Full Court Press Join us this season as we bring you almost-live commentary from select boys and girls basketball games.

January 19, 2004

Final: Rainier Beach 70, Cleveland 66

The Eagles get the ball back, launch a three and the clock runs out. Cleveland made a great comeback, but Beach hit the big shots down the stretch. Thanks for tuning in for the MLK Holiday Hoopfest!

Posted by Jim at 05:55 PM

Down to the wire

Beach gets the inbounds at half court and brings it up. Cleveland holds tight on D. Ryan Anderson hits a tough jumper to give the Vikings a four-point lead. On the other end, Cleveland throws up an ill-advised shot and Beach gets the rebound. The Eagles quickly foul and Terrence Williams goes to the line. He misses both. Cleveland timeout. With 3.2 seconds to go, Beach leads 70-66.

Posted by Jim at 05:53 PM

Haskins for three!

Cleveland has it within two points after a big three by Daryl Haskins. Beach timeout. 44.1 seconds to, Vikings lead 68-66.

Posted by Jim at 05:50 PM

Poised Vikings

Cleveland is making Beach earn the points, sending them to the line time after time down the court. For the most part, the Vikings are stepping up and hitting their free-throws. Cleveland won't budge. Bernard Banks comes down and hits a triple. With 1:32 to go, Beach leads it 68-63.

Posted by Jim at 05:48 PM

Tough D

Cleveland tightens up to a man defense and it seems to be working. They are shutting down the passing lanes and getting the defensive rebounds. With two minutes to go, its 66-57 Beach.

Posted by Jim at 05:45 PM

Cleveland won't give up

The Vikings just can't quite shake the Eagles. So Beach goes to its big man, who puts it down in the paint. Daryl Haskins races to the other end for a layup. Timeout. With three minutes to go, it's 66-56 Beach.

Posted by Jim at 05:43 PM

More of the same

Keenan Hart puts down a three for the Eagles, their only offense now. Beach comes down the floor and is fouled. Kenny Collier at the line, he misses both. The Eagles get the rebound and bring it down the floor. Another three up and down for Cleveland. Bernard Banks gets the triple on that one. The Eagles are hanging around. With 4:16 to go, it's Beach 64, Eagles 52.

Posted by Jim at 05:39 PM

Moving to the fourth quarter

Cleveland comes out and skies a three, that goes down. Beach comes down on the other end and Terrence Williams crams one down from inside the paint. Williams has some big hops. Beach has it back and, after a few missed shots, gets the offensive board. James Morgan gets the points and rebound on that one. The Eagles put up another three that clanks off and Beach is running. Kenny Collier leads the charge, gets fouled and goes to the line. He makes 'em both. With six minutes to go in the game, Beach leads 58-46.

Posted by Jim at 05:34 PM

End of three

The Eagles cheerleaders have a great cheer when the opposition is at the line. "Miss it, miss it," they chant. It works on occasion. Cleveland continues the launching of the threes and can't get much down. Beach, on the other hand, is going inside-and-out with much success. They just have a more balanced attack. The third quarter is in the books. Beach still has the lead: it's 52-40 Vikings.

Posted by Jim at 05:28 PM

Off and runnin'

That's what the Vikings are doing. The transition game is killing Cleveland. Williams hits a runner for Beach and on the next play is alone on the breakaway. He bricks the dunk off the front of the rim. Ouch. On the other end, the Eagles are tossing up three after three with little success. It's a big reason why Beach is getting so many fast breaks. The Eagles are getting a few of them to drop, but not enough. With two and change in the third quarter, it's 49-36 Beach.

Posted by Jim at 05:24 PM

Off the line

Marcel Pellum goes to the line for the Eagles and is standing at least three feet off the free-throw line. He misses both attempts. It's gotten sloppy and both teams are tossing up a lot of bricks. Keenan Hart goes to the line and breaks the scoreless drought. He makes both of them. Cleveland is back to the pressure D. But Rainier Beach drops it into Giles, who gets fouled in the paint and goes to the line. Giles makes the first and gets his rebound on the second. He puts one up that clanks off and Terrence Williams skies in for the put-back jam. Another "ohhh" for Williams. Timeout on the floor. With five minutes to go in the third, Beach is up 42-29.

Posted by Jim at 05:19 PM

On to the third quarter

The Vikings start with the ball and go right inside to Giles, who easily lays it in. On the other end, Marcel Pellum drains a three for the Eagles. Cleveland gets the ball right back, but a quick turnover leads to an easy transition bucket for the Vikings' Terrence Williams. With 7:03 to go in the third quarter, Beach leads 39-27.

Posted by Jim at 05:14 PM

At the half

It's a good one. It seems that Cleveland was doing well on the perimeter, but the Eagles stopped running their offense and got in trouble. Their D has stood up well, but lapses and breakaways have contributed to Beach's lead. The Vikings are getting the ball around nicely. Terrence Williams and C.J. Giles are putting down most of the offensive effort for Beach, but they are spreading things around and getting everyone involved. Right now a radio promo is going on with some kids trying to make shots from all over the floor. I think I'm the only one paying attention. Second half coming up!

