PASCO, Wash. – The Skagit Valley Cardinals earned a gritty 66-61 victory over the Lower Columbia Red Devils to earn their spot in the Final 4 of the NWAC Men's Basketball Championship at Columbia Basin College.
In one of the highly anticipated games of the tournament, the Cardinals (27-5) and the Red Devils (27-4) battled neck-and-neck throughout the entire game, coming down to the final minute. The game featured 12 lead changes with the largest lead of nine points held by LCC midway through the first half.
Jerry Hayes and Connor Drinkwine led the Cardinals with 19 points each. Hayes had the play of the game with 41 seconds left and up 59-57, Hayes drove to the hoop and drew contact, making an acrobatic layup while falling to the ground. He then knocked down the free throw to complete the three-point play and give Skagit Valley an important five-point lead. The Cardinals were perfect at the free-throw line to close the game out.
Kobe Parlin led the Red Devils with 17 points while
Malik Brown came off the bench to score 16.
Jonah Zeller had 11 points and seven boards in his final LCC game.
The Cardinals advance to the NWAC Final 4 for the first time since 2014 when they finished fourth place. They will play Tacoma in the Final Four. Green River takes on Portland in the other semi-final.
In the Sweet 16 game, the Red Devils led from start to finish as they defeated the Walla Walla Warriors 74-60.
The West Region champion Red Devils showed why they finished the season atop the final NWAC Coaches' Poll in an impressive victory over the No. 4 seeded Warriors. LCC used a dominant post presence with a 48-36 advantage on the boards to create multiple offensive opportunities.
The Red Devils never trailed in the game and led by as many as 19 points late in the first half. LCC's top defensive unit also limited Walla Walla to just 37 percent from the floor and 3-for-22 from beyond the arc.
Lower Columbia had three scorers in double-digits led by
Carter McCoy's 17 points.
David Young had 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals while
Kaden Horn added 14 points and six boards. Parlin had a strong all-around game with eight points, nine rebounds and five assists.
It was another tremendous season under head coach
Mickey Polis. The Devils won a 5
th straight West Region title and advanced to the NWAC Elite 8 for a second straight season. The team will have many key performers back as they attempt to get over the hurdle and get into the Final Four next season.
