BATTLE GROUND — Demaree Collins is best known for his abilities to score, but how the Skyview High senior guard helped the Storm to next week’s Hardwood Classic was more than offense Saturday afternoon.
On a night where he struggled shooting from the floor, Collins’ biggest play of the game came in the closing seconds — grabbing a steal, then sinking two free throws after drawing a foul to seal Skyview’s 41-38 victory over Woodinville.
The emotions of the moment were evident when Collins went to the free throw line with 5.6 seconds to go with Skyview’s lead at 39-38.
Collins hit both free throws. It’s the first time Skyview (16-9) is playing at the Hardwood Classic since the 2019-20 season. The emotions hit differently for Collins in this win more than any other this season, he said. Skyview faces Federal Way at 3:45 p.m. Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome.
“A lot of emotion,” Collins said. “We’re going to the Dome. … We had to show everybody what we’ve really got.”
For those who know Collins best, including Skyview head coach Matt Gruhler, it’s no surprise Collins wanted to guard Jaiden Blackmon on Woodinville’s final possession with Skyview’s lead at 39-38 with 15.8 seconds to play. That’s when Woodinville called a timeout, with possession, after climbing back from a 11-point fourth-quarter deficit. After the in-bounds, Woodinville went into its play, and when the ball made its way to Blackmon 3-point line extended in-front of the team bench, Collins deflected the ball, grabbed it after the deflection, and was fouled with 5.6 seconds to go.
That’s when the emotions first hit Collins walking toward the free throw line. It was one of his three steals on the afternoon, but by far his biggest.
“I basically read the play — I knew it was coming,” Collins said Then, Collins said, “Coach always says, ‘knock the free throws down with confidence.’”
He did.
Well before that play involving Collins and Blackmon, Skyview built an 11-point lead going into the fourth quarter at 35-26 in a game both teams struggled shooting from the floor all game.
Yet, Woodinville, powered by Blackmon, used the entire fourth quarter to cut into its deficit. That included going 6 of 8 on free throws over the final eight minutes.
At one stretch, though, Skyview had some breathing room. The Storm killed 1:12 off the clock on one possession, thanks to four offensive rebounds, before a Malachi Weimer jumper that made it a 39-33 game with 3 minutes to play.
Still, Woodinville wasn’t done. A banked 3-pointer by Jaedyn Wilkerson, plus Blackmon again, made it a 39-38 game with 90 seconds to go.
Collins finished with 16 points on a night he was cold from the field — 6 of 25 shooting, including 0 of 10 from 3-point range. He asked Gruhler to change his defensive assignment late in the game to include Blackmon.
That helped send Skyview to Tacoma.
“He was not going to be refused,” Gruhler said. “He carries so much of the offensive load sometimes … But when the chips are down, you want your best guys doing what they are confident doing.”
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SKYVIEW 41, WOODINVILLE 38
WOODINVILLE — Jamo Atwood 10, Jaiden Blackmon 20, Liam Kelly 3, Jaedyn Wilkerson 5. Totals 12 (4) 10-12 38
SKYVIEW — Demaree Collins 16, Jaxson Filler 6, Malachi Weimer 8, Gavin Perdue 9, Landon Webb 2, Gavin Packer 0, Ryan Hanson 0. Totals 17 (3) 4-9 41
