Boys Basketball | No. 6 Mercer Island opens in style

MERCER ISLAND — The Mercer Island boys basketball team didn't let last year's sour finish linger.

three years without making the state playoffs lit a fire.

The Islanders, ranked No. 6 in Class 3A, came out firing behind Leroy Lutu's 24 points and Matt Schut's 17 and upended fourth-ranked Bellevue 64-57 on Friday night in a season-opening KingCo 3A game before a capacity home crowd.

Mercer Island (1-0 overall, 1-0 league), which went 16-8 last season and bowed out of the playoffs with four consecutive losses, closed the game on a 6-0 run to pull away from Bellevue (0-1, 0-1).

The short-handed Wolverines, who inherited two significant transfers after losing six seniors, wear a big target for a team just learning to play together. MI was more than ready.

"We were going up against a team in midseason form with 11 seniors," Bellevue second-year coach Chris O'Connor said. "And, one that was hungry."

Bellevue, which retained two starters off a 22-7 team that took fourth at state last season, played without junior forward Alex Schrempf, who suffered a high ankle sprain in a physical-education class two weeks ago. Schrempf said he expects to miss another two weeks.

Issaquah transfer Aaron Bright led the way with 17 points and hit 8 of 11 free throws for Bellevue. Matt Olson, a 6-foot-7 junior, scored 15 points on the strength of four three-pointers before exiting with cramps with 4:41 left in the game.

That left O'Dea transfer Colton Christian (7 points) as the Wolverines' tallest player at 6-6.

Clinging to a 58-57 lead after Wolverine Philip Bach tipped in a Bright missed three-pointer, MI got a backdoor layin from Drew Sexton, who finished with 12 points, at 1:24. Then, Evan Zahniser hit 1 of 2 free throws at the 39.8-second mark to go up four.

Schut sealed the win with two free throws with 28 seconds left.

"That might be the biggest first game we've had, and they are great rivals," Mercer Island coach Ed Pepple said. "If Bellevue's a state team, we're hoping we are. One game doesn't make you open for predictions.

"This team, they are on a mission. They were not happy with the way it happened last year. Last year, we lost four and were out."