In the news:
Originally published February 3, 2012 at 11:20 PM | Page modified February 3, 2012 at 11:23 PM
Mercer Island stops Bellevue, 57-48 | Boys Basketball
Mercer Island came into Friday night's game against Bellevue needing a win to have a chance at the league's No. 2 seed — Lake Washington has clinched the regular-season title — and the Islanders delivered on Senior Night, knocking off the Wolverines 57-48.
Seattle Times staff reporter
Find your school. Custom t-shirts,
hoodies and more. Shop now!
Powered by Prep Sportswear
MERCER ISLAND — Throughout the season, KingCo 3A has been a four-team race.
On any given night, Lake Washington, Bellevue, Mercer Island and Sammamish have proved they can play with any team in the league.
And most of the time, Islanders coach Gavin Cree says, it comes down to "which team wants it more."
Mercer Island came into Friday night's game against Bellevue needing a win to have a chance at the league's No. 2 seed — Lake Washington has clinched the regular-season title — and the Islanders delivered on Senior Night, knocking off the Wolverines 57-48.
"It's a great feeling," said Mercer Island senior Sean Hughes, who scored a game-high 14 points. "It's my last home game. I've been on varsity for three years, and being on the home court for the last time in front of an amazing crowd, my parents, it was just great."
The Islanders (16-5, 11-3 KingCo) will turn around and play the Wolverines (16-4, 11-3) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Bellevue College. The winner gets the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the KingCo tournament, while the loser faces an elimination game Monday.
At the start of the game, the gym was packed. The Islanders used the energy of the crowd and the emotion of Senior Night to jump out to a 13-2 lead, and they allowed just four points in the first quarter.
"We've been a good defensive team all year," Cree said. "We were prepared to defend them."
Tyler Hasty hit a pair of second-quarter threes to give Bellevue some life, but the Wolverines trailed 22-15 at halftime.
Before the game, the Mercer Island underclassmen held a meeting to make sure they were ready to send the seniors out the right way. Sophomore Kaleb Warner did his part. He made big plays at crucial moments, including a steal that resulted in a two-handed dunk to open the third quarter.
"We wanted to do it for the seniors, make their night the best night," said Warner, who scored 11 points.
The Islanders led by as many as 18 in the fourth quarter, but Bellevue started knocking down three-pointers to keep things interesting, setting up Saturday's rematch between the rivals.
Start the conversation >