The La Center boys basketball team receives the fifth-place trophy at the 1A state basketball tournament on Saturday in Yakima. (Andy Buhler/The Columbian)
YAKIMA – Fifth place wasn’t greeted with high-fives, but there were plenty of hugs among the La Center boys basketball team.
La Center lost to King’s of Seattle 68-56 in the third-place game at the 1A state tournament Saturday in the SunDome.
Matt Bryant scored 18 points, Hunter Ecklund had 11 and Colby Shaw added 10 as the Wildcats earned their second state trophy in three years. La Center placed fourth in 2017.
Saturday brought an end to a season that saw La Center go 20-4, winning district and Trico League titles.
“I really proud of the way we grew together as a team this season,” said Shaw. “I’m a senior and this is probably the most fun on a basketball team ever I’ve ever had.”
La Center hoped to earn its highest state finish since winning the 1997 state championship. But 6-foot-6, 220-pound senior Elyon Zevenbergen was too much, collecting 31 points and 20 rebounds for King’s (22-6).
La Center was outrebounded 50-26 by a King’s team with six players between 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-4. The Wildcats were held to 33 percent from the field.
No. 2 La Center struggled to shake off a semifinal loss the previous night to No. 3 Zillah.
“We were pretty beat up after last night,” Bryant said. “Our plan was to press them and get them out of rhythm because they’re taller. But we were just out of gas.”
No. 10 King’s, coming off a heartbreaking 43-42 semifinal loss to No. 11 King’s Way Christian, started off hot. The Knights scored the game’s first nine points, eventually opening a 12-3 lead.
La Center rallied at the end of the quarter, putting together a 9-2 run to cut King’s lead to 16-14.
King’s rebuilt an eight-point lead in the second quarter, only to be reeled in again. Colby Shaw and Matt Bryant hit 3-pointers as La Center pulled within 30-28.
Zevenbergen had 12 points in the third quarter, which ended with King’s ahead 56-43.
La Center trailed by as many as 17 early in the fourth, but pulled within 64-54 with under three minutes to go. But back-to-back baskets by Zevenbergen sealed the game for King’s.
But Saturday’s loss won’t be a lasting memory for players such as Shaw.
“I’m not going to remember the wins and losses at all,” Shaw said. “I’m going to remember the fun times in the hotel rooms, the locker room and at practice. Winning and losing doesn’t mean anything at the end of the day. It’s about making friends and having fun.”
KING’S 68, LA CENTER 56
KING’S (22-6) –Shane McGaughey-Fick 3, Hunter Reeves 5, Davis Campbell 0, Jordan Hansen 0, Matt Amano 0, Will Pohland 0, Nate Kleppe 4, Tyler Durbin 2, Elyon Zevenbergen 31, Luke Bobin 7, Tyler Linhardt 8. Totals 28 (5) 7-14 68.
LA CENTER (20-4) – Hunter Ball 0, Colby Shaw 10, Parker Ball 0, Ben Kelley 0, Tobey Deemer 0, Evan Norris 8, Avery Seter 9, Matt Bryant 18, Hunter Ecklund 11, Jeremy Humphrey 0, Riley Fender 0. Totals 20 (9) 7-10 56.
King’s 16 19 21 12—68
La Center 14 15 14 13—56
Morning Briefing Newsletter
Get a rundown of the latest local and regional news every Mon-Fri morning.
