BATTLE GROUND — Whether it was the end of a long week filled with weather-related practice interruptions of a 41-point performance in 32 minutes on Saturday, Yanni Fassilis was worn out.
“I’m pretty tired — more like exhausted,” the 6-foot-4 senior said.
Can you blame him? At one stretch in Saturday’s 60-47 victory over Sumner to secure Union’s spot in Wednesday’s Round of 12 at the Tacoma Dome, 80 percent of the scoring came from the Titans’ senior forward. He had 25 of the team’s 31 first-half points when Union led 31-23 at the break and the 41 points ties Brad Lackey’s single-game program record.
Whether it was scoring, rebounding, dishing to teammates or leading the fast break after a block at one end for a coast-to-coast lay-in at the other, Fassilis put Union on his back Saturday. It advances to Wednesday’s Round of 12 at the Tacoma Dome to face Richland.
While the single-game scoring mark was a personal goal Fassilis wanted to achieve at some point this season, even as the points piled up Saturday, the win was first and foremost.
“I feel like in the second half, my scoring slowed down a little bit for a while but I started taking the right shots and making the right plays for my teammates,” he said. “That’s what helped us win the game.”
Even his head coach, Blake Conley, said he’s confident there’s no other player in Washington who’s been asked to do as much as Fassilis has in 2022-23.
“The kid can do it all,” Conley said. “He’s special.”
Fassilis entered Saturday leading the Titans in every statistical category. And the Titans needed just about every one of Fassilis’ points to down a Sumner team that, despite a below-.500 win-loss record entering the Opening Round, got hot from the outside to pull within 52-47 with 3:07 to play. In fact, the Spartans had six of their 3s over the final 16 minutes, including four from Kast Kastberg (team-best 14 points).
That’s when free throw shooting came into play. Union finished 20 of 24 at the line, including 12 of 14 from Fassilis. He hit his first 11 free throws.
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UNION 60, SUMNER 47
SUMNER — Jaivion McLaughlin 11, Karl Liedtke 2, Luke Bohl 2, Kaden Kastberg 14, Jaylen Hyppa 2, Cooper Miller 2, Eli Nordling 2, Chase Mentink 6, Cooper Hartley 6. Totals 17 (9) 4-7 47.
UNION — Grayson Stanley 2, Josiah Baldassare 4, Samair Thompson 4, Kody Holcomb 4, Yanni Fassilis 41, Paxton Heitsch 0, Evan Manville 5. Totals 17 (4) 20-23 60.
