MILL CREEK — The Glacier Peak boys basketball team fell to West Valley in the opening round of the 4A state tournament on Friday.
The Grizzlies had few answers for the Rams’ dynamic duo of senior Landen Birley (31) and junior Parker Mills (20), who combined for 51 points in a 59-55 win.
It was a familiar feeling for Glacier Peak head coach Brian Hunter’s squad, which also lost in the opening round last year before taking home third in the tournament.
“If it doesn’t bother you, I’m not quite sure why you’re playing high school sports,” said Hunter, whose team will face Wesco 4A league rival Arlington on 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Tacoma Dome. “Going to Tacoma is really difficult, and we know that once you get down there, it starts over.”
In this game, which featured an opportunity to advance straight to the state quarterfinals, Glacier Peak assumed their typical dominant stature at times. Senior star Jo Lee scored difficult buckets and proved too fast for Rams defenders all night with a team-high 28 points while senior Jayce Nelson affected the game with 10 points, nine rebounds and five assists.
Despite Mills earning 10 difficult points through savvy post play in the first half, the Grizzlies keyed in on him and forced the ball to the perimeter. That’s when Birley caught fire.
Birley scored 11 in the third quarter, including a four-point play that galvanized the West Valley faithful as the lead was trimmed to three as the fourth began. Lee matched that third-quarter scoring mark to prevent a full-on West Valley comeback, drilling tough leaning shots from the wing.
But just as Mills started to work his way back into the game, the Grizzlies went cold from the field. Glacier Peak would only manage seven points in the final period as Birley continued to make contested shots. With West Valley leading by four late, Birley banked in a stepback jumper from the top of the key to bury Hunter’s squad.
“They made tough shots, the bank three was really brutal. If that doesn’t go in, it’s a different game,” Hunter said.
All in all, it was a more isolation-based game for a Glacier Peak team that typically relies on quick passing to keep defenses rotating — the Grizzlies managed just nine assists on just over 25 makes. Still, this was just the third loss of the season for a squad that has seen how brutal this tournament can be. Hunter has faith in his team to turn it around in this crucial moment as they still remain just four wins away from the ultimate goal.
“We’re still there, we’re still going to Tacoma. It’s a different road than we probably wanted to have, but the road to state is still there,” Hunter said. “We need to be ready to go tomorrow, it can hurt tonight.”
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