Timberwolves Ice Free Throws, Vault to the State Semifinals

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ICE IN THEIR VEINS: MWP Connected on Clutch Free Throws Down the Stretch to Fend Off Colfax in the State Quarterfinals

SPOKANE — Up three points on Colfax with three seconds to go, Morton-White Pass junior Hunter Hazen stepped to the free-throw line with a chance to seal a victory in the state quarterfinals Thursday.

He had just one thought running through his head.

“My dad’s a coach and when I practice free throws he tells me I like to keep my elbow out,” Hazen said. “So I just remembered to keep it in.”

Dad’s advice paid off as Hazen iced one free throw to put MWP up 64-60 and send the Timberwolves to the 2B state semifinals.

The victory secures the Timberwolves their first state placing since finishing sixth in 2016. They’ll finish top-five for the first time since winning the state title in 2015.

“It feels like it’s cloud nine,” MWP coach Chad Cramer said. “The players are over-the-moon. They did a good job just really coming together.”

It was a comeback win for the No. 5 T-Wolves, who trailed by five at the half and were down by as many as eight in the third quarter as they dealt with Colfax star John Lustig, who finished with a game-high 40 points.

“I thought we fell apart in the first half,” Cramer said. “But at halftime we really tried to rally the guys and they just really rallied. They came together in that moment. The locker room was special. They came together and came out fired up. We really didn’t make any adjustments at the half.”

The halftime talk worked as MWP took its first lead of the second half with Hazen’s driving layup through the heart of the No. 3 Bulldogs’ defense to put the T-Wolves ahead 42-41 with 1:30 left in the third quarter.

An and-one put-back by Gary Dotson gives MWP its largest lead of the game — 52-45 — and he'll get a chance at an and-one after getting fouled. 5:52 to play. After that, it was a trade-buckets contest as neither team led by more than four the rest of the way.

Center Josh Salguero sat most of the second half in foul trouble and fouled out late in the game, along with backup post Jace Peters. 

But the Timberwolves kept the pressure on the Bulldogs with their hard-nosed, smothering defense — combined with clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch by Hazen, Kysen Collette and Judah Kelly.

Collette helped push the T-Wolves lead to three with 2:15 left in the game, then Hazen hit a FT to give MWP the lead at 61-60 after Colfax tied it up with 40 seconds to go. Kelly then stepped to the line with 20 seconds to go and iced two FTs to put MWP back up by three.

“Stay calm,” said Kelly about what he was thinking when he stepped to the line. “So I tried to stay calm and I did. And I was glad.”

Colfax sprinted down court and ripped a 3-point shot with five seconds remaining that clanked away and into Hazen’s arms, who was fouled before hitting one FT to clinch the victory for the Timberwolves.

“We are a team,” Cramer said. “It’s just a true team, and we’re going to keep picking each other up.”

The T-Wolves finished with four players in double-digit scoring, led by senior Gary Dotson’s 18 points and 10 rebounds. Leytan Collette, Hazen and Salguero each added 12 points, with Hazen tacking on seven boards and Kysen Collette nabbing a game-high four steals.

Morton-White Pass advances to the state semifinals where it will face the winner of Liberty (Spangle)/Lake Roosevelt at 9 p.m. Friday.

Cramer said he and his coaching staff will stay up late into the early-morning hours dissecting game film of their next opponent.

“We’re gonna get a game plan together and it’s gonna be another long night,” Cramer said. “This tournament is a grind and my staff is willing to accept that grind. Our job tomorrow is to relax and let the kids get refocused. They’ve got to come back ready to go and execute the game plan.”