3/8/2025
(Yakima, WA) The boys 2A Hardwood Classic at the Yakima SunDome will be followed start to finish on this post. We will update daily the scores and short re-caps with links to the game replays, updated bracket and the WIAA’s Tournament Central.
The Bremerton Knights are state Champs! Below is our coverage of the entire tournament from last year’s winners to the Regional scores and re-caps to our trophy day stories. All stories and re-caps written by Sandy Ringer.
Link to WIAA Tournament Central
Saturday, March 8 CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY!
State Championship Game
(3) Bremerton 74, (10) Prosser 53
By Sandy Ringer
Jalen Davis doesn’t claim to be a one-man show.
But he certainly put one on Saturday in the championship game of the Class 2A state boys basketball tournament at the Yakima SunDome.
Davis, a lightning-quick sophomore, scored Bremerton’s first 13 points and 18 of the team’s first 22, ultimately finishing with 34 to carry the Knights to a 74-53 victory and first title since 1974.
Don’t ask him how he did it.
“It’s just one of those good games I had today, I don’t know why,” he said. “It was a wonderful game. I’m so blessed to play….Once the first shot went in, everything was locked in.”
With 27 at halftime, Davis – and game and tournament MVP – had folks checking the record books (Ephrata’s Patrick Simon scored 48 against Squalicum in 2010). He might have surpassed that if the Knights needed him to.
But with the game firmly in hand by the end of the third quarter, 61-44, Bremerton (22-5) pulled the ball out and extended the court as often as possible.
One exception came on a fastbreak opportunity in the final minute, when freshman Jaydon Turner (who scored 14 points) tossed an ally-oop to set senior Frank Allen up for a crowd-pleasing dunk.
Landon Bailey did his best to keep up with Davis early, scoring Prosser’s first six, and he had nine of the team’s 15 in that opening quarter. Bailey wound up with 15 of his 17 by halftime, when the Mustangs trailed 43-29.
Senior Koby McClure, Prosser’s all-time leading scorer, got 16 of his 20 after the intermission.
Davis isn’t just a scoring machine, by the way. His final stat line included 11 rebounds, five assists and four steals. Jeremiah Davis, his father and head coach wants people to know how hard he works, too.
“Every morning, he’s in the gym,” he said. “He’s the hardest working player in practice and never takes a play off. He never gets tired. He’s a special kid and I’m just blessed to be his father.”
Coach Davis, said his players set this goal in their first meeting of the season and made it happen. But never having won a title himself, he had to talk himself into believing in the possibility.
“This morning, I just told myself, ‘you’re a champion, you’re a champion, you’re a champion, you’re a champion. Sometimes when you tell yourself something enough times, it comes true.”
And it might come true again soon with that young roster that also includes 6-10 center Jay Beahan.
No. 10 Prosser (23-8), which upset top-seeded Lynden in the quarterfinals and rival Selah in the semis, improved on last year’s fourth-place finish. The Mustangs were shooting for their first title since 1967.
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
Consolation Games
8am 4th/6th Place Game
(11) Columbia River 78, (8) Mark Morris 59
The River Rapids can score in a hurry.
They used a three-point spree late in the first half to blow open what started as a tight game and earn their best finish since placing second in 2009.
They spread the wealth, too.
Mark Morris (23-7) was up 23-22 when John Reeder started the rain. Then Alex Pont dropped one in. After Reeder hit another, Josh Paxton got in the act. Ari Richardson added one more and was fouled, rousing the crowd with a four-point play that put CR up 38-23. It was 38-25 at the break.
Richardson finished with four of River’s 10 triples enroute to a game-high 21 points and MVP honors. The senior guard added five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
River (22-6) showed its balance as Pont and Reeder were among four players with a dozen points, joining Luca Phillips and Aaron Hoey.
Senior Dalton Stevens did what he could to try to keep Mark Morris in it, pouring in a game-high 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting. He went off for 12 points as the Monarchs went on a 20-13 streak to open the third quarter, trimming the advantage to six.
Richardson said enough, canning a try and scoring seven straight to put the River Rapids back in control.
It’s the Monarchs’ second trophy over the past three years. They were second in 2023 behind Lynden.
