PREP BOYS' BASKETBALL: Sehome tops Squalicum, clinches league crown
MICHELLE NOLAN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
BELLINGHAM - Kevin Virk says Sehome's boys' basketball team, "can't get too happy."
Even so, for a time after Sehome's historic 57-50 Northwest Conference victory over visiting Squalicum on Monday night, Feb. 7, the Mariners couldn't be blamed for being delirious with joy.
The victory not only gave Sehome (17-3, 11-2 NWC) the No. 1 seed and a home opener on Friday, Feb. 11, at the Class 2A Northwest District Tournament because the Mariners hold the tie-breaker over Burlington-Edison (17-3, 11-2), but also a league championship. Burlington fell to Mount Vernon 70-56 on Monday.
"We still have to take care of business," said Virk, an intense guard/forward who seemed to be everywhere on the court where he was needed most in his best game.
MICHELLE NOLAN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
BELLINGHAM - Kevin Virk says Sehome's boys' basketball team, "can't get too happy."
Even so, for a time after Sehome's historic 57-50 Northwest Conference victory over visiting Squalicum on Monday night, Feb. 7, the Mariners couldn't be blamed for being delirious with joy.
The victory not only gave Sehome (17-3, 11-2 NWC) the No. 1 seed and a home opener on Friday, Feb. 11, at the Class 2A Northwest District Tournament because the Mariners hold the tie-breaker over Burlington-Edison (17-3, 11-2), but also a league championship. Burlington fell to Mount Vernon 70-56 on Monday.
"We still have to take care of business," said Virk, an intense guard/forward who seemed to be everywhere on the court where he was needed most in his best game.
Perhaps even more significantly from Sehome's standpoint, the win represented the Bellingham city championship, which really means something in this town.
"Sehome hasn't beaten Squalicum in a long, long time," said Mariners coach A.J. LaBree. "It's been more than 20 games in league, non-league, district, everything. The last Sehome coach to beat Squalicum was Pat Fitterer and I'm the fourth coach since he left."
Two-time defending state and district champion Squalicum (13-7, 10-3) will open district play on the road Friday.
The Mariners won pretty much the same way they have all season - with offensive balance and a sticky zone defense that forced the Storm to battle hard and pass often for nearly every shot.
On a night the Mariners honored their seven seniors in a pre-game ceremony, it was fitting that five of them combined for 43 points, including 12 apiece from guards Geordie Marriner and Danny Stonedahl and 11 from Kevin Virk, who started against the Storm but has been sixth man this season. Virk, with 10 rebounds, said it was his first career double-double.
The Mariners opened with a 9-0 run and began the fourth quarter with a 10-2 run, giving Sehome a 47-38 lead, but the Storm wouldn't quit, in large part thanks to junior guard Zerek Csolti.
Csolti, who finished with 22 points, had 12 in the fourth quarter while shooting 4 for 4 with three 3-pointers in the final period to pull the Storm within 50-47 with a little more than one minute remaining.
Virk, though, found Marriner with a pass for a fast break layup with 1:02 left. Marriner then hit a free throw and made a steal to set up John Albert's two game-clinching free throws for a 55-47 lead with 29 seconds left. After Csolti hit his last three, Virk's two free throws with 12 seconds remaining removed any hope of a Squalicum miracle.
Albert, who has enjoyed outstanding success in baseball, was thrilled to see how well his fellow seniors have developed in basketball.
"We won the C league and the JV league, but we didn't do so well as juniors (when they lost the district play-in game)," said Albert, who finished with 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals. "But, oh yes, it's a shock (to win a league title) because it's a whole new level. We were hoping to make district."
Sophomore guard Gabe Sanchez, who has played primarily junior varsity minutes, gave the Mariners a huge second-quarter lift with a pair of 3-pointers and a nice pass for a bucket by fellow sophomore Titi Lamositele, giving Sehome a 28-25 halftime lead.
Storm seniors Travis Kurtz and Jeremy King and juniors Joseph Chunphakvenn and Christopher Qualls combined for 26 points to support Csolti, but Sehome's depth ultimately prevailed as senior Colin Peterson and sophomore Charlie Linneman contributed.
"This means everything to us," Stonedahl said. "We (the seniors) haven't ever seen a victory over Squalicum here.
"We're not the most talented group of players, but we really do play as a team," he said. "Geordie Marriner did a good job as our leader tonight. He kept his composure."
SEHOME 57, SQUALICUM 50
Squalicum 8 17 11 14 - 50
Sehome 11 17 9 20 - 57
Squalicum: Zerek Csolti 22, Joseph Chunphakvenn 4, Jeremy King 7, Travis Kurtz 8, Christopher Qualls 7, Neilan Pierce 2, Trevor Herndon 0. Team totals: 15-42 14-24 50.
Sehome: Geordie Marriner 12, Danny Stonedahl 12, Kevin Virk 11, Colin Peterson 3, John Albert 7, Charlie Linneman 2, Titi Lamositele 4, Gabe Sanchez 6. Team totals: 21-41 11-17 57.
3-ptg: Squalicum 5 (Csolti 3); Sehome 6 (Sanchez 2). Rebounds: Squalicum 32 (King, Qualls, Kurtz 7); Sehome 28 (Virk 10, Albert 10). Assists: Squalicum 9 (Chunphakvenn 4); Sehome 9 (Marriner, Stonedahl 3). Total fouls: Squalicum 15, Sehome 21.
Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/02/07/1856213/prep-boys-basketball-sehome-tops.html
