Mossyrock sophomore Kevin Mitchell has never been afraid to shoot three-pointers in practice and open gym in mass, and as of late, he’s started to find his footing in game situations.
In Mossyrock’s district quarterfinal against Toledo earlier in the week, he hit three three-pointers, and he would have hit a fourth if his toe wasn’t on the line.
“He’ll bury you,” Mossyrock coach Kelly Ross said. “When he has the space, he’s ready to let it fly.”
Mitchell only hit two threes on Friday in Centralia, but they both came in the final minute to lift Mossyrock to a 57-54 victory over Morton-White Pass in a 2B District 4 Tournament Elimination Game.
“I just knew we had to tie the game up and get some clutch shots,” Mitchell said. “It’s awesome.”
Mitchell’s first three of the night tied the game at 54 with 53 seconds to play. After a Morton-White Pass over-and-back, Mitchell got open at the top of the key and buried another to put the Vikings ahead with 25 seconds left.
“It was awesome to see him have the confidence to let it fly, in clutch moments too,” Ross said. “It’s only gonna boost our program and our team knowing that.”
Morton-White Pass had a chance to tie the game with a three of their own, as it had possession with 9.3 seconds on the clock.
The T-Wolves got the ball in to Michael Biacan, who had already hit two three-pointers in the first. His initial attempt was contested well, but Liam Pelletier was able to wrestle away an offensive rebound and kick it back out to Biacan with just over a second left. Biacan had an open look, but it sailed just long as the buzzer sounded.
Mitchell said that in Mossyrock’s timeout huddle prior to the last stand, the goal was to prevent Biacan or Logan Mays, MWP’s best shooters from getting the ball at all. While they weren’t entirely successful, Mitchell was still thrilled that they were able to pull it out.
“I’m so happy for the seniors,” Mitchell said.
The intensity of the final minute closely resembled the rest of the game, which was back-and-forth the entire way.
Morton-White Pass ended the first on an 8-0 run to take a five-point lead, but Mossyrock responded with a 10-0 run of its own to retake the lead. The two teams were tied at 25 at the break and at 40 after three.
Throughout the course of the game, the two teams were tied six times, and the lead changed hands 21 times.
It was a stark difference from the last time these two teams played, when the Vikings ran away with a 76-48 win.
“We’re still trying to figure out how to play district basketball,” Ross said, noting the difference in play from the regular season. “We were a little flat at times.”
Other than Mitchell’s two threes, the Vikings hit just one three, but a focus on Shaun Fry in and around the paint helped keep the offense flowing.
Ethan Johnson also had success driving inside at times, and he finished with a team-high 14 points. Colby Cournyer scored 10, as did Fry, and London Jones added seven. Mitchell finished with his six, while Aylan Bigbee and Carson Dewaele both chipped in four and Blue Seivers scored two.
Biacan finished with 20 points to lead the Timberwolves, earning praise from Dunlap for his effort and consistency from the field.
Mays finished with 11 despite battling a tweaked ankle, and Owen Loucks tallied 10. Sebastian Gonzalez scored four, Kohen Ingalsbe tallied three, and Gabe Lisowski rounded out the book with two.
The Timberwolves finish their season 2-21.
“I just told them I was proud of how hard we played,” Morton-White Pass coach Kevin Dunlap said. “They played really hard tonight and kept us right in it the whole time.”
Dunlap added that some players were battling an illness throughout the week, and he was proud of the way they battled despite that.
“They played with a lot of heart,” Dunlap said.
Ingalsbe, Biacan, Gabe Lisowski, and Nate Lisowski will graduate. Dunlap said that he will miss their consistent energy, and he noted that they will have to develop some of the underclassmen’s ball handling abilities to prevent a drop-off next winter.
Things will also look different next winter for Morton and White Pass, who will split back into two 1B schools at the end of this academic year.
Mossyrock (10-12) moves on to the second round of the district elimination bracket. The Vikings will play Onalaska on Wednesday in Castle Rock. A win there would put them in a winner-to-state game against the loser of the Adna-Napavine semifinal.
“Survive and advance, that’s what this is about,” Ross said. “We’re moving our name up the board, and that’s what you gotta keep doing.”
