Community Sports
Gig Harbor boys fall a point short of upsetting top-seeded Auburn Mountainview
The Gig Harbor boys basketball team has knocked off favored opponents left and right in the Class 3A District III tournament.
On Wednesday, Feb. 18, it looked like the Tides (17-11) would also defeat top-seeded Auburn Mountainview in a tournament semifinal contest. But the Lions (22-1) stormed back from a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to win 67-66.
No. 12-seed Gig Harbor had already won at fifth-seeded Todd Beamer in double overtime on Feb. 12. Two nights later, they avenged a late-season loss on Bellarmine’s home floor, beating the Lions 56-53.
The Tides had Auburn Mountainview on the ropes, but couldn’t land the knockout punch.
Defensive switch-up
Clutch performances by several players have helped the Tides win postseason games. In addition, coach Billy Landram has employed a new switching zone defense that he purposely saved for a postseason run. The coach has also added a few new offensive sets and a fresh mix of out-of-bounds plays that are key if teams want to advance into March.
The defense was working again on Wednesday. So were center Michael Masini (15 points in the first half) and guard Cole Browne (eight points in the first half) as the Tides took a comfortable lead into halftime against Auburn Mountainview.
Quentin Bockhorn, Ty Buchanan and Browne contributed multiple deep 3-pointers in the third quarter. The first three quarters on Wednesday were the Tides’ best stretch of the season.
Gig Harbor held a 10-point lead with five minutes remaining and appeared likely to advance to the district championship game. But North Puget Sound League MVP Sebastian Arius of Auburn Mountainview had other ideas.
Mountainview’s fourth-quarter rally
The Tides kept him under control for most of the game, but he made two pull-up 3-pointers and got loose for driving buckets out of isolation sets down the stretch.
Meanwhile, the Tides suffered from poor clock management. Several players missed longer shots without running enough time off the shot clock. Mix in a few turnovers, and the Lions gained momentum.
The Lions concentrated their defensive energy on Masini. He had a quiet second half while facing quick double teams and finished with three points in the second half for 18 in the game. Masini had a terrific district tournament with multiple games of over 25 points with impressive rebound and block totals. He collected 20 rebounds against Auburn Mountainview.
The Tides looked like they might still pull out a victory. With the Tides facing an out-of-bounds play under their own basket, Landram called a timeout and set up a play the Virginia Tech Hokies made famous to win an NCAA tournament game.
Browne started the play under the basket and faked like he was going to the corner. Instead he curled around a double screen, caught a lob pass and banked in a shot that put the Tides up 66-64 with just 16 seconds to go. The bucket gave Browne 16 points but sadly it would be the Tides’ final points.
Arius flew down the court, blew by a Tide defender at the top of the key and challenged Masini at the basket. He hung in the air a little longer, dropped a tough shot and drew a dramatic foul call. Arius made the free throw that provided a 67-66 lead.
The Tides got the ball to Masini with eight seconds left, but the junior’s pass to Browne was tipped out of bounds.
With just two seconds left, a long Tides jumper wasn’t close. The district’s No. 1 seed jumped off the hook and advanced to the District III title game against Lincoln on Feb. 22.
Looking ahead
Masini and his teammates were down but optimistic about their future, “This one is tough, but that’s basketball,” Masini said. “We’ll get our minds right and get right back after it.”
Browne is the only current Tide who was on the most recent Gig Harbor team to make a district championship game — in 2023, when Gig Harbor lost to Auburn, 60-59.
“I wanted to get there again so bad and win it this time. But we’ll be ready for state, you can count on that,” Browne said.
Gig Harbor got fine efforts from point guard Ty Buchanan, who handled dribbling duties against a lightning-quick defender while scoring 15 points. Quentin Bockhorn continued his terrific postseason run with 13 points, including three 3-pointers.
The district tournament doesn’t include a third-place game, but the Tides have already qualified for state just by making the semifinals.
Computer rankings by Scorebook Live noticed Gig Harbor’s run as they cracked the top 10 in Class 3A. Gig Harbor has enjoyed a solid run in those rankings over the last five years, peaking at No. 2 in 2023. Landram’s Tides teams have reached the postseason seven straight years and made three state tournament appearances. They probably would have made a fourth but for the COVID pandemic.
Gig Harbor will learn its state tournament draw on Sunday, Feb. 23.