The Mount Si boys basketball team defeated Metro League’s Nathan Hale Raiders 62-56, keeping their season alive in the SeaKing District Tournament.
Role players proved pivotal in the Wildcats’ win on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at home. Mainstay Tanner Riley led the way with 24 points, and senior Jake Hamilton’s eight points in the third quarter were critical in the Wildcats’ success.
“I just came off the bench and it felt good,” Hamilton said.
Junior Zander Nelson’s 13 points, seven of which were in the first quarter, kept the contest close for Mount Si.
“They were double and triple-teaming Tanner, so (it) left me open,” the junior said. “I was able to make a few shots and get us going.”
Sophomore Dallas Smith came up in the clutch on the free throw line, finishing with nine points.
The Wildcats broke out of the gate early, taking a 14-7 lead, before Hale rallied with a 10-0 run to close the first quarter holding a 17-14 advantage.
The second quarter proved to be a seesaw battle as the Wildcats took an 18-17 lead early in the frame on a Nelson basket, before quickly losing the edge after a three from Hale’s Micheal Fields. Riley responded with a three, putting the Wildcats back in front, but Hale reclaimed the lead with 1:07 left in the period. A Riley bucket followed by a Smith free throw sent the teams into halftime tied at 27-27.
The game stayed tight well into the third quarter, then Hamilton struck. He hit two consecutive three-pointers late in the frame to break open the game and put Mount Si up, 43-35.
The Wildcats held the lead the rest of the way thanks to timely field goals from Riley and critical free throws from Smith. In the last 34 seconds of the contest, Smith went 5 for 6 from the line, nailing down the Wildcats’ victory.
The team’s tough play all around hopefully silenced some criticism which has surfaced on the Internet that the Wildcats were just about one man: Tanner Riley.
“It shows that we’re not one-dimensional. Everyone says we’re all about Tanner, but it’s nice. Shows that were a true team and we can play as a team,” Nelson said. Tanner’s older brother also got some praise.
“Tyson (Riley) did a nice job running the team in that second half. Very nice job of just being a good point guard where he played nice defense and then just kept everyone playing together offensively,” said Mount Si coach Jeff D’Ambrosio. “It was a good team effort.”
The Wildcats went to Bellevue Community College, Thursday, Feb. 26, to play Seattle Prep, a team that last played Mount Si twice in the 2006 playoffs. Both games that year ended in Prep routs. This meeting was a far cry from that, though.
The two teams battled throughout a very close contest. But at the end of the day, it was the Panthers once again who got it done, with a two-point win, 60-58.
The loss for Mount Si sent them into a matchup on Tuesday, March 3, against O’Dea for the right to continue on in the postseason. If they win that game, they play again Thursday.
No stats were available to the Valley Record by press time about this game.
