Bremerton takes defending champion Lynden to the wire, falling 53-52
YAKIMA — How close was Bremerton's boys basketball team to knocking off two-time defending champion Lynden in Saturday's Class 2A state semifinal round?
The tears that flowed freely from almost every single Knights player as they exited their locker room at the Yakima Valley SunDome told the story.
Down one point, two possessions with an opportunity to win the game. The first ended in a turnover. The second saw senior guard Trenton Bulmer's runner at the buzzer deflect off the rim.
A 53-52 victory for No. 1 Lynden, who'll play No. 2 Grandview in Saturday's final at 3 p.m. For No. 11 Bremerton (20-7), it was a case of oh-so-close-it-hurts.
"It's tough to swallow," said Bremerton head coach Miah Davis, whose team will face No. 3 North Kitsap in Saturday's 3rd/5th place game at 1 p.m. "Come down to the last shot, you can't ask for nothing more."
State basketball results: Follow along with results for Washington state basketball tournaments
The Knights had the ball under 15 seconds with a chance to take the lead when a pass from Jalen Davis to Enoch Taylor turned the ball over. After Lynden missed two free throws that followed a Knights foul, Bremerton came out of a timeout with six seconds on the clock and a chance to go to the state finals for the first time since East High won a title in 1974.
Bulmer took the ball the length of the court, but an off-balance shot fell just short and the team gathered in a corner, consoling themselves before a handshake with the Lions.
Davis, the freshman son of the head coach who paced the team all season, led all scorers with 33 points on 12-for-15 shooting, including a deep 3-pointer (one of his four) that tied the game late in the fourth. After scoring 28 in Bremerton's first-round win against Mark Morris and 23 against Renton in the quarterfinals, Jalen Davis showed he's already among the state's elite players at age 15.
“He’s a special breed," Miah Davis said of his son. "On the big stage, he gained the respect of not only his teammates and the city, but he gained the respect of the spectators.”
In a game that featured seven ties and eight lead changes, the Knights also earned the respect of their opponents and Lions head coach Brian Roper. Before Roper went into Lynden's locker room after the victory, he knocked on Bremerton's door in order to deliver a message to Miah Davis and his team.
Miah Davis didn't divulge what Roper said, but he called the message a "special" one.
"It was really inspiring for me as another coach to hear that," Miah Davis said. "I appreciate that.”
Crosspoint girls fade in semifinal loss to Neah Bay
For three quarters, Crosspoint's girls gave No. 1 Neah Bay a run for its money in Friday's Class 1B state semifinal game at Spokane Arena. The No. 4 seed Warriors led the defending champions 14-13 after one quarter and trailed 40-33 entering the fourth quarter, giving the Sea-Tac League champions a glimmer of hope.
Neah Bay demolished Crosspoint's upset bid by outscoring the Warriors 27-1 over the final eight minutes to prevail 67-34. Sophomore Anna Kuske led the Warriors with 10 points. Amber Swan scored 22 to lead Neah Bay.
Crosspoint (24-4) will face No. 3 Waterville-Mansfield in Saturday's 3rd/5th-place game at 1 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Bremerton falls to Lynden in state 2A basketball semifinal