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
11:15am 3rd/5th Place Game
(2) RA Long 68, (5) Selah 61
Their title dreams had been dashed.
But the Lumberjacks still had some history to salvage.
R.A. Long (25-2) held off Selah to match the program’s best finish. The Jacks were also third in 1939. It’s their second trophy in four years after finishing fifth in 2022, ending a drought that dated back to 1953.
It was a game of runs. Selah (21-6) had scored eight straight to end the third quarter and start the fourth and take a 46-44 lead. R.A. Long responded with a15-4 streak to go back in front for good.
Senior Payton Thill made his only basket of the game a big one as he knocked down a three to make it 56-50. TraMayne Jenkins, another upperclassman, followed with a conventional three-point play that stretched it to 59-50 with 1:28 left.
The Lumberjacks then made nine of 12 free throws in the final 1:01 to close out the game.
MVP Joshua Crane scored a game-best 20 points, while Cameron Newsome had 16. Jenkins finished with 11.
Selah netted its first trophy since reaching the title tilt in 2019. The Vikings had a team-high 16 points and three others checked in with 11 – Beau Benjamin, Jackson Pepper and Oliver Pepper.
The Lumberjacks raced to a 12-2 lead before Oliver Pepper got Selah going. After brother Jackson Pepper hit a jumper, Oliver scored five straight to close the gap.
But Newson answered with five of his own to close the quarter and stretch it back to 17-9.
R.A. Long was up 21-15 before the Vikings responded with a11-2 spurt to take their first lead, 26-23, capped by Oliver Pepper’s three-point play. But the Lumberjacks finished the half with seven straight points and went into the locker room in front 30-26.
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
Friday, March 7 Semifinal Friday
Consoltion Round (Loser Out)
(11) Columbia River 41, (1) Lynden 38
The three-time defending champs were looking to bounce back after their upset loss to No. 10 Prosser in the quarterfinals.
Instead, the Lyncs got bounced by the feisty River Rapids, who got clutch free throws from senior Ari Richardson in the final two minutes to spot in Saturday’s trophy round.
Columbia River (21-6) plays No. 8 Mark Morris (23-6) at 8 a.m. The winner takes fourth place, the loser sixth. River placed sixth in 2018, but had missed out on the hardware since.
Richardson, the game MVP, went six-for-six at the line down the stretch, including a pair with 5.5 seconds left that put the Rapids up 41-38.
Lynden senior Brant Heppner got a good look at a tying three-pointer, but it just missed. Heppner had carried the Lyncs with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Only three other Lynden players scored.
Heppner gave Lynden a 36-35 lead with 2:03 to play, but Richardson kept finding his way to the line, accounting for River’s final six points. He finished with 13.
After Jack Stappleton inside bucket cut CR’s lead to 39-38 with 8.6 seconds to play, the Lyncs got a quick time out and forced the River Rapids to take another one as they had trouble getting the ball in under Lynden’s basket.
Senior John Reeder then got the job done just in time with a toss that Richardson was able to come up with and draw the foul. Reeder contributed 10 points and 10 boards Aaron Hoey finished with a team-high 15 points, 10 in the first half.
The Lions led 25-16 at the break, but shot just 16.7 percent the rest of the way. River, playing without starter Javen Fletch (injury), pulled into a 30-30 tie on back-to-back triples by Richardson and Hoey to end the third quarter.
Lynden (25-3) goes home empty-handed for the first time since 2011. It’s a rare trophy miss for a storied program that had placed 41 times – including 13 championships – in their previous 55 state appearances.
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
(8) Mark Morris 53, (12) Franklin Pierce 51
Defense made the difference down the stretch as the Monarchs without a field goal in the final three minutes and Dalton Stevens’ last-second steal sealed the victory.
Franklin Pierce had a catch-and-shoot opportunity under its own basket with .5 on the clock and Javon Barbee capable of most any kind of circus shot. But Barbee was blanketed and Stevens got his hands on the pass for his fourth steal as time ran out.
The Monarchs (23-6) play No. 11 Columbia River (21-6) in a matchup of Greater St. Helen’s League foes Saturday at 8 a.m. Mark Morris won both regular-season meetings between the two.
