The Vashon High School boys basketball team rode to its fifth consecutive win on Thursday, Jan. 18, as the Pirates took down Seattle Christian, 44-32. The victory held the taste of sweet for revenge for the Islanders, balancing a 40-49 loss to the Warriors earlier in the season. The Pirates are now tied for second place in the Nisqually League, sharing a 5-2 record with the Life Christian Eagles. The Pirates played the Eagles last night.
The battle against the Warriors was a hard-fought, physical contest from start to finish. The first period saw both teams unable to convert much from the floor and suffering a number of turnovers as the result of aggressive defense play.
When the buzzer sounded, Vashon held a 6-2 advantage thanks to a pair of baskets from senior captain Alex Wegner, who also sank two from the line on a technical called against Seattle Christian.
The second period was a real battle. Vashon failed to convert on its first four possessions while Seattle Christian shot twice in the same period of time to tie it up at 6-6. Both Hamzah Griffing and Kyle Bakker hit from the floor to put the Pirates up by four. With the exception of a basket from Wegner, Vashon went empty through the rest of the period while allowing the Warriors six points from the floor and three from the foul line. Seattle Christian was up 15-12 at the half.
The Pirates were lit up as the second half got under way. After Seattle Christian missed on its first possession, the Pirate defense was all over the Warriors, forcing four consecutive turnovers. Wegner hit a jumper and converted the ensuing foul shot and Griffin bullied his way into three points, hitting from underneath on an incredibly strong move and taking a foul in the process to put the pirates up by three. Vashon’s defense continued to overwhelm Seattle Christian as the Warriors managed to tally only six more points through the end of the third quarter, while Wegner hit for six and Jesse Hazzard nailed a three-pointer to put the Pirates up 27-21 at the end of three.
The final period did not begin well for the Pirates. On its first three possessions, Vashon was hit with two offensive fouls and a technical foul, allowing the Warriors to scratch back to within one. In a sudden turnaround, however, Ben Whitaker stole the ball and raced downcourt for two. Vashon’s defense came back to life and the Warrior shooters lost their touch as Seattle Christian put nothing on the board through its next eight possessions. The Warriors resorted to a series of clock-stopping fouls, most of which the Pirates handily converted to seal the victory.
As usual, Wegner led the scoring effort with 23. Griffin collected nine and Hazzard tallied three. Bakker, Adrian Arceo, Whitaker and Tyler Stoffer each contributed two, while Dan Lofland notched one.
— Steve Edele is the father of Pirate Nick Fox-Edele.
