TACOMA — This time, the Glacier Peak boys basketball team was on the wrong end of a last-second game-winner.
Four days after celebrating Bobby Martin’s game-winning basket that sent the Grizzlies to the Hardwood Classic, Glacier Peak’s season ended in heartbreaking fashion.
Samaad Hector made a game-winning, putback tip-in with 5.1 seconds to play, lifting No. 2-seeded Skyview to a dramatic 68-67 win over the 10th-seeded Grizzlies in a 4A loser-out Hardwood Classic game Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome.
“I’m not sure there’s a tougher way (to end a season),” Glacier Peak coach Brian Hunter said. “Our kids battled, played great basketball, made plays, and Skyview made a great play at the end. … It’s the exact opposite of last Saturday. (This) is the other side of it.”
Leading 67-66 with 15.5 seconds to play, the Grizzlies missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw. Skyview rebounded and threw an outlet pass to Alex Schumacher, who quickly pushed the ball upcourt and drove to the basket.
Schumacher’s contested lay-in bounced off the rim, but Hector was right there for the tip-in to give the Storm (24-4) a one-point edge.
After a timeout, Glacier Peak (21-4) inbounded from its own baseline and attempted a rushed halfcourt shot that landed out of bounds with 0.9 seconds to play. Skyview then inbounded and ran out the clock.
The dramatic finish capped a back-and-forth thriller that featured 10 ties, eight lead changes and a combined 21 made 3-pointers. The margin was never more than six points.
“If you watched (that) game, you thought, ‘Wow, I was treated to something pretty special,’” Hunter said. “That’s about as good of a Wednesday (state tournament) game as you’re going to see.”
Both teams shot lights-out from beyond the arc. Glacier Peak was 10 of 19 from 3-point range, while Skyview was 11 of 24.
Hector, a senior, led the Storm with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Kyle Gruhler added 16 points, including four 3-pointers, and Schumacher scored 15 points.
Skyview advances to face top-seeded and nationally ranked Gonzaga Prep (24-0) in Thursday’s quarterfinals.
“That’s the best basketball team we’ve played this year,” Hunter said of the Storm. “They’re a really athletic team. They’ve won a lot of basketball games for a reason.”
Martin, a senior, hit six 3-pointers and finished with a team-high 24 points and eight rebounds. Junior post Evan Mannes added 18 points and 12 rebounds, just four days after suffering what Hunter described as a “really bad ankle sprain” during Saturday’s state regional win over Skyline.
“For him to do what he did on one ankle is just straight toughness,” Hunter said.
Sophomore guard Brayden Corwin scored 12 points on four 3-pointers for the Grizzlies. Senior guard Trey Lawrence added seven points, seven assists and two blocks.
Lawrence hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:21 to play, capping a 7-0 Glacier Peak run that gave the Grizzlies a 62-59 edge.
Then after Schumacher answered with a game-tying triple, Martin cut for a go-ahead lay-in and swished a 3-pointer to give Glacier Peak a 67-62 lead with 1:17 remaining.
Hector answered with a basket to make it a three-point game, and Schumacher converted a Eurostep transition lay-in to cut the margin to 67-66 with 25.2 seconds to play.
That remained the score until Hector’s game-winner.
“I told (our players) they should walk out proud and happy with the legacy that they left,” Hunter said. “They’re not going to feel good about it tonight, but they’ll feel better about it down the road. And they should. They deserve to feel that way.”
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
Gallery
