SPOKANE — The Neah Bay boys basketball team came tantalizingly close to winning the Class 1B state semifinal, but Lummi effectively hit its free throws down the stretch, sending the Red Devils into the consolation final Saturday.
The Red Devils lost in the consolation final to DeSales 65-59. Tyler Swan finished that game with 27 points.
DeSales went into the first half break up 34-25 thanks to 16 points from Spencer Green, who had a big game against the Red Devils in last year’s state tournament.
Neah Bay battled back to make it 41-37 for DeSales with about 4:15 left in the third. DeSales went on a critical 9-0 run to open the lead up to 50-37 and Neah Bay couldn’t get the margin below nine points until the final minute of the game when Mathias Greene drilled two straight 3-pointers to make the final score close at the end.
DeSales also beat Neah Bay 64-52 earlier in the state tournament.
Neah Bay finished the season 20-6 and goes home with a fifth-place trophy for the second straight year.
In addition to Swan’s huge game, Makyah Chambers had eight points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals. Thomas Sawyer hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored seven and Greene and Seactis Woodruff each scored six.
Lummi, which beat Neah Bay in the semifinals in the final seconds, went on to win the state championship 53-50 over Almira-Coulee-Hartline.
DeSales 65, Neah Bay 59
DeS 12 22 12 19 — 65
NB 13 12 12 22 —59
Neah Bay (59) — Swan 27, Chambers 8, Sawyer 7, Greene 6, Woodruff 6, Jimmicum 3, Barton 2.
Friday’s Semifinal Game Lummi 49, Neah Bay 45
SPOKANE — The Class 1B boys semifinal battle Friday night between old rivals Neah Bay and Lummi was neck-and-neck throughout the entire game. In the end, the Blackhawks hit 3-of-4 free throws in the final three seconds of the game to pull out a 49-45 win.
The Red Devils came within six seconds of playing for the state championship along with the Neah Bay girls’ team. Lummi, the tournament’s No. 2 seed will play No. 1-seed Almira-Coulee-Hartline for the state championship.
Down 46-45 and with possession of the ball in the final 30 seconds, Neah Bay had its chances for a game-winning bucket or free throws, but a potential game-winning shot rattled just out with a few seconds left. Swan got the rebound and was fouled, but he missed a pair of free throws with six seconds left.
Swan has nothing to hang his head about, as he did a lot in the fourth quarter to bring the Red Devils back from a deficit, including a steal and a fast-break basket with 1:49 left in the game to give Neah Bay a 45-42 lead. Those were the last points the Red Devils scored as Lummi closed the game out 7-0 over the final 1:08.
Free throw shooting by the entire team was the difference. Neah Bay shot 7-for-15 from the charity stripe, while Lummi shot 12-for-14.
Swan led the Red Devils with 16 points and 10 rebounds. He scored 12 of his points in the second half. Jodell Wimberly had 10, Seactis Woodruff eight and Makyah Chambers seven.
Neah Bay and Lummi went into the fourth tied 31-31. The Red Devils overcame three Lummi 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to stick with the Blackhawks until the very end.
Lummi and Neah Bay also met in the Tri-District tournament championship game with Lummi coming away with a 61-46 win.
Lummi 45, Neah Bay 41
NB 11 8 13 14 — 45
Lummi 3 16 12 15 — 49
Neah Bay (45) — Swan 16, Wimberly 10, Woodruff 8, Chambers 7, Cumming 4.
