PREP BOYS' BASKETBALL: Pierce's 3-pointer gives Squalicum another state tournament trip
DAVID RASBACH - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
MOUNT VERNON - The names and faces might be new, but the result is the same - the Squalicum boys' basketball team is headed to the Class 2A State Tournament.
The past two years, the Storm relied heavily on graduated stars such as Patrick Voeut, Keith Stackhouse and Derek Dickerson to win back-to-back state championships.
Now there's a whole new group of heroes wearing Squalicum blue and silver - players like junior Neilan Pierce.
Pierce hit a game-winning 3-pointer on Monday, Feb. 14, with 1.8 seconds remaining in a Class 2A Northwest District Tournament semifinal showdown with crosstown rival Sehome, breaking a tied game and giving the Storm a wild 48-45 victory at Mount Vernon High School.
"I was just thinking don't miss," Pierce said after being mobbed on the floor by classmates.
He didn't, and Squalicum (15-7), which has won 17 straight postseason games, can now prepare for the new regional format to the state tournament that the WIAA adopted this year. But first, the Storm will face Burlington-Edison for the 2A district title for the third straight year at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18, at Mount Vernon High School.
With the regional format, that game takes on greater importance, as the winner will get the district's top seed and will play at Stanwood High School. The loser of the district title game will have to travel to Mount Tahoma High School.
With the loss, Sehome (18-4) drops into the consolation bracket and will have to face Anacortes in a 6 p.m. elimination game on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at Mount Vernon. The winner of that game then must win again to earn the district's third and final berth to state.
Squalicum also avenged a 57-50 loss to Sehome one week earlier that ended up clinching the Northwest Conference crown for the Mariners.
"I'm so proud of this team and the effort they have displayed," Squalicum coach Dave Dickson said. "Early on in the year, some teams took advantage of our inexperience and won some games in the fourth quarter. But this team has learned how to play good at the end of games against quality opponents like Sehome."
Pierce is actually making a habit out of it.
He hit a similar game-winning shot in a one-point victory over Anacortes only 10 days earlier.
"Neilan's the type of guy that performs best under pressure," Dickson said. "I guess there was just enough pressure for him tonight."
Actually, his teammates have seen him performing well in practice, too.
"Neilan is unbelievable," said fellow Storm junior Christopher Qualls Jr., who turned in game highs with 19 points and 10 rebounds Monday. "This is the second time he's done it. Then in practice this week, he was taking all these crazy shots and making them."
Obviously, none of them measured up to the one he made Monday.
After jumping out to a 14-8 lead in the first quarter, Squalicum watched the Mariners get hot and take a 24-18 lead into halftime. The Storm managed to cut their deficit to 34-33 by the end of the third and took the lead less than a minute into the fourth on a 3-pointer by Joseph Chunphakvenn.
Squalicum still led 42-40, when Colin Peterson hit Sehome's first 3 of the game from just left of the top of the key to make it 43-42 with 41 seconds to play.
Jeremy King answered off an assist from Pierce with a 3 of his own from the right wing to put the Storm back on top 43-40 with 20 seconds to play.
Then it was Sehome's turn to make a big shot, as Geordie Marriner hit a short jumper with 9 seconds left to tie it at 45 for Sehome, setting up Pierce's heroics.
"I saw him (Pierce) hit the game-winner against Anacortes, so I didn't feel too good when I saw the ball leave his hand," Sehome coach A.J. LaBree said. "I wanted to get a timeout after our last bucket, but I didn't get it, and so the kids just had to play and react, and Squalicum got a good look for a good shooter, and he knocked it down. It's a great shot to take, because you either get to be the hero, or the game goes to overtime. Those are fun shots to take."
As if knocking down the big 3 wasn't enough, Pierce, who finished with eight points after he came off the bench to replace Zerek Csolti when he went down in the first quarter with an apparent ankle injury, then stole John Albert's court-length baseball pass to secure the victory.
"We just did what we had to do and not worry about anything else," Pierce said.
Though Pierce's shot proved to be the difference in the game, Squalicum won the game on the glass, out-rebounding Sehome, which was without usual starting center Charlie Linneman who was out with the flu, 38-25.
"That says a lot to outrebound a physical team like Sehome," Dickson said. "That shows the supreme effort our guys gave tonight."
Sehome was led by Danny Stonedahl's 14 points and eight each from Marriner and Albert. Kevin Virk also showed good hustle with four steals and two blocked shots.
Chunphakvenn joined Qualls in double figures with 10 points for Squalicum and added four steals, while King finished with seven points.
Along with Pierce, those players look forward to staring to build their own legacy at the state tournament next week.
"We're a young team, but we've got a great opportunity to go back to state," Qualls said. "We've got a chance to show that we're still a good team, even after all those other guys left."
Reach David Rasbach at david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or 360-715-2271.
DAVID RASBACH - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
MOUNT VERNON - The names and faces might be new, but the result is the same - the Squalicum boys' basketball team is headed to the Class 2A State Tournament.
The past two years, the Storm relied heavily on graduated stars such as Patrick Voeut, Keith Stackhouse and Derek Dickerson to win back-to-back state championships.
Now there's a whole new group of heroes wearing Squalicum blue and silver - players like junior Neilan Pierce.
Pierce hit a game-winning 3-pointer on Monday, Feb. 14, with 1.8 seconds remaining in a Class 2A Northwest District Tournament semifinal showdown with crosstown rival Sehome, breaking a tied game and giving the Storm a wild 48-45 victory at Mount Vernon High School.
