Junior guard Davis Fogle hit a long 3-point shot from beyond the top of the key with 20 seconds left in overtime, as the Anacortes Seahawks advanced to the state tournament with a 62-58 victory over the Cedarcrest Red Wolves, Saturday night at another packed gym at Mount Vernon High School.
The Seahawks (20-5) await their regional matchup slated for next weekend, while the season ends for the Red Hawks (19-5). Before the tournament began, we knew that at least one or two state-caliber teams would be left behind because of the depth of the field, and only two state allocations.
The Seahawks are certainly among the state’s best, as they overcame a district semifinal loss to the Cedarcrest, before winning elimination games over Bellingham and Lakewood, to get another chance at the Red Wolves.
In the beginning, the game seemed like it would go the way of the previous two matchups between the teams, both won by Cedarcrest. The Red Wolves hit three early 3-pointers on their way to a 13-5 lead, and 15-7 at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, the Red Wolves built an 18-11 lead before the Seahawks began to chip away.
Fogle scored only a bucket and a free throw in the first eight minutes, but he began to find gaps in the Cedarcrest zone in the second quarter, slithering his way into the key for jumpers, or to the rim. That included one drive down the middle for a hard one-handed slam-dunk.
The Seahawks took a 21-20 lead when 5-8 junior guard Jake Andrew popped the ball away after Cedarcrest had secured a defensive rebound. After the steal, he took a couple dribbles and set himself up on the right wing and nailed a 3-point shot. The Seahawks finished the half on a 15-4 run, and a 26-22 lead.
The Seahawks got the first four points of the second half to push the lead to eight before 6-6 junior forward Murphy Vliem keyed a Red Wolves comeback.
Vliem scored three buckets near the rim. Two of those were lob passes over the Seahawks zone defense from point guard Adam Rawlings that Vliem scored on. The second was a hard and flat pass that Vliem only redirected off the glass with a single hand.
After Fogle scored on an offensive rebound, Rawlings hit a three at the other end just before the buzzer, and the teams were tied at 39-39 after three quarters.
At this point, I remember saying that this game deserves overtime.
The Seahawks held the lead through much of the third quarter, but the shooting of Red Wolves senior guard Jack LeBlanc kept Cedarcrest in range. LaBlanc hit three long 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, the last with 1:16 on the clock that brought the Red Wolves to within 50-48.
Fogle missed on a 3-point shot with one minute left. Then Rawlings fired a bounce pass from the top of the key, through the Seahawks zone, to a wide-open Tillman Yowell, for the tying score with 39 seconds left.
On the Seahawks possession, they turned the ball over with 24 seconds left, giving the Red Wolves an opportunity for the win.
In the final seconds, Vliem rebounded a missed shot, and was fouled on his put-back attempt with 1.2 seconds on the clock.
Vliem missed both shots, sending the game to overtime tied at 50-50.
Jake Andrew hit a 3-pointer to put the Seahawks up at the start of overtime, but LeBlanc quickly matched that.
Here’s the part where the “role player” makes his mark in big games.
Luca Moore, the Seahawks 5-11 sophomore guard, who had two points in the first half, scored an overtime bucket, and was fouled, giving the Seahawks a 55-53 lead. He missed the ensuing free throw, but shortly after that, stole the ball and scored on a lay in to push the lead to four.
Red Wolves senior wing Alex Amaral scored to cut the lead to two, then the Seahawks turned the ball over with 1:26 left.
Amaral drove the lane and was fouled. He hit one of two free throws to inch the Red Wolves closer. But on the miss, the Red Wolves got the rebound and Vliem scored with 33 seconds left, giving his team a 58-57 lead.
There was no secret who would take the shot for the Seahawks, and he did. Fogle came off the dribble and drained a long three from on top with 20 seconds left, putting the Seahawks ahead, 60-58.
As the Red Wolves looked for the tying or winning shot in the final seconds, the Seahawks came away with a steal, and by the time the Red Wolves could stop play with a foul, the clock was down to six seconds.
Fogle hit both free throws for a four-point lead, securing the win, and the Seahawks were able to form any coaches favorite defense, “Don’t touch anyone!” The Red Wolves could only run out the clock.
LeBlanc led the Red Wolves with 22 points, hitting six 3-pointers on the night, with four in the fourth quarter and overtime. Amaral added 14 while playing through foul trouble. Vliem added 13.
Fogle’s 33 points led the Seahawks with sophomore Micah Dickison getting 11, and ten for Andrew.
It’s too bad that the numbers don’t allow three teams from District 1 2A this year, because the Red Wolves are among the best teams in the state, in the deepest district in the state.
That means that Anacortes and Lynden, the two representatives to the state tournament, are very well tested and ready for the other 14 teams.
In the middle of Sunday, the WIAA will reveal the regional lineups. Lynden and Anacortes will be joined by fellow Northwest Conference friends, Lynden Christian, Meridian, and Mount Vernon on the boys side.
The Bulldogs qualified for the state tournament by beating Monroe, 68-66, in an elimination game, Saturday at Maryville-Pilchuck High School.
NWC girls state tournament teams include Lynden, Nooksack Valley, Lynden Christian.
I’m sure The Palace will be bulging at the seams again next weekend.
~ Ted House
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