Stevens, who piled up 18 points and 10 rebounds, shared the game MVP honors with teammate Drew Ibarreta (14 points on six-of-nine shooting).
Barbee, an athletic 6-4 senior and son of coach John Barbee, booked 29 points – including a spinning bucket that gave the Cardinals a 50-46 lead with just over three minutes to go.
Nathan Stevens answered with a three-pointer, the Cards missed at the other end and Stevens got an off-balanced shot in the key to go in, drawing a foul as well. His free throw put Mark Morris up 52-50 with 1:49 left.
Hakeem Collins made one of two free throws with 21 seconds on the clock, cutting it to 52-51, then fouled out at the 11.9 mark. He left with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
Stevens sank one of the two charity shots and the Monarchs held on.
Franklin Pierce (21-6) was bidding for its first state trophy since 1977.
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
Semifinals (Winner to Championship, Loser to 3rd place game)
(10) Prosser 67, (5) Selah 61
Leave it to the smallest players on the court to come up with one of the biggest plays.
Dalin Cortes, a senior guard generously listed at 5-7, snared a loose-ball rebound and sank two free throws with 22.7 seconds to play, giving the Mustangs a 64-60 lead that stood up in a thriller between two Yakima Valley rivals.
Prosser (23-7), which had lost three out of four games to the Vikings this season, plays for a long-awaited championship Saturday at 9 p.m. against No. 3 Bremerton (21-5),
The Mustangs, who shocked No. 1 Lynden in the quarterfinals, won their only crown in 1967 (1A).
Cortes finished with 11 points and was one of several clutch performers. Senior Landon Bailey wound up with MVP honors after delivering 16 points – including a free throw to ice the game with 10.6 seconds left – and seven rebounds. Trent Russell (16 points, nine boards) and Kolby McClure (16 and eight) were also key.
Prosser led by nine in the first half and was up 34-26 in the third quarter before Selah stormed in front with a 12-6 run capped by one of Jackson Pepper’s trademark threes that made it 48-40.
The Mustangs then closed the period with seven straight points, including a triple by Cortes and a putback by Bailey.
Selah (21-5) took a 58-57 lead with 2:35 to play as Oliver Pepper went on a personal five-point spree and it was 60-all after a putback by Jonathan Wright at the 1:18 mark.
McClure’s driving basket put Prosser back up with 1:03 to go and Selah could not get anything to fall. Jackson Pepper managed just one point in the fourth to finish with 17. He dished out seven assists as well. Beau Benjamin also scored 17, while Oliver Pepper had 13.
The Vikings still get a trophy – their first since 2019 – as they play No. 2 R.A. Long for third and fifth places Saturday at 1:15 p.m.
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
(3) Bremerton 62, (2) RA Long 54
Jr. Davis-McWharter doesn’t start, but boy can he finish.
The 6-1 sophomore reserve scored nine of his 19 points in the final four minutes to lead the Knights to the title tilt for the first time since 1974, when they won a second straight championship.
Bremerton (21-5) plays No. 10 Prosser (23-7) Saturday at 9 p.m.
R.A. Long (24-2) was up 48-47 after TraMayne Jenkins’ bucket with 4:04 to play. Davis-McWharter answered with a three-point play to put the Knights back in front for good. His two free throws made it 56-51 with 1:37 left, but Cameron Newsome banked in a three-pointer to trim it to 56-54 with a minute on the clock.
Davis-McWharter answered with triple of his own, wrapping up the game MVP, and the Knights closed it out at the line.
Jalen Davis, another sophomore, flirted with a triple-double before settling for a line that included 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Bremerton also got a dozen each from senior Frank Allen and freshman Jaydon Turner.
The Lumberjacks’ quest for their first state title will have to wait, but they won’t go home empty handed. They can match their best finish (third in 1939) win a win over No. 5 Selah (21-5) Saturday at 1:15 p.m. The loser takes fifth.
Juniors Joshua Crane and Landon Irwin led R.A. Long Friday with 11 points apiece.
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
Thursday, March 6 (Winner to Semifinals, Loser to Consolation)
(5) Selah 74, (11) Columbia River
A dominating third quarter vaulted the Vikings (21-4) into the semifinals for the first time since 2019, when they wound up finishing second to Lynden.
