Metro League Boys Basketball | Senior-led Bainbridge advances to Metro final

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND — This suburban island completed its winter stint as a basketball fortress Tuesday night as the final invader of the season was repelled.

The top-ranked Spartans fended off a Chief Sealth rally and beat the Seahawks 61-50 in a Metro League semifinal to complete a perfect home record.

The Class 3A Spartans (19-2) now play in their first Metro title game Saturday night at Seattle Pacific University against No. 4 Rainier Beach, a winner over second-ranked O'Dea on Tuesday. Bainbridge joined the league six years ago.

Two seniors keyed the final home win, and did it outside their usual roles.

Metro League MVP Steven Gray, usually the team's leading scorer, collected 19 rebounds and scored 13 points, 10 below his average.

"It's about doing what the team needs," said Gray, a 6-foot-4 guard.

Coby Gibler, a 6-9 senior, led the scoring with 17 points. Gibler also had 12 rebounds, seven blocks and two assists.

Gibler is receiving recruiting attention from Eastern Washington and Portland. He was a pitcher and first baseman on the 2001 Bainbridge Little League team that went to the World Series, but he later abandoned baseball for basketball.

The stat line for Gonzaga recruit Gray included seven assists and five steals.

"They are big-time players and they make big-time plays for us," said Bainbridge coach Scott Orness.

Sealth trailed 47-30 entering the final quarter but opened with an 8-2 run and eventually cut the lead to 51-45 with 4 minutes, 12 seconds to play on a basket by Patrick Lee.

"I told them at halftime, great teams are at least able to make a run and come back and we did," said Sealth coach Colin Slingsby.

With the lead cut to six, Gray scored a rebound basket and Bainbridge re-established control. Bainbridge had required overtime to beat Sealth last month in Seattle.

Seventh-ranked Sealth, which was led by 18 points apiece from Melvin Jones and Nyandigisi Moikobu, dropped to 15-5 but is assured a Sea-King District berth.

Even though it's mid-February, some of the Bainbridge students wore beach attire such as shorts to the final game, played before a near-capacity crowd.

"The fans are a large part of our success at home," Gibler said. "It really gets momentum going and energy in the building."

Other game

At Rainier Beach 52,

O'Dea 46

Junior guard Michael Ladd scored a game-high 18 points to lead the fourth-ranked Vikings past the No. 2 Irish in a Metro League semifinal.

Senior guard DeAngelo Jones added 14 points and 10 rebounds and Reggie Moore, a junior guard, had 12 points and 11 assists for Rainier Beach, which plays Bainbridge on Saturday in the Metro League final. The game at SPU is scheduled for 7:45 p.m.

O'Dea, which was led by Chris Banchero's 16 points, has lost three of its past five games. The Irish will face Chief Sealth on Saturday at SPU in a game for third place. It is scheduled to start at 4:15 p.m.