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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
March 19, 2024

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King’s Way wins overtime thriller to reach 1A boys quarterfinals

By , Columbian Sports Editor
Published:

RENTON – The cheers blew through the locker room door like it was tissue paper before bounding down the concrete halls of Renton High School.

The joy among the King’s Way Christian boys basketball team was a powerful force indeed.

Players and coaches turned the locker room into a mosh pit, leaping and colliding to the tune of their exuberant shouts. At least one clipboard was shattered.

King’s Way defeated Seattle Academy 54-51 in overtime Saturday in the Class 1A playoffs. The Knights (19-6) advance to the final eight in Yakima for the first time as a 1A school.

Of course, there was excitement.

“That atmosphere was insane,” King’s Way guard Kyle Gonzales said. “It was just ridiculous. It was exciting, nerve-wracking, intense. It was a great way to get a win.”

There was also relief.

The Knights saw two potential game-tying 3-pointers bounce off the rim in the final nine seconds of overtime.

King’s Way survived a tense end of regulation where neither team scored in the final 2:30. They also played nearly the entire fourth quarter with Trico League MVP Kienan Walter in foul trouble.

“I don’t know how we’re still here, but we survived,” Knights coach Daven Harmeling said. “Maybe sometime in July I’ll look back and say ‘oh, that’s how we got here.’ Right now I’m just thankful that we survived.”

There was also a feeling of vindication for the coaches and players that have elevated a program in just its seventh year of competition.

“I’m thinking more about what it has taken to get here than the actual win,” Harmeling said. “Some of these guys were thinking about going to bigger schools under the allure that they were going to have a better basketball experience. But these guys went against the grain and stayed at King’s Way.”

A tightly contested first half ended on a down note for King’s Way. Seattle Academy’s Ian McManus stole a pass and drained a 30-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Cardinals a 26-21 lead.

The Knights clawed back behind Cole Jensen, who scored a game-high 16 points. His 3-pointer gave King’s Way a 34-33 lead with 2:40 left in the third quarter and was part of an 11-2 run.

Walter, a 6-foot-8 post who averages nearly 24 points per game, picked up his fourth foul with 7:13 left in the fourth. He sat out just over a minute before returning to score five of the Knights’ final seven points of regulation.

Walter finished with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists.

“Kienan didn’t score 20-something points like he has been doing, but that’s fine,” Gonzales said. “It just shows what a team we are. We can all score and contribute to what we need to do to get a win.”

Jensen gave King’s Way the upper hand in overtime. His 3-pointer with 2:36 left put the Knights ahead 50-47.

King’s Way led 53-51 with 26.7 seconds left, but missed the front end of a one-and-one. That gave Seattle Academy a chance to tie, but Ben Gerke’s runner in the lane as off the mark.

Gonzales grabbed the rebound and was fouled with nine seconds to play. He made one free throw to extend the lead to 54-51.

That left Seattle Academy with a chance to tie. A McManus 3-point attempt from the top of the key nearly banked in.

After a scramble, the ball deflected to Marcus Austin on the left baseline. His last-second heave bounced off the front rim.

That sent King’s Way players sprinting toward a mid-court celebration. The Knights will play a quarterfinal game Thursday at the SunDome in Yakima against an opponent to be determined.

“We’re trying to build in a way that will translate against the best teams,” Harmeling said. “We’re going to face that next week. It might be a little overwhelming for us. If we get our teeth kicked in, then we’ll know where we need to grow.”

KING’S WAY CHRISTIAN 54, SEATTLE ACADEMY 51, OT

KING’S WAY CHRISTIAN – Cole Jensen 16, Nick Pulicella 2, Karter Graves 0, Mikey Johnson 0, Joe Mills 7, Kyle Gonzales 10, Arda Aydin 4, Kienan Walter 15, Tony Huser 1. Totals 20 (5) 9-19 54.

SEATTLE ACADEMY – Marcus Austin 8, Ben Gerke 13, Ian McManus 10, Jackson Doran 0, Dylan Mortimer 5, Drummond Sweeney 0, Amit Perlin 13, Hal Vogel 2. Totals 21 (2) 7-13 51.

King’s Way 12 9 16 10 7 — 54

Seattle Acad. 9 17 12 9 4 — 51

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