The #7 seed Meridian Trojans advanced to the state quarterfinals with a 65-52 win over the #15 seed Overlake Owls, Wednesday, in the Yakima SunDome.
The Trojans (18-8) go from the frying pan of an elimination game, to the fire of facing one of the state’s top teams regardless of classification, the Annie Wright Gators (21-2). That game will be 5:30pm, on Thursday.
The Trojans took an early 10-3 lead, but the Owls scored seven straight point to tie the game at 10-10.
In the final 90 seconds of the first quarter, the Trojans substituted five players off the bench as the score was tied at 10-10. The reserves battled defensively, shutting out the Owls during that stretch. The only scoring came from Trojan junior guard, Matthew Blankenburg, who banked in a 3-pointer at the quarter buzzer.
The Trojans began to build a lead in the second quarter, thanks to the inside play of 6-6 senior post, James Hedahl, who scored 13 of his 14 points in the first half. That staked the Trojans to a 33-22 lead at halftime.
The Trojans took off after the halftime break, outscoring the Owls 23-11 in the third quarter, as senior guard Jeager Fyfe scored 14 points, mostly on a variety of lay-ins from turnovers created by the Trojans press. The Owls committed 20 turnovers for the game.
The lead went as high as 24 points early in the fourth quarter. The Owls chipped away by hitting four 3-point shots in the final frame to close the gap, but the Trojans lead was never in jeopardy.
Fyfe finished with 25 points. Hedahl also pulled down 7 rebounds, with five at the offensive end. Senior guard Talon Jenkins scored nine points for the Trojans.
The Trojans need at least one win in their next two games to bring home a state tournament trophy for the first time since 2010.
~ Ted House
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