in a coach, in a program and a culture,” Ravet said.  

The first quarter seemed to foreshadow yet another back-and-forth affair between the two teams as this was the fourth time they’ve faced each other this season. Royal came out fast and looked to be playing fearlessly behind back-to-back three-pointers by Grant Wardenaar to take an 8-13 lead.  

Royal continued to battle but Zillah was responsive throughout the first quarter. A blocked shot by Dax Jenks was not enough to keep the lead as the Leopards hit a buzzer-beater three-pointer to take a 23-20 lead at the end of the first.  

The Knights showed they weren’t going to be shaken by that big play as Jenks opened the second quarter with a three-pointer of his own to tie the game. From there, Zillah went on a run of scores as they retook the lead by a larger margin, leading 41-30. However, a three-pointer by Graham Palmer in the final seconds of the first half gave Royal a boost as they trailed 41-33.  

“They've been battling the whole season,” Ravet said. “We looked the part, we competed. So to me, I'm proud of the kids (and) that's all that matters.”  

Royal came out on fire once again, as they cut the deficit to 41-39 in the first few minutes of the third quarter. As they looked to build momentum, Zillah repeatedly found ways to stunt the Knights' production on both ends of the hardwood. After another three-pointer by Jenks, the Leopards scored an and-one play, putting them ahead 51-44. They continued to control the game as they took a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.  

Despite the hardship throughout the game so far, the Knights continued to battle. They began to play trap defense in transition to find steal opportunities and on offense, they leaned on key players like Wardenaar, Jenks and Palmer. However, Zillah did enough to secure the win 74-64 and advance to the state championship game.  

Wardenaar finished with 25 points, Jenks finished with 13 and Palmer scored 15. Manny Ruvalcaba, Fischer Livingstone and Anderson Brown also contributed buckets in the Knights' semifinal campaign.  

The Knights still have a chance to finish in the top three, as they host the loser of King’s vs Lynden Christian on Mar. 7 at 11:15 a.m. With one more opportunity to step into the Yakima Valley Sun Dome, Ravet and the Knights are focused on finishing their season with class, he said. 

“Finish with class and finish that for the seniors. This is going to be their last game in a high school uniform, do that for them, and they're the ones that are in there crying right now. To me, that's the ultimate respect as a coach when players are that committed and that sad and that bought in,” he said.  

BOX SCORE: 

ROYL: 20-13-14-17: 64
ZLLA: 23-18-16-17: 74 

    The Knights’ Manny Ruvalcaba (0) watches his shot go in during their game against the Zillah Leopards in the 1A state basketball semifinals Friday.
  

    Grant Wardenaar (24) pushes the pace against a Zillah defender during the 1A state basketball semifinals Friday. Wardenaar scored 25 points.
  

    The Knights’ Dax Jenks (4) spins his way into the paint for a shot attempt against Zillah Friday.