But there will be no rematch as top-seeded Lynden, the three-time defending champion and heavy favorite, was upset by No. 10 Prosser (22-7) in the second quarterfinal, 64-50.
So, it will be Selah and Prosser meeting in Friday’s 3:45 semifinal. It will be their fourth clash of the season, with Selah owning a 2-1 advantage.
The Vikings led Columbia River by just seven at halftime Thursday, then exploded with a 24-8 third period. Senior Jackson Pepper poured in 26 points (including a fourth-quarter throwdown) to garner MVP honors, adding seven rebounds. Oliver Pepper, his sophomore brother, added 10 points, draining a three-pointer just before the half. Senior Beau Benjamin checked in with 15.
Columbia River (20-6) got 18 points from Luca Phillips and 11 from John Reader. The River Rapids play Lynden (25-2) Friday at 9 a.m. in a loser-out tilt. The winner is assured of a trophy.
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
(10) Prosser 64, (1) Lynden 50
The underdogs turned into super dogs.
The Mustangs’ chances against top-dog Lynden?
Most considered them slim and none.
Consider it done.
Prosser (22-7) pulled what might be the biggest upset of the year by knocking off the heavily favored Lions, who had claimed five of the past six crowns, including the last three.
The Mustangs more than lived up to the challenge, riding a 19-5 third quarter to a 49-36 lead. Lynden (25-2) never got closer than eight the rest of the way. And when that happened on Jack Stapleton’s putback midway through the fourth, Landon Bailey answered with a three-point play to start a clinching, 7-0 run.
Bailey, a 6-5 senior, finished with 19 points (just missing a double-double with nine rebounds) and helped key a smothering defense (20 Lynden turnovers) to garner MVP rights.
Fellow senior Koby McCure buried nine of 10 free throws enroute to a team-high 22 points, ending the Prosser scoring with a three-point play that made it 64-46 with just over a minute to go.
The normally sharp-shooting Lions connected on just five of 24 tries from three-point range (20.8 percent). Senior Brant Heppner stood out with 28 points and 11 caroms, but no other Lynden player scored more than eight.
The Lions return to the court Friday at 9 a.m. in a loser-out game against No. 11 Columbia River (20-6).
Prosser is in pursuit of what would only be the school’s second state title. The Mustangs, fourth in 2A last year and fifth in 2023, won the 1A prize back in 1967.
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
(3) Bremerton 57, (12) Franklin Pierce 42
Sophomore Jalen Davis went off for 30 points to lead the young Knights back to the semifinals for a second straight season.
They lost a heartbreaker to Lynden last year, 53-52, and wound up fifth in what marked their first state appearance since 2010.
Bremerton (20-5) plays No. 2 R.A. Long (24-1) Friday at 5:30 p.m. looking for a berth in the title game. That hasn’t happened since 1974, when the school won a second consecutive 3A title.
Davis, the game MVP, had a key three-pointer with five seconds to go in the third quarter to give the Knights a 40-27 lead. It was 48-35 before FP reeled off five straight points that left the game in doubt with 1:32 to play. Davis’ traditional three-point play helped Bremerton close with a 9-2 run.
The two teams met in the District 3 championship game less than two weeks earlier, a 66-34 Bremerton victory.
The Cardinals (21-5), who knocked off No. 4 West Valley of Spokane Wednesday, kept this one closer thanks to Javon Barbee (19 points) and Hakeen Collins (11). They need one more victory to clinch their first trophy since 1977, when they took seventh in 3A, and take on No. 8 Mark Morris (22-6) Friday at 10:30 a.m.
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
(2) RA Long 50, (8) Mark Morris 48
It was like a backyard brawl between the two Longview rivals as they squared off for the fourth time of the season, this time with a semifinal berth at stake.
Bodies flew, floor burns were earned and it wasn’t decided until Nathan Stephens’ good-looking three-point shot from the corner bounced off the rim at the buzzer.
The Lumberjacks (24-1) are one victory away from playing for their first state championship. They play No. 3 Bremerton (20-5) Friday at 5:30 p.m.
It was Stephens who gave Mark Morris the opportunity to win or force overtime as he dove for the ball after a R.A. Long miss and the Monarchs got time with 18.6 on the clock.
