YAKIMA –Against a team like Seattle Academy, there is little room for error.
That’s why too many errors and cold shooting did in King’s Way Christian on Thursday in the 1A boys basketball state quarterfinals.
Seattle Academy (24-1) showed why it’s the tournament’s top seed, holding off the No. 7 seeded Knights 64-51 at the Yakima Valley SunDome.
King’s Way remains alive for a trophy. The Knights will face River View of Kennewick in the fourth-place semifinal on Friday at 9 a.m.
The Knights will hope to rediscover their shooting touch by then. One day after making 11 3-pointers in a win over La Center, King’s Way shot just 31 percent from the field, including 6 for 25 from 3-point range.
“We knew how good they were,” King’s Way coach Daven Harmeling said. “I don’t think we necessarily played bad, we didn’t shoot well. The nature of our team is that we don’t have a lot of size to be able to get stuff around the rim.”
Brady Metz led King’s Way with 19 points. Bryson Metz added 15 points, including a 3-pointer that tied the game at 31 with 3:55 left in the third quarter.
But Seattle Academy responded with an 8-0 run, then held the Knights at bay the rest of the way. Leo DeBruhl scored 23 points and Joe Cookson added 22 for the Cardinals, who shot 18-39 from the field (48.7 percent).
“They’re a really complete team with a combination of size, athleticism, IQ and a winning pedigree,” Harmeling said of Seattle Academy, which faces King’s in the state semifinals Thursday.
King’s Way (20-7) had given Seattle Academy a tough test on Dec. 13, losing 73-71. The Cardinals gained an edge in the second quarter, outscoring the Knights 14-8 to take a 27-22 lead.
The King’s Way fell further back with turnovers on four of its first five possessions in the second half. But four quick points by Kobi Cason, a Brady Metz 3-pointer and a Bryson Metz basket saw the Knights pull even at 31 with a 9-2 run.
But the Cardinals counterpunched with an 8-0 run. King’s Way got within 40-36 after Brady Metz made three straight free throws, but again Seattle Academy answered.
DeBruhl hit a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter to give the Cardinals a 45-36 lead. The Knights would get no closer than six points the rest of the way.
Now, the Knights turn toward trying to secure a trophy, starting with Friday morning’s loser-out game. A win would clinch no worse than sixth place.
“I’ve been a part of teams that went home without a trophy, it’s a terrible feeling,” Harmeling said. “And I’ve been on teams that win the last one. Even though it’s not a state title, it feels good to go home with some hardware.”
SEATTLE ACADEMY 64, KING’S WAY CHRISTIAN 51
KING’S WAY CHRISTIAN (20-7) – Kobi Cason 9, Gage Koenders 3, Brady Metz 19, Bailey Meek 0, Bryson Metz 15, Ty Snider 0, Bryce Dodge 0, Kai Butterworth 5, Justin Frahm 0. Totals 15 (6) 15-18 51.
SEATTLE ACADEMY (24-1) – Teja Singh 5, Lewis Welsh 8, Leo DeBruhl 23, Joe Cookson 22, Isaac Allnutt 3, Carson DeBruhl 3, Eddie Hulit 0, Reid McCaw 0. Totals 19 (6) 20-25 64.
King’s Way 14 8 14 15—51
Seattle Academy 13 14 15 22—64
