TACOMA — Tacoma Dome rookies?
More like Tacoma Dome rockers.
Memories of the Skyview boys basketball team’s first game at the Dome will certainly last.
Samaad Hector’s rebound basket with 4.3 seconds left gave Skyview a 68-67 win over Glacier Peak in the 4A state tournament on Wednesday.
Skyview had never reached the state tournament before this season. Yet the Storm showed the comfort and poise of a tournament veteran with their season on the line.
When Skyview trailed its opponent from Snohomish 67-62 with 1:17 to go, the Storm weren’t rattled.
When Skyview needed a young player to step up, Kyle Gruhler wasn’t rattled. The sophomore scored 16 points and made four 3-pointers.
And when Skyview needed someone to make a play on its last possession, Hector was there with a leaping putback after Alex Schumacher’s driving layup was off the mark.
The Tacoma Dome might be new for Skyview, but close games aren’t. This season, Skyview has won nine of 11 games decided by five points or less.
“We had a ton of close games, so we’ve had a ton of practice,” Skyview coach Matt Gruhler said. “So even when we were down, we had a timeout and I said ‘guys, we’ve been here before. Don’t’ stray away from what we do best. Just believe, do your best and see what happens.”
Now Skyview (24-4) will face the best. The Storm play unbeaten and top-ranked Gonzaga Prep of Spokane in the quarterfinals at 5:30 p.m. Thursday.
Even teams with plenty of Tacoma Dome experience can have a rough time. The spacious environment offers a unique challenge for shooters used to playing in smaller gyms.
But Skyview shot 56 percent from the field in the first half and 51 percent for the game, making 10 of 19 3-pointers.
“I told our shooters, just trust your shot,” Matt Gruhler said. “We were moving the ball. We got open looks, so that really helped us.”
Kyle Gruhler, the coach’s son, had the hottest hand. He made his first four 3-pointers and finished six of eight from the field.
Gruhler grew up shooting in the domed gym at St. Martin’s University, where his father worked before moving from Lacey to Clark County.
“When I was young, I used to always shoot there,” Kyle Gruhler said. “I’m used to the dome. All my life I’ve been a shooter.”
But Skyview couldn’t shake Glacier Peak. The Grizzlies, led by 24 points from Bobby Martin, never let Skyview’s lead grow beyond five points.
Then, with the game tied 62-62 and 2:00 to play, Glacier Peak made a potentially decisive five-point spurt. Martin’s 3-pointer gave the Grizzlies a 67-62 lead with 1:17 to play.
Hector and Schumacher scored on back-to-back possessions, but Skyview still trailed 67-66 with 25.2 seconds left.
Martin was fouled with 15.5 seconds left, but missed the first shot of a one-and-one.
Skyview got the rebound. Schumacher took the ball and drove toward the hoop. Two defenders converged on him, altering his shot.
“I was on the ground, but I looked up at Samaad,” Schumacher said. “He’s really good at getting those second-chance putbacks. I was really thankful that he was there.”
The defenders who collapsed on Schumacher left a clear path for the 6-foot-5 Hector to leap toward the rim.
“Natural instincts came to me to go get the rebound,” Hector said. “I had to get the rebound because I wasn’t really rebounding the whole game.”
Hector finished with a team-high 18 points and 10 rebounds.
“Samaad really knows his role,” Matt Gruhler said. “He does a really good job at it. He knows when that shot goes up he’s going to go challenge for the rebound whether it missed or not. He happened to be the right man at the right time.”
And now that it’s among the final eight in the 4A state tournament, Skyview believes it’s the right team for this time.
“We all trust each other,” Kyle Gruhler said. “We have a saying, ‘sometimes you, but always we.’ “
