EVERETT — The King’s boys basketball team made a pretty simple adjustment at halftime.
Find Corey Kispert.
The sophomore, who had just two points in the first half on a spectacular dunk, scored 15 in the second half to help lead the Knights, who pulled away from Charles Wright Academy in the second half of a 60-35 victory in a 1A regional game at Everett Community College Saturday evening.
The victory sends King’s to the 1A state tournament at the Yakima SunDome for the third consecutive season.
“As a coaching staff, we go in at halftime and we say, ‘OK, if our season is going to end today it’s not going to end with our best player not firing,’” said King’s head coach Rick Skeen. “So we started running stuff and we challenged Corey to get more aggressive. If we’re going to lose, let’s lose with Corey getting after it.”
Kispert answered the call, finishing with 17 points and seven rebounds. Noah Bundrant scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds and Calvin Kispert and Brett Jones added eight points apiece for King’s (22-2 overall).
The Knights have lost in the 1A state championship game the past two seasons. Skeen said he felt pressure to win it this year until a scary bus crash two weeks ago after King’s was returning home after winning a district championship.
“For me, personally, having lost three in a row at Burlington before I came here — five in seven years — I really felt the pressure until that bus flipped on its side,” Skeen said. “I don’t feel it. I’m happy to be here, I am so thankful to be alive.
“The reason I say it’s ironic is because in some ways it’s put more pressure on the kids. I always have people say, ‘Oh a storybook ending.’ My response is, ‘We’ve already had our storybook ending.’ Every kid that was on that bus two weeks ago went out and played in that game. … If we win a state title great. I haven’t done it. My friends who have said, ‘You know what? When you come home on Monday your wife still wants you to mow the yard.’”
Both players who missed last week’s game against Seattle Academy because of injuries sustained from the accident — David Barhanovich and Jones — returned on Saturday and helped King’s outscore the Tarriers 17-3 in the third quarter as the Knights began to pull away.
“Everybody wanted to talk about the Dome and I kept saying, ‘We’re only guaranteed Saturday,’” Skeen said. “It’s like life: we talk about being retired and what we’re going to do in retirement. Let’s enjoy today. … At halftime we said, ‘Hey, this could be it. You guys decide.’ And I thought they made a statement in the second half.”
At Everett Community College
Charles Wright 14 7 3 11 —35
King’s 13 10 17 20 —60
Charles Wright Academy–Henry Cheney 10, Cooper Griffin 10, Erik Peterson 0, Denis Searcy 2, Rahsaan Mills 10, Hayden Saalfeld 0, Jack Skokin 2, Sean Gorman 1, Cooper Grotkopf 0. King’s–Andrew Ayers 2, Koa Wilkins 2, Josh Frohardt 0, Brett Jones 8, Noah Bundrant 10, David Barhanovich 6, Corey Kispert 17, Josh Alexander 7, Sam Echelbarger 0, Chris Martin 0, Calvin Kispert 8. 3-point goals–Griffin 3, Mills 1, Jones 1, Barhanovich 1, Co. Kispert 2. Records–Charles Wright Academy 12-13 overall. King’s 22-2.
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