Posted by Jim at 05:07 PM

Goin' right at Giles

While the Eagles settled to take jumpers early, they are going right to the paint now. Haskins takes one in to the paint and is fouled in the process. He goes to the line and misses both, but the Eagles recover. Haskins tosses up an air ball and Beach's Emeka Iweka jams one down on a breakaway for the Vikings. Cleveland gives it up again and after a miss, Giles cleans up the mess with an offensive board putback. He's everywhere. The Eagles are getting into too much one-on-one and Beach is beginning to pull away because of it. At the end of the half, Beach leads it 35-24.

Posted by Jim at 05:01 PM

Low-key crowd

After attending a Beach/Cleveland football game earlier in the year, I was expecting to hear a very vociferous crowd. It's not that no one is into it, it just seems a little quiet for these two schools. Victor Jones takes one right at C.J. Giles and drops in a layup. But Terrence Williams makes Cleveland pay on two consecutive possessions. One on a layup inside, the next on a breakaway. With 2:30 to go in the half, it's 30-24 Beach.

Posted by Jim at 04:56 PM

Stingy Cleveland D

The Eagles are getting it done defensively; they are running a zone and it seems to be working. Haskins again. Another three for the Eagles. Beach stays in the zone and Cleveland is taking advantage of it. This time Keenan Hart drains a three. The Eagles are finding the openings. With 3:41 to go in the half, it's 24-22 Beach.

Posted by Jim at 04:52 PM

Twin towers

As if Giles wasn't enough, Beach has James Morgan (6-9) in as well. But Cleveland is getting good looks on the outside with the Vikings in a zone defense. Daryl Haskins doesn't seem to be intimidated, though: He just drove the lane for the Eagles and knocked down a tough lay up. On the next possession, Haskins shows his outside skills by dropping a trey. Cleveland is crawling back. With six minutes to go in the half, it's 19-16 Beach.

Posted by Jim at 04:48 PM

End of first quarter

If Cleveland wants to stay in this game, they are going to have to settle down. Right now they are out of control. The Eagles come out in a press after a Beach timeout, but it doesn't help as the Vikings break the press and go to the line. Keenan Hart drains a triple for the Eagles, who seem hesitant to go inside and face Giles. Cleveland gets a defensive stop, but can't convert on the other end. Beach brings it in to Giles and he drops it in with ease. At the end of one, it's 17-8 Beach.

Posted by Jim at 04:44 PM

Get out!

Terrence Williams just swatted a breakaway and received an "ahhhh" from the crowd for his effort. Not be outdone on the defensive end, Williams dropped a jumper from behind the backboard that somehow clanked in. Beach is runnin' and gunnin'. With two minutes to go in the first, it's 14-3 Vikings.

Posted by Jim at 04:38 PM

All Anderson

Ryan Anderson breaks the ice with a three and Beach takes the lead. Cleveland comes back down, but gives the ball up on a turnover and Anderson has the ball on a breakaway. He's fouled and will go to the line. He sinks 'em both. The Eagles finally get some points on the board, with a bucket inside. Anderson comes down again and drains another three. With 4:16 to go in the first, it's 10-3 Beach.

Posted by Jim at 04:35 PM

Game on!

Beach gets the tip and we're under way! A quick foul by the Vikings gives Cleveland the ball. C.J. Giles makes his presence felt on the first defensive try for the Vikings, blocking a shot in the lane. Beach comes out in a press, but again fouls. Both teams seem a little nervous and cold to start. With 6:30 to go in the first quarter, it's 0-0.

Posted by Jim at 04:30 PM

Early action at the MLK Hoopfest

Here's what went down in today's early games: Olympia 60, Newport 53 Mt. Tahoma 76, Skyline 47 Redmond 57, Kentlake 38 (Girls) Bothell 70, Issaquah 51 Tipoff for Rainier Beach vs. Cleveland coming up!

Posted by Jim at 04:25 PM

Rainier Beach vs. Cleveland warmup

The Vikings come into today's matchup with an 11-1 record. Their only loss this season was to Reserve Christian (La.) in a holiday tournament game. Otherwise, it's been smooth sailing again for No. 1-ranked Beach. Cleveland comes in ranked No. 11 with a 9-3 overall record. It's going to be a tough go for the Eagles, but they were the only in-state team to beat the Vikings last year, who took home the state championship in 2003. That could work for or against Cleveland. Rainier Beach head coach Mike Bethea knows that his team hasn't forgotten last year's upset: "There are still a lot of memories of last year's game," Bethea said. "Cleveland knocked us off ... The kids who were part of the team last year haven't lost sight of that." (see full story here.) The biggest test for Cleveland is if they can find a way to shut down Vikings center C.J. Giles. At 6-11, Giles knows how to dominate the paint, scoring almost 17 points a game. Cleveland's Sexton Brown (6-4) is the tallest one on the Cleveland roster. You have to wonder if Cleveland is going to forget trying to stop Giles and try to halt the Vikings on the perimeter. The Eagles have their work cut out for them either way. Tipoff coming up at 4:30, stay tuned!

