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Originally published January 24, 2012 at 10:43 PM | Page modified January 24, 2012 at 11:12 PM
No. 3 Skyline holds off Redmond, 60-56 | Boys Basketball
Senior point guard Will Parker hit four free throws in the final 22 seconds to help the Spartans beat the No. 4 Mustangs.
Seattle Times staff reporter
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SAMMAMISH — When Will Parker stepped to the free-throw line early in the season, something didn't feel right. Skyline's senior point guard couldn't find the right routine.
But he kept shooting, kept working, and on Tuesday night with the game on the line, he knocked them down. Parker hit four free throws in the final 22 seconds to help the third-ranked Spartans hold off No. 4 Redmond, 60-56.
"I was shooting bad, like 50 percent," Parker said. "Point guards can't shoot like that. I've improved. Now I'm going up there with confidence, knocking them down for my team so we can get a win."
Despite a weeklong layoff due to last week's snowstorm, Skyline (13-3, 8-1 KingCo 4A) started the game at a frenetic pace and led by seven after one quarter.
"We just came out with a lot of energy, matched their intensity," Parker said.
The Spartans continued to control the game through much of the second quarter, but after halftime, Redmond (11-4, 6-3) stormed back.
"I think we kind of just got tired," Parker said. "It's no excuse, but that five-day break we had, coach talked about it. We were just kind of out of shape."
Redmond's Jason Harrington scored 11 of his game-high 25 points in the third quarter, rallying the Mustangs. The senior forward hit a three-pointer late in the quarter to give his team a brief lead.
However, Parker, who scored 23, and the Spartans regained the lead early in the fourth quarter and held on.
"They just simply made more plays than we did," Redmond coach Jeff Larson said. "Everybody is going to talk about Will Parker and deservedly so. He's, in my opinion, the best point guard in the league."
Both teams face a frantic finish in league play as programs throughout the area try to make up postponed games. Skyline is off to a good start after holding off a ranked team on its home floor.
"Good teams do that," Spartans coach J. Jay Davis said. "The fact that we're defending our home court against some really good teams is another feather in our cap. This league is brutal. It's just tough."
Mason Kelley: 206-464-8277 or mkelley@seattletimes.com