Jadyn Brooks, who had drained a trey (his third) to cut what was once a 13-point lead to two with 46 seconds to go, tried to get the shot, but was smothered. He had 11 points for the game, while Dalton Stevens finished with 12.
Junior Cam Newsome came off the bench to spark the Lumberjacks with a game-high 15 points – 11 in the second half – to net the MVP nod. Landon Irwin scored 10, including a putback with 1:08 to play that put his team up 50-45. He also had eight rebounds.
The Monarchs (22-6) endured a miserable start, notching just two points in the first quarter, and never led. They play No. 12 Franklin Pierce (21-5) Friday at 10:30 a.m. with a shot at a trophy.
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
Wednesday, March 5 (Winner to Quarterfinals, Loser Out)
(11) Columbia River 60, (6) Lakewood 56
Senior Aaron Hoey keyed the upset, hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer and sealing the victory with two free throws with 6.1 seconds to play. He finished with 18 points and was named game MVP, while fellow senior Ari Richardson dropped in 22 to go along with six rebounds and three assists.
Junior Caleb Greenland and senior Quinton Steen paced Lakewood with 19 and 17 points, respectively.
The River Rapids (20-5) play No. 5 Selah (20-4) Thursday at 9 a.m. Lakewood finishes the season 18-8.
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
(10) Prosser 88, (7) Foster 66
The Mustangs’ reward for their dominating performance: A quarterfinal date with top-seeded Lynden (25-1), the three-time defending champion, Thursday at 10:30 a.m.
MVP accolades went to Koby McClure scored 22 of his game-high 29 points in the second half and grabbed 10 boards to pace Prosser (21-7), which also got a double-double from fellow senior Landon Bailey (19 points, 10 rebounds). Senior Trent Russell just missed the feat (22 points, eight boards).
Foster (18-9) was led by seniors Jeremiah White (19 points) and Yasin Hussein (12).
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
Franklin Pierce 59, (4) West Valley (Spo) 50
Bidding for their first state trophy since 1977, the Cardinals (21-4) used a strong second half and efficient free-throw shooting to keep the dream alive and eliminate the Eagles (20-4).
Senior Javon Barbee, the game MVP, scored 11 of his 29 points in the third quarter as FP stretched a 20-16 lead to 37-27. He was 4-for-4 at the line in the final 32 seconds to ice the game. Junior Hakeen Collins added 10 points, seven rebounds and four blocks as the Cards advance to the quarterfinals, where they play No. 3 Bremerton Thursday at 12:15 p.m.
Will Busse led a trio of West Valley players in double figures with 16. Brice Abbey had 14 and Nathan Zettle 13.
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
(8) Mark Morris 69, Sequim 59
After trailing by 11 midway through the third quarter, the Monarchs (22-5) found another gear and finished with a flurry. They used a 17-0 run to open up a 59-51 lead with just over three minutes to play.
Sequim (20-5), back in the tourney for the first time since 2013, closed to 59-55 before Mark Morris sealed it at the line. No. 2 R.A. Long (23-1) is up next Thursday at 2 p.m.
Dalton Stevens, a 6-3 senior, was the spark (30 points, 13 rebounds, three blocks), earning MVP status. Fellow senior Jadyn Brooks chipped in 13 points.
The Wolves were led by a pair of sophomores – Jericho Julmist (28 points, seven rebounds) and Mason Rapelje (10 points).
Link to Box Score
Link to full game replay on the NFHS Network
Feb 28, Mar 1 Regional Round
Winner to Quarterfinals, Loser to Round of 12
(1) Lynden 70, (8) Mark Morris 50
(2) RA Long 63, (7) Foster 44
(3) Bremerton 62, (6) Lakewood 44
(5) Selah 71, (4) West Valley (Spo) 47
Winner to Quarterfinals, Loser Out
(9) Sequim 44, (16) Lindbergh 36
(10) Prosser 83, (15) Ridgefield 57
(11) Columbia River 94, (14) Renton 63
(12) Franklin Pierce 47, (13) Bainbridge 41
Last Year’s Trophy Winners
Champions Lynden
2nd Grandview
3rd North Kitsap
4th Prosser
5th Bremerton
6th Renton
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