MOUNT VERNON — The regional round of the state basketball tournament can be unforgiving.
All it takes is one bad night and, poof, your season is over.
That’s what happened to the Stanwood boys on Saturday night as the Spartans lost to the Kennedy Catholic Lancers 68-47 in a Class 3A regional at Mount Vernon High School.
“It was tough that tonight was our worst game of the year overall.” Stanwood coach Zach Ward said.
The defeat snapped the Spartans’ 14-game win streak — they hadn’t lost since Dec. 30 — and ended their season. They finished with a 19-5 record. The Lancers (23-3) won their fourth straight postseason game and move on to next week’s state quarterfinals in the Tacoma Dome.
Things started well for the Spartans. They led 17-16 at the end of the first quarter, then opened the second quarter with an 8-2 run to build a 25-18 advantage. That’s when Kennedy put together the first of two spurts that ultimately decided the game.
The Lancers went on a 10-0 run that gave them a lead they would not surrender the rest of the way. At halftime, they led 32-26. Stanwood managed just one point over the 4½-minute stretch of the half.
Stanwood stayed within striking distance throughout the third quarter, trailing 45-37 at the end of the period. But that’s when the Lancers took off on their second spurt. Fueled by the play of James Jolly, a 6-foot-4 junior guard, Kennedy scored the first 11 points of the second half. Jolly tallied the first nine points in that run en route to his game-high 24 points.
The spurt increased Kennedy’s lead to 56-37 and essentially put the game away. The Spartans would get no closer than 16 points the rest of the way.
“Unfortunately with this format, you have one tough night and your season is over,” Ward said. “We’re that example this year.”
Senior forward Skout Roberson led the Spartans with 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds. He was the only player to score in double figures for the Spartans, who struggled with their shooting from the floor, especially in the second half. They shot just 38 percent for the game (19-for-50), including a frigid 30 percent in the second half (8-for-27).
Kennedy, meanwhile, shot 47 percent for the game (27-for-58) and 50 percent (14-for-20) in the second half. Sophomore guard Emilio Mancol added 14 points for Lancers.
While the loss stung Saturday night, the future looks bright for the Spartans, who lose just two seniors, Roberson and wing Karsten Chaplik, from this year’s team.
Ward said there is plenty his players could learn from the experience.
“Them being in this atmosphere, being that close to that final destination, I hope that that makes them hungry. I hope that they can feed off that in the offseason,” he said. “Then, when next season starts, they don’t just have that as a goal up there, they actually know and understand what it takes to get there and what that potential game would be like.”
At Mount Vernon H.S.
Kennedy Catholic 16 16 13 23 —68
Stanwood 17 9 11 10 —47
Kennedy Catholic—Emilio Mancol 14, Parker Diller 8, Keannu Royster 7, James Jolly 25, A.J. McGrew 4, Michael Sasonoff 7, Andrew Ellingson 0, Tre’Shawn Harrison 0, Emmett Abdian 0, Haydon Clifton 0, Jacob Thurber 4, Zac Martin 0. Stanwood—AJ Martinka 5, Quinton Borseth 5, Bryson Kelley 0, Austin Wilhonen 4, Chase Strieby 1, Cameron Plautz 2, Carlton McDonald 6, Isaac Olson 0, Henry Oldow 0, Karsten Chaplik 8, Skout Roberson 16, Tryg DeBoer 0. 3-point goals—Mancol 1, Diller 1, Jolly 2, McDonald 1, Chaplik 2. Records—Kennedy Catholic 23-3. Stanwood 19-5.
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