Story Photos
 Photo by Greg Ebersole Mark Morris sophomore Eric Hutchison (middle) celebrates his game-winning basket against Anacortes on Thursday at the Tacoma Dome. |
2A State Notebook: Final two minutes prove fatal for Seahawks
Friday, March 9, 2007 7:25 AM PST
By Staff
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E-mail this articleTwo minutes, 18 seconds remained in a tie game Thursday afternoon at the Tacoma Dome.
Mark Morris owned the ball. Anacortes wanted it. A trip to the Class 2A state semifinals was sitting there, waiting to be claimed.
The Monarchs, hoping to take the last shot, went into a stall, with point guard Tony Polis poised near midcourt holding the ball under his arm as time ticked away. Finally, with 15 seconds remaining, Mark Morris went into attack mode ---- and rang up the game-winner with :06 on the clock when Jeray Key found Eric Hutchison under the basket for a layup to beat Anacortes 39-37.
Anacortes, which had just five team fouls, could have stopped the clock without sending the Monarchs to the free-throw line. But it chose not to.
Afterward, a stunned Seahawks coach Rick Mergenthaler said the Monarchs' winning basket was "an anomaly."
"That doesn't happen 99 times out of a hundred. It's nothing they did," Mergenthaler said. "I thought it was a sure thing that they wouldn't score on our defense."
MM coach Bill Bakamus said he had time to "chat" with his assistant coaches and players while Polis held on to the basketball.
Actually, he had time to run to the concession stand, if he wanted.
"We had a play set up if they jumped into a man (defense) and came out after us, and we had a play set up for if they stayed in that zone," Bakamus said. "I thought if we would have put the ball on the deck (instead of holding it), they would have fouled us. We were content holding it 'til the end."
Bakamus also noted that if the game had gone to overtime, the Monarchs held the possession arrow. So they likely would have stalled again and forced the Seahawks' hand.
-- Rick S. Alvord
No split this timeBakamus said Thursday's win was one of the most exciting postseason finishes in his coaching career.
He quickly recalled another Tacoma Dome thriller in 1988 when he coached Toledo in the Class 1A state tourney.
"Scott Merzoian (former Toledo star, current Toledo head coach) hit a shot at the buzzer against Cashmere on the third day of the tournament in a loser-out game," Bakamus explained. "When he hit the shot, I jumped up and split the seat of my pants. This game today was equally as exciting, but I didn't split my pants. But I am older now and don't have as much vertilocity."
Vertilocity? In Bakamus-speak, that means he can't jump like he used to.
-- Rick S. Alvord
Another trip for ErichErich White, Mark Morris' third-year team manager, was in the front row for the Monarchs' state tournament team picture at center court of the Tacoma Dome on Thursday.
White, a senior, is part of the team. Wherever the Monarchs go, he goes.
"I had waffles at Denny's this morning," White said prior to the MM-Anacortes game. "Coming to state is always fun. I try to keep the water cold and make sure Coach Bakamus is happy."
His goal for the remainder of the tournament, aside from keeping the water cold?
"Winning the state championship," he said.
Spoken like a true Monarch.
-- Rick S. Alvord
Nick at night (and a.m.)
For Lower Columbia Association official Nick Sahoncheck, it wasn't an ideal assignment: Work the late game of the girls 2A state tournament on Wednesday, then turn around and officiate the early game on Thursday.
"You are evaluated in the 9 a.m. game, too," said Sahoncheck, a 27-year officiating veteran working his fourth state tourney in Washington. "It is not a recipe for success."
-- Ben Zimmerman
Westside strength
It took 10 games for a team from east of the Cascades to record a victory. Westside teams swept the first round, and Fife overcame a 16-point halftime deficit to eliminate Clarkston in the first consolation game on Thursday.
East Valley of Yakima finally put the eastside on the board with a 66-60 win over Sequim in Game 10 of the tourney.
But the real proof of strength is in the semifinals, where all four teams are from the westside ---- including Mark Morris, Centralia and River Ridge from the Southwest District.
-- Ben Zimmerman
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