The Lummi boys basketball team put together one of its best games of the season at the best time by drubbing Ocosta, 67-27, in the Class 1B state quarterfinals on Thursday, March 6, in the Spokane Arena.
With the impressive victory over the eighth-seeded Wildcats, the second-seeded Blackhawks move on to the semifinals on Friday at 9 p.m., where they will face Neah Bay for the chance to go to the championship game on Saturday.
“We will have to be on our game because Neah Bay is hot right now,” said Lummi Nation coach Jerome Toby Sr., whose squad improved to 23-3 on the season. “It’s going to take our best effort to win.”
The Blackhawks put together their best effort on Thursday and it was a team affair. All nine players scored with junior Jerome Toby Jr. setting the pace with 25 points, including three 3-pointers.
Senior Tony Abrams had 8 points, sophomore Deandre James had 7, and sophomores Landon LaFontaine and Dyson Edwards had 6 points each with LaFontaine hitting a pair of 3s.
Toby also had 5 steals and 3 assists and was awarded the team’s sportsmanship medallion, LaFontaine had a team-high 6 rebounds, senior Trevon Lee had 5 boards, Edwards had 4 assists, and senior Karson Revey had 4 steals.
The Blackhawks held the Wildcats to six first-quarter points to take a double-digit lead and then broke open the game in the second half, outscoring Ocosta, 37-10.
“It was a total team effort,” said coach Toby. “I was proud of how the Blackhawks played.”
While Lummi Nation will have its hands full against fifth-seeded Neah Bay, which upset third seed Willapa Valley in Thursday’s quarterfinals, the Blackhawks certainly won’t be intimidated by the Red Devils, having beaten them by 15 points in the District 1/2/3 tournament championship game two weeks ago.
Lummi Nation 67, Ocosta 27
Ocosta 6 11 8 2—27
Lummi Nation 17 13 17 20—67
Ocosta: Jesus Agramon Rosas, Dalton Welch 2, Logan White, Bryan Ceja, Kayden Turner 9, Sonny Beard 3, Luis Solis 11, Michael Priest, Korbin Turner, Bryce Bottelson, Matthew Wyland, Noah Prigmore 2.
Lummi Nation: Jerome Toby Jr. 25, Landon LaFontaine 6, Dyson Edwards 6, Tony Abrams 8, RayShawn Bob 5, Trevon Lee 3, Karson Revey 4, Deandre James 7, Andrew Tangeant 1.
CLASS 1B BOYS STATE TOURNAMENT
At Spokane Arena
Wednesday, March 5
Tulalip Heritage 70, Summit Classical Christian 51 (loser out)
Moses Lake Christian/Covenant Christian 57, Muckleshoot Tribal 47 (loser out)
Neah Bay 58, Garfield-Palouse 47 (loser out)
Ocosta 48, Wellpinit 38 (loser out)
Thursday, March 6
DeSales 54, Tulalip Heritage 38
Almira-Coulee-Hartline 63, Moses Lake Christian/Covenant Christian 48
Neah Bay 50, Willapa Valley 44
Lummi Nation 67, Ocosta 27
Friday, March 7
#6 Tulalip Heritage (21-5) vs. #7 Moses Lake Christian/Covenant Christian (20-4), 12:15 p.m. (loser out)
#3 Willapa Valley (22-3) vs. #8 Ocosta (17-9), 2 p.m. (loser out)
#4 DeSales (24-2) vs. #1 Almira-Coulee-Hartline (24-1), 7:15 p.m.
#5 Neah Bay (20-5) vs. #2 Lummi Nation (23-3), 9 p.m.
Saturday, March 8
Consolation game, 9:30 a.m. (winner fourth, loser sixth)
Consolation final, 1 p.m. (winner third, loser fifth)
Championship game, 5 p.m. (winner first, loser second)
