The first step is complete for the Prairie boys basketball team.
Now, the Falcons hope it is just a two-step process to reach the Class 3A state tournament.
Seth Hall matched his career high with 30 points Wednesday night, and the Falcons never trailed in a 56-44 victory over Peninsula of Gig Harbor in an opening round game of the 3A bi-district tournament.
“Everyone’s looking for me to get my shots,” Hall said. “Once I hit one, everyone’s trying to find No. 10, and I’m shooting.”
Teammate Dwayne Stewart had another theory for Hall’s success.
“It’s the gum,” Stewart said. “He gets a piece from his dad every time, and it works.”
Prairie (19-2) advanced to the quarterfinals and will face Timberline of Lacey on Friday. The winner of that contest will qualify for state, while the loser would then have to win three in a row to go to state.
The Falcons hope they can keep playing defense like they did against the Seahawks, hope Hall can keep his hot hand. With that combination, there was little hope for Peninsula.
Prairie scored the first seven points of the game and jumped out to a 16-3 advantage. The Seahawks managed six free throws for the first 11 minutes of the game before making their first field goal.
“Everyone was doing what they had to do to get the W,” Stewart said of Prairie’s defensive effort. “And if you’re not getting it done on offense, you have to work harder on defense.”
Stewart finished with nine rebounds and was also a key figure in a sequence that squashed the last hope for Peninsula.
While the Falcons never trailed, Peninsula refused to get run out of the gym. The Seahawks would catch a little fire from 3-point range to make it a five-point game a few times, including once early in the fourth quarter.
Hall responded with a three-point play.
“We’ve all been through this,” Hall said. “We’re pretty experienced. We kept our cool, knowing that if we got stops on defense, it would lead to offense.”
That is how the Falcons secured the win, too.
The Seahawks got a look from the corner for a 3-pointer, but Hall recovered and blocked the shot out of bounds. After the ensuing inbound for Peninsula, Stewart blocked a shot. Kameron Osborn got the rebound for the Falcons to start a fast break, and Hall’s pull-up jumper on the other end was true for a 44-34 lead with 5:36 to play.
Peninsula would not get any closer the rest of the way.
Stewart said a blocked shot here or there builds momentum, which just means the team is inspired to play more defense. The Falcons play “phone booth” defense. Hands up. Straight up. Don’t move the feet.
Prairie coach Kyle Brooks said the Falcons reached the team goals of holding an opponent to fewer than 50 points for a game and at least one quarter of single-digit scoring.
Hall was just about all the offense the Falcons needed. He had 16 points with 5 minutes left in the second quarter. He recorded his 25th point of the night on that three-point play to go up by eight in the fourth quarter. And he capped his night with an off-balance 3-pointer to beat the shot clock.
Fine start to the postseason for the Falcons. Brooks reminded his players to enjoy the win, but also to enjoy the journey. They hope this is the first of a long trek, but they also hope they only have one more game to clinch a spot to state.
PRAIRIE 56, PENINSULA 44
PENINSULA — Cade McGill 8, Elijah McLaughlin 15, Sam Miller 0, Debore’ae McClain 0, Seth Kasteler 5, Ryder Johnson 0, Nate Thompson 10, Jared Brinkman 6. Totals 13 (8) 10-14 44.
PRAIRIE — Dante Heitschmidt 0, Kameron Osborn 8, Braiden Broadbent 6, Seth Hall 30, Ethan Rouse 0, Zeke Dixson 0, Josiah Nickel 1, Logan Reed 0, AJ Dixson 0, Dwayne Stewart 5, Everett Buck 0, Matthew Kogler 6. Totals 20 (4) 12-16 56
Peninsula 4 14 14 12–44
Prairie 16 11 10 19–56
