MARYSVILLE – The lack of practice due to snow days didn’t seem to faze either Marysville-Pilchuck’s or Marysville Getchell’s boys basketball teams in the first round of the 3A District 1 Tournament Wednesday night.
The Chargers beat Shorewood 64-46 for their first playoff win ever, and the Tommies beat Shorecrest 64-42 for their 16th-straight win after starting the year 1-3.
Arlington’s game against Squalicum was snowed out again, but they will play tonight at 5. If the Eagles win, they will host MG Friday at 7 p.m. If they lose, they will host Shorewood. If that happens, MG would play at Squalicum.
M-P, on the other hand, will host either Edmonds-Woodway or Stanwood Friday at 7.
In MG’s game Wednesday, the home team trailed 24-23 at halftime before sophomore guard Malakhi Knight took over, scoring 14 of his 36 points in the third period. He drove to the hoop for baskets four times and connected on two 3’s, missing just one shot, to put MG up 40-33. He was also a force rebounding, especially when 6-foot-6 senior center Lul William went out with four fouls. The only thing that kept the Thunderbirds in the game was MG giving up too many offensive boards.
MG kept expanding on the lead in the final quarter as the T-birds went almost four minutes without scoring.
Caleb Koellmer, a 6-4 senior, scored six-straight points and brother Josiah, a sophomore, scored on a drive and hit some key free throws to ice the win.
Shorewood kept fouling to try to get back in the game, but MG converted the free shots, outscoring the visitors 24-13 the last quarter.
Josiah scored 12 points, Caleb 8, Jesse Donk 3, William and Chase Showalter 2 each and Dylan Rice 1.
MG improved to 11-9, while the T-Birds dropped to 7-13.
In M-P’s win, the Tomahawks dominated from the start, playing tough man-to-man defense and taking Shorecrest out of its game offensively. The Scots were forced into numerous turnovers and airballs as the home team took a 16-6 first-quarter lead.
Shorecrest didn’t score for the first four minutes as M-P took an 8-0 lead. Cameron Stordahl scored inside after grabbing an offensive rebound, and Ethan Jackson scored on a fastbreak with an assist from Luke Dobler. After RaeQuan Battle dunked the ball, Jackson passed inside to Stordahl for two more. Battle passed inside to Stordahl before the visitors got their first basket of the game with 2:36 left in the period. Stordahl hit a fadeway from the baseline, and Dobler connected on a 3 to make it 16-6.
Shorecrest went scoreless for the first four minutes of the second quarter, too, as M-P built a 27-13 halftime lead.
Aaron Kalab scored inside with an assist from Stordahl, who followed that up with the first of two offensive rebounds and putbacks. Sandwiched in-between Kalab scored on a fastbreak. Battle hit a long 3 at the buzzer to give M-P the wide margin at intermission, and the Tommies coasted from there.
Stordahl and Dobler had 22 points apiece to lead the way. Battle had 9 points, six assists and nine rebounds. Jackson had 5 points, Kalab 4 and Brady Phelps 2.
M-P is 17-3, while the Scots are 12-9.
Meanwhile, in the 2A District 1 Tournament, Lakewood plays a first-round game rescheduled for tonight at 7 against Anacortes at Oak Harbor. If they win, they play the Sehome-Mountlake Terrace winner Friday. If they lose, they play the loser of the match. Locations are to be determined.
Girls basketball
Both MG and Arlington had their games snowed out Wednesday.
So Edmonds-Woodway plays at MG at 6 tonight, while Meadowdale plays at Arlington at 6:30 p.m.
If MG wins, it will play the winner of the Arlington game Friday at 7.
If MG loses, it will play the loser of the Arlington game Friday at 7 in a loser-out contest.
If Arlington loses it would play the MG loser. If it wins, it would play the MG game’s winner.
Winners of all of Friday’s winners-bracket games advance to the state regionals.