Posted by Jim at 04:19 PM

Special holiday edition

We'll be bringing you a Webcast of the Rainier Beach-Cleveland boys game this afternoon, one of the best games in today's King Holiday Hoopfest at Hec Ed on the UW campus. Join us for tipoff at 4:30 p.m.

Posted by bpayne at 03:44 PM

January 09, 2004

Final: Redmond 50, Garfield 43

Cameron Moffatt makes two sets of free throws and Garfield digs itself into a hole with a missed 3-pointer late in the game that would have tied it but instead forced them to foul.

Posted by Spike at 10:01 PM

51 seconds remain

Garfield converts a pair of free throws and trailing by 1, fouls Cameron Moffatt on the way back down court. He might be their best free throw shooter and he'll be at the line after the timeout.

Posted by Spike at 09:54 PM

Getting after it

The Bulldogs call timeout with 2:28 left in the game. Redmond's head coach Michael Kelly is yelling at the refs, at the Garfield coaches, trying to get every call to go his way it seems. Garfield now trails 42-41, forces a turnover and is called for charging. Redmond inbounds the ball and brings the ball down court under pressure, but Christian Yeager slips underneath the hoop and gets the dish for an easy layin. With 1 minute left, the Bulldogs trail by 3.

Posted by Spike at 09:52 PM

Redmond leading down the stretch

Garfield pulls ahead on a jumper by William Clough. The Bulldogs just came out fired up after a timeout and are running all over the place. Redmond takes the lead back on two trips to the free throw line. With 3:30 left to play, the Bulldogs have the ball and trail 42-39.

Posted by Spike at 09:46 PM

Advantage Redmond

Christian Yeager and Stephen Ishmael are back in the game now after sitting out most of the third period. The Bulldogs didn't take advantage of their absence as they would have liked and the Mustangs get on the board first with a pair of scores by Ishmael. Andre Jimerson hits a 3 to bring Garfield back to a 38-35 deficit with 5 minutes left in the game.

Posted by Spike at 09:40 PM

End of third period

The third period comes to an end after close to four scoreless minutes. Redmond still holds a 34-30 lead.

Posted by Spike at 09:35 PM

Redmond ahead by 4

Brock Dunda comes off the bench and knocks down his second bucket of the game. Garfield answers and still trails by four. Now Redmond is trying to set things up, run its plays and control the clock. The fast-paced game so far has benefited the more athletic Bulldogs.

Posted by Spike at 09:30 PM

Second half begins

Cameron Moffatt leads all scorers with 12 points and Garfield's Lamer Harrison has 11. The second half gets started with a bang for the Bulldogs, as their two leading scorers this season, Christian Yeager and Stephen Ishmael, pick up their third fouls in the first 60 seconds and are now riding the pine. The coaches exchange a couple choice words over an official ruling that goes in the favor of Redmond and the Bulldogs close the gap to 32-28 with a trip to the line. It's looking like Garfield is setting itself up for a run with just under 6 minutes left in the third.

Posted by Spike at 09:25 PM

At the half

Garfield is looking good on the boards. Their shooting has been a little suspect, but Redmond continues to find itself in foul trouble, with their leading scorer, Christian Yeager, coming out of the game with two fouls. Cameron Moffatt hits a big 3-pointer with under a minute left to play and that takes the Mustangs into the lockerroom with a 29-24 lead.

Posted by Spike at 09:10 PM

Neck and neck

Both teams are trading baskets now and it's feeling like the game is under way now. The momentum is going back and forth with no clear leader. Avery Scharer makes one on a technical foul called on Redmond. Stephen Ishmael is now on the board for Redmond with 2 points. Cameron Moffatt is the second leading scorer behind Hadley Evans, who has 8 points. The Mustangs have three players with two fouls and lead 21-20 with 3 minutes left.

Posted by Spike at 09:02 PM

Bulldogs lead at end of first

Garfield takes an 11-10 lead to end the first period. The Bulldogs are rebounding well and eliminating Redmond's second-chance opportunities. Mustangs center Stephen Ishmael is scoreless and four different Bulldogs players have scored.

Posted by Spike at 08:53 PM

Bulldogs keeping it close

Redmond rallies with four straight points from Hadley Evans. Garfield looks like it is playing neck-and-neck with the Mustangs, but missed shots have cost them up to this point. Credit a tough Redmond defense as well. The Bulldogs have kept the Mustangs big man, Stephen Ishmael, scoreless so far tonight. Redmond calls a timeout and leads the Bulldogs 10-8 with 1:17 left in the first.

Posted by Spike at 08:50 PM

Boys game is under way

Scot Croshