Boys’ basketball: Vashon loses nail-biter before winning against University Prep

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Casper Forest stepped to the charity stripe with 3.5 seconds remaining last Tuesday, Jan. 10, during a game against Seattle Christian, and calmly sank two free throws to knot the score at 50 and send it into overtime. This was Vashon’s best moment of the game, as the home team could not match the Chieftains’ scoring in the extra four-minute period and suffered its first Nisqually league-loss.

The Chieftains of Seattle Christian came to Vashon on the stormy night and demonstrated early that the shortest distance to the Promised Land is going directly to the hoop. Senior guards Evan Toy and Max Loorem sliced the Vashon zone defense like a hot knife cuts through butter on their way to a 15-3 lead midway into the first quarter. The second quarter did not bring Vashon relief, as their passes did not catch up with the offense, and the defense, too, was a half-step behind.

If the Pirates weren’t convinced after the first quarter that Seattle Christian had come to play, head coach Andy Sears let them know it at halftime. They were faced with a score of 30-16, a 14-point deficit that was not in the game plan. There had been many passing turnovers and unforced errors, and their shooting percentage was around 25 percent. VHS had either shot from downtown with little success, or hurried a shot in the paint. The composure the Pirates needed came in the third quarter.

Pirate Langston Dziko opened the period with a 3-point basket followed by free throws by Noah Edmonds and Ethan Danielsen. Then a Danielsen lay-in led to a 15-6 Vashon run that put the score at 36-31. The Chieftains got the score to 40-31 to close out the period before the fireworks began.

The Pirates opened the final quarter with a turnover gift of two points to the Chieftains before getting down to business. Forest hit from downtown twice, and Jacob Chavez drained another one to reduce the Chieftains lead to 44-40 with just over six minutes on the clock. After a Seattle Christian turnover, Jahmiah Hoogen passed to Edmonds. He squared himself to the basket from 23 feet and sank a 3-pointer with four minutes left in the game to tie it at 45.

Moments later, the lights flickered and failed as the gymnasium went mostly dark. Some thought the storm caused a power outage. Others wondered if this was a 60-year-old building that should have been retired at age 50. Play resumed around 30 minutes later.

Three possessions resulted in zero points for both teams. Forest then hit a three to put Vashon in the lead 48-45 with the game clock at 2:05. Seattle Christian found the hoop for two baskets and a free throw to take a 50-48 lead. Forest then snagged a rebound after a missed free throw and was fouled with seconds remaining, putting him at the line.

The overtime started with the Chieftains getting the tip and immediately driving to the hoop. Seattle Christian sophomore Zac VanderLey was fouled and sank both shots for a 2-point lead. Edmonds drove to the right side of the basket, but his shot was blocked, resulting in a loss of possession. VanderLey then sank a jump shot from 15 feet.

The next Vashon possession resulted in a turnover, a quick outlet pass from Chieftan Dalton Saggau to Loorem, a pass under the basket to VanderLey, who then went up for the shot, but Forest went up with him and cleanly blocked the effort. Seattle Christian got the rebound and Loorem drove to the hoop for a basket. After 80 seconds of overtime, the score was 56-50. When play resumed, Vashon’s Dziko drained a 3-point shot, followed by a Forest steal. The Pirates had the ball and were down by 3. But VHS lost the ball before it could initiate a play, which resulted in two more Chieftain free throws and an 8-point deficit, now with 1:30 to play. Vashon could not make up the difference and fell 65-57.

Scoring for Vashon were Forest with 16 points, Dziko with 12 and Edmonds with 11.

In the earlier junior varsity game, after finishing the first quarter with a 1-point lead, Vashon was outscored 15-4 in the second quarter and spent the rest of the game struggling to close the gap. Seattle Christian won 50-43.

Vashon top scorers were Jeremiah Bogaard with 12, Will Gard with 10 and Sam Briggs with 9 points.

Vashon got back to its winning ways Friday night against Seattle’s University Prep, led by the strong play of Edmonds at both ends of the court. Edmonds had 14 points and nine rebounds, scoring on contested drives to the hoop and pull-up jumpers from 12 feet.

Both University Prep and the visitors started this game in very ugly fashion as neither team could score even from directly under the hoop. With a minute left in the first period, the score was tied at 2 points each, but Vashon led 7-4 when the quarter ended.

The second period started with an Edmonds steal that led to a basket and initiated an 8-0 run to put the Pirates into a lead of double figures. Casper Forest hit from downtown, and the halftime lead was 25-14.

In the third period, both teams traded baskets. Down the stretch in the fourth quarter, Vashon put the game away by challenging every University Prep shot, as the home team could not get the ball to roll in the hoop. Vashon shot 40 percent and came home with a 49-32 victory.

In addition to Edmonds, Forest had 13 points, followed by Hoogen with 9.

In the boys’ junior varsity game, Vashon coasted to an easy 58-31 win led by Bogaard with 17 points on eight for 10 shooting. Gard garnered 11, and Will Hennessey had 10 points.

Vashon played in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Showcase against class 4A Kentlake High School on Monday after press time. On Wednesday, VHS will play at Cascade Christian and Friday at Bellevue Christian.

— Daniel Briggs is the father of a VHS Pirate basketball player.