Pullman 57, Anacortes 43

By Michael Anderson, Special to NWPrepsNow.com

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YAKIMA – At 5-foot-7, Pullman point guard David Ungerer never stood taller than he did Friday night in driving the Greyhounds back to the State 2A boys basketball championship game with a 57-43 win over Anacortes in the Yakima SunDome.

The Greyhounds will face Lynden in the championship game at 3 p.m. on Saturday. Lynden defeated Lake Washington 49-37 in the other semifinal.

Defending champion Pullman (22-2) is in the title game for the fourth time since the WIAA went to five classifications in 1999. No other school has been in the 2A title game more than three times in that time frame. A win would even Pullman’s record at 2-2 in 2A title games.

Ungerer had 18 points and seven assists for Pullman, leading four players in double figures. Equally important was his ball-handling in the fourth period when Anacortes went to a full-court press in an attempt to cut into Pullman’s lead.

“David handled that pressure very well in the fourth quarter,” Pullman coach Craig Brantner said. “That and our rebounding were the keys to the game.”

Pullman outrebounded the physical Seahawks 34-22. Race Martin and Ungerer each had five for the Greyhounds.

Clinging to a two-point lead going into the final period, Pullman outscored the Seahawks 20-8 in the first 6 minutes of the quarter to pull away.

Pullman got a big performance off the bench from Micah Lagerquist. The slender junior came into the game averaging just four points a game but popped for 11 and grabbed six rebounds.

The Greyhounds also held Anacortes to 34 percent shooting from the field (17 of 50). Pullman hit 50 percent (20 of 40).

Martin had 12 points and Tanner Therrien had 10 for Pullman.