Prep Basketball / Boys Games -- Top-Ranked Islanders Hike State Mark To 6-0
MERCER ISLAND - Tyler Besecker nailed six of his seven field goals and Matt Logie scored 14 points as top-ranked Mercer Island spanked Eatonville 78-36 last night in a nonleague boys basketball game.
The Islanders improved to 8-1 overall - 6-0 against Washington teams. The Islanders were 2-1 in the prestigious Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., .earlier this week.
Besecker, who played only in the first half, finished with a game-high 16 points as every player on the Mercer Island bench got some minutes. Junior Elliot Prasse-Freeman dished out eight assists in only 11 minutes.
Logie came off the bench and hit three three-pointers in a row in the first quarter to give the Islanders a 15-point lead after the first quarter.
"We just jumped out on them ealry," Mercer Island Coach Ed Peeple said. "I was pleased with the intensity the kids came out with."
The Islanders' swarming man-to-man pressure forced Eatonville to take tough shots and turn the ball over. Eatonville shot only 20 percent, while the Islanders shot better than 56 percent from the field, including hitting six of 12 from three-point range.
Ben Jordan had four blocks while Beau Nobmann had four of Mercer Island's 18 steals.
OTHER GAMES
At Centralia 81, Mount Rainier 78 - Jason Stumm poured in 27 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had seven assists to lead Centralia (6-2) to the nonleague victory.
Stumm shot 12 for 16 from the field for the game, but it was late-game free-throw shooting that sealed the victory. Centralia made six of eight down the stretch, including two by Adam Riffe with under a minute left that extended Centralia's lead to three points.
The Rams (6-3) had a chance to tie the game with a three-pointer, but threw the ball away with six seconds left.
Randy Dixon, who had five three-pointers, hit for 27 points and Daniel Aldrete scored 24 points for Mount Rainier, which trailed by three going into the fourth quarter.
Port Townsend 53, Lakeside 29 - The Redskins' guard trio of Matt Klontz, Austin Paul and Brett Black dominated the Lions and helped clinch the opening game of the four-team South Whidbey Holiday Tournament. Port Townsend outscored Lakeside in every quarter and led by seven at halftime. The Redskins beat the Lions with its fast break and held them to only 12 points in the second half.
Klontz and Paul scored 11 points and Black had nine. For Lakeside, Matt Overman scored 11 points.
Snohomish 73, at Jackson 59 - Jed Kamiya scored 21 points and John Townsan added 19 as the Panthers (5-2) defeated the Timberwolves (2-6) in nonleague play. Snohomish had a 35-27 lead at halftime and held on in the second half for the victory. Brent Mallon scored 13 points and Nate Collord had 10 for Jackson.
At Lake Stevens 46, Lynnwood 45 - The Royals cut a nine-point Lake Stevens fourth-quarter lead to one but failed to convert on the final shot of the nonleague game for the victory. Juston Pollstead led the Vikings (4-5) with a game-high 16 points. T.J. Williams added 10. Dyandre Gamble scored 13 and Seraaj Muhammad and Jay Gamble both had 10 for Lynnwood.
At Lake Washington 70, Sydney (Australia) 66 - Guards Brian Morrison and Greg Bellamy each made two key three-pointers in the fourth quarter to help the Kangaroos (5-2) fend off a strong team from Sydney, Australia. Morrison led all scorers with 26 points and Bellamy scored all of his eight points in the final quarter. Mark McFadyen added 11 and grabbed 10 rebounds. Brandon Blume had 15 and Mark Bowron 13 for the Australians.
Overlake 78, Kings West 40 - Doug Perry scored 10 points in a 19-0 run to start the second half as the Owls (10-1, 5-0) cruised to their 10 straight victory in the Sea-Tac B League game.
Perry led four Owls in double figures, finishing with 17 points. Keith Wells scored 14 points and had five steals. David Perkins scored 13 points while Jake Hansen added 10 for the Owls, who led 26-17 at halftime.
Meadowdale 62, Monroe 47 (at Edmonds-Woodway) - Jordan Church scored 17 points and Brian Dennis collected 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Chiefs (8-1) in the nonleague victory. Meadowdale led 26-14 at halftime. Jason Moore topped Monroe (2-8) with 13 points.