"I was just thinking don't miss," Pierce said after being mobbed on the floor by classmates.
He didn't, and Squalicum (15-7), which has won 17 straight postseason games, can now prepare for the new regional format to the state tournament that the WIAA adopted this year. But first, the Storm will face Burlington-Edison for the 2A district title for the third straight year at 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 18, at Mount Vernon High School.
With the regional format, that game takes on greater importance, as the winner will get the district's top seed and will play at Stanwood High School. The loser of the district title game will have to travel to Mount Tahoma High School.
With the loss, Sehome (18-4) drops into the consolation bracket and will have to face Anacortes in a 6 p.m. elimination game on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at Mount Vernon. The winner of that game then must win again to earn the district's third and final berth to state.
Squalicum also avenged a 57-50 loss to Sehome one week earlier that ended up clinching the Northwest Conference crown for the Mariners.
"I'm so proud of this team and the effort they have displayed," Squalicum coach Dave Dickson said. "Early on in the year, some teams took advantage of our inexperience and won some games in the fourth quarter. But this team has learned how to play good at the end of games against quality opponents like Sehome."
Pierce is actually making a habit out of it.
He hit a similar game-winning shot in a one-point victory over Anacortes only 10 days earlier.
"Neilan's the type of guy that performs best under pressure," Dickson said. "I guess there was just enough pressure for him tonight."
Actually, his teammates have seen him performing well in practice, too.
"Neilan is unbelievable," said fellow Storm junior Christopher Qualls Jr., who turned in game highs with 19 points and 10 rebounds Monday. "This is the second time he's done it. Then in practice this week, he was taking all these crazy shots and making them."
Obviously, none of them measured up to the one he made Monday.
After jumping out to a 14-8 lead in the first quarter, Squalicum watched the Mariners get hot and take a 24-18 lead into halftime. The Storm managed to cut their deficit to 34-33 by the end of the third and took the lead less than a minute into the fourth on a 3-pointer by Joseph Chunphakvenn.
Squalicum still led 42-40, when Colin Peterson hit Sehome's first 3 of the game from just left of the top of the key to make it 43-42 with 41 seconds to play.
Jeremy King answered off an assist from Pierce with a 3 of his own from the right wing to put the Storm back on top 43-40 with 20 seconds to play.
Then it was Sehome's turn to make a big shot, as Geordie Marriner hit a short jumper with 9 seconds left to tie it at 45 for Sehome, setting up Pierce's heroics.
"I saw him (Pierce) hit the game-winner against Anacortes, so I didn't feel too good when I saw the ball leave his hand," Sehome coach A.J. LaBree said. "I wanted to get a timeout after our last bucket, but I didn't get it, and so the kids just had to play and react, and Squalicum got a good look for a good shooter, and he knocked it down. It's a great shot to take, because you either get to be the hero, or the game goes to overtime. Those are fun shots to take."
As if knocking down the big 3 wasn't enough, Pierce, who finished with eight points after he came off the bench to replace Zerek Csolti when he went down in the first quarter with an apparent ankle injury, then stole John Albert's court-length baseball pass to secure the victory.
"We just did what we had to do and not worry about anything else," Pierce said.
Though Pierce's shot proved to be the difference in the game, Squalicum won the game on the glass, out-rebounding Sehome, which was without usual starting center Charlie Linneman who was out with the flu, 38-25.
"That says a lot to outrebound a physical team like Sehome," Dickson said. "That shows the supreme effort our guys gave tonight."
Sehome was led by Danny Stonedahl's 14 points and eight each from Marriner and Albert. Kevin Virk also showed good hustle with four steals and two blocked shots.
Chunphakvenn joined Qualls in double figures with 10 points for Squalicum and added four steals, while King finished with seven points.
Along with Pierce, those players look forward to staring to build their own legacy at the state tournament next week.
"We're a young team, but we've got a great opportunity to go back to state," Qualls said. "We've got a chance to show that we're still a good team, even after all those other guys left."
Reach David Rasbach at david.rasbach@bellinghamherald.com or 360-715-2271.
SQUALICUM 48, SEHOME 45
Sehome 14 4 15 15 - 48
Squalicum 8 16 10 11 - 45
Squalicum: Blake Youtsey 0, Travis Kurtz 2, Bryce Dickerson 0, Zerek Csolti 2, Joseph Chunphakvenn 10, Jeremy King 7, Christopher Qualls Jr. 19, Neilan Pierce 8. Team totals: 15-46 12-14 48.
Sehome: Geordie Marriner 8, Danny Stonedahl 14, Colin Peterson 9, Konstantin Andrushenko 0, Kevin Virk 4, Titi Lamositele 0, John Albert 8, Gabe Sanchez 2, Jake Lester 0. Team totals: 20-51 4-10 45.
3-ptg: Squalicum 6 (Chunphakvenn 2, Pierce 2), Sehome 1 (Pierce 1). Rebounds: Squalicum 38 (Qualls 10), Sehome 25 (Marriner 6). Assists: Squalicum 7 (Pierce 3), Sehome 2 (Peterson, Virk). Fouls: Squalicum 8, Sehome 11 (Virk fouled out). Turnovers: Squalicum 14, Sehome 11.
Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/02/14/1868356/prep-boys-basketball-pierces-3.html
