Boys 1B: Sunnyside Christian, Almira/Coulee-Hartline set for showdown in title game
You say it’s tough to beat the same team three times?
How about five?
Not if you’re the Sunnyside Christian Knights, who ran past Yakama Nation Tribal and back into the State 1B title game with an 83-59 semifinal win Friday afternoon at the Spokane Arena.
With stellar outside shooting and a relentless fast break, the defending champs never trailed after the opening minute to advance to Saturday’s championship game against Almira/Coulee-Hartline.
The Knights (25-1) and their four senior starters are chasing not only back-to-back titles their 10th overall.
Coach Dean Wagenaar, however, is living in the present.
“We’re not talking about repeating. They already have the rings for that,” Wagenaar said, smiling at his players outside the locker room.
“We’re talking about winning a championship.”
His seniors – brothers Chance and Lane Marsh, Cade Bosma and Wagenaar’s son Luke – felt the same way: Winning is just part of a journey that began when they were kids.
“It’s fun because we’re so close to each other, and we see each other all the time in the halls,” said Lane Marsh, who finished with 15 points and made all three of his 3-point shots.
The fun was on full display Friday afternoon. The Knights shot 52 percent from inside the arc and even better – 11 for 19, or 58 percent – from long range.
“This is a special group,” Luke Wagenaar said. “When we make 3s, it’s fun, though it feels like a barrage to the other team.”
After a slow start, Sunnyside Christian led 11-7 after the first quarter and 32-22 at halftime thanks to some outstanding long-range shooting. The Knights were 9 for 15 from beyond the arc in the first half.
Just as impressive was the Knights’ fastbreak, which punished the Eagles for almost every miss. Often the Eagles had to foul, and Sunnyside cashed in by making 23 of 31 foul shots.
“We don’t have a lot of size, so we can’t slow it down,” Lane Marsh said. “It’s better if we get out in space and use our speed.”
By the middle of the third quarter, the lead was up to 15. A 3-pointer from Kyler Marsh capped a big third quarter that ended with the Knights up 57-36.
At that point it was hard not to feel sorry for the Eagles, who are 21-6 overall but with five of their losses coming at the hands of their Greater Columbia Gorge Conference rivals.
In their most recent meeting, at district on Feb. 15, Yakima Nation lost by three points.
“We wanted to win, but not worry about the other four times,” Dean Wagenaar said.
Five Knights finished in double figures, with Kyler Marsh leading the way with 16. Ross Faber added 13, Chance Marsh had 12 and Lucas Dykstra had 10.
Bryan Strom had a game-high 22 points to lead Yakima Nation Tribal.
Almira/Coulee-Hartline 50, Pomeroy 48: Maguire Isaak scored 20 points, including a short jumper at the buzzer, to lift the Warriors to an improbable comeback win and a spot in the title game.
ACH trailed 47-40 with 2 minutes, 2 seconds left, but made all the big plays thereafter. After a missed Pomeroy free throw, Payton Nielsen made a layup and the resulting foul shot to cut the game to 47-43.
Isaak added a 3-point shot with 1:15 left to trim the Pomeroy lead to 48-46, then tied the game on a layup with 34 seconds left to set up the thrilling finish.
The game was tight throughout. ACH (20-6) led 24-21 at halftime as Pomeroy missed 8 of 9 from outside the arc.
The Pirates (22-4) led by as many as five in the third quarter but only 33-31 going into the fourth.
Jacob Tewalt had 22 points to lead Pomeroy.