Tahoma hands Vashon defeat during holiday tourney
At the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday basketball tournament at the Showare center in Kent, Vashon played the Tahoma Bears, a large public school of about 1800 students in Maple Valley.
The 9 a.m. game time and virtually empty building did not lend itself to drama, but perhaps the story of the game was shooting inaccuracy. Neither team could knock down shots, and from the free throw line, Vashon was 2 of 6, and Tahoma was 0 of 5.
In the third quarter, Tahoma created some separation and held on for a 40-36 win.
High scorer for the Pirates was Jeremiah Bogaard with 11 points, and Coin Pottinger getting 7.
Bellevue Christian
Vashon hosted Bellevue Christian last Wednesday night, and despite leading most of the game, could not hold off a late fourth quarter Viking rally, losing 41-40 in Nisqually League play.
The game started with Jacob Chavez hitting his first attempt, a long three from downtown. BCHS answered with a two point basket, and then went on an 11-point run before Chavez hit another three pointer from the same spot on the floor. Both teams traded baskets to end the quarter with BCHS leading 16-10.
In the second period, the Vikings made a free throw at the six minute mark, but did not score again until the second half. Timmy Delargy knocked down two shots from beyond the 3-point line, and Edgar Hernandez-Torres made a layup, as the Pirates took a 19-17 lead into intermission.
The Pirates held onto a 3-point lead through most of the third quarter. Even after Ken West, the Vikings’ 6’7” senior swingman, curled around the block and leaped up for a banking short jumper, Hernandez-Torres answered, and the lead was preserved. Kalen Cunningham slashed inside for a layup, and Hernandez-Torres grabbed an offensive rebound and put it in for two points, and VHS was up 31-27 heading into the final quarter.
To start the fourth, Cunningham hit Jeremiah Bogaard inside, and he scored for a 6-point lead. Vashon maintained that lead, for a few minutes, but the Vikings’ rally was building and the Pirates could not get inside and score. At around the three minute mark, West scored on a driving layup from the left side, and made the free throw that was awarded for a 1-point BCHS lead. Then Chavez knocked down a three from the right side, for a 38-36 Vashon lead, but the Vikings answered back to tie it up.
For at least 90 seconds, both teams could not get out of their own way. With 49 seconds remaining in the game, Delargy picked up a loose ball, jumped between two Viking defenders and scored. The scoreboard read VHS 40, BCHS 38.
BCHS ran to the other end of the floor, into an offensive set and perimeter passes, and as the clock read 25 seconds remaining, West took a pass at 20 feet, and without hesitation buried it for a 41-40 lead and the victory.
Jacob Chavez led Pirate scorers with 11 points, followed by Delargy with 10.
Victory vs Seattle Christian
In the early minutes of the first period, Vashon withstood intense Seattle Christian defense by getting the ball inside to Pottinger for a lovely turnaround 5-foot jump shot off of the glass for 2 points. Moments later, Hernandez-Torres caught a missed Pirates’ shot, and put it in for a 4-0 start. Vashon was employing a full-court press, and SC was managing, but could not get into an offensive rhythm.
After a Pottinger free throw, the Warriors’ Connor Knack hit a three from the left corner. Kalen Cunningham deftly moved left, crossed his dribble, and darted into the lane to the right for a one handed layup, and a 7-3 lead.
The Warriors’ Jacob Fors powered in two buckets from in the paint, and the battle was on, as both teams played testy defense and a slower half-court offense. The first quarter ended with VHS having the advantage, 12-11.
Ryo Sasaki, SC point guard, hit a 3-point shot, and Delargy answered with a deep three as well. The Warriors then took an 18-15 lead on a layup by Sasaki, and a 10-foot jump shot by Hayden Hochhalter with five minutes remaining. They would not score again in the half, while the Pirates went on a 10-0 run on threes by Pottinger and Chavez, and a layup by Delargy and another by Pottinger. This burst of scoring resulted in a 25-18 halftime lead.
The third quarter was a reversal of fortunes for the Pirates, as they could only manage one basket, a hook shot by Isaac Patchen, while SC went on a 10-2 run, and then led 28-27.
Patchen got the Pirates on track in the fourth, with a driving basket in the paint and a free throw for a 30-28 lead. Knack answered with a 3-point shot, and Bogaard answered with a basket off an assist by Patchen. Bogaard got another basket after his own rebound, giving Vashon a 34-31 lead.
Then, with still over 4 minutes left on the clock, Pottinger hit Patchen with a brilliant pass inside for 2 more points.
SC narrowed the margin to a single point Vashon lead at 36-35, before Delargy netted a deep three. Bogaard ultimately put the game away for the Pirates, with two free throws and only 40 seconds left on the clock. Patchen added three more free throws in the final seconds to bring the final score to 44-35.
High scorer for Vashon was Patchen with 12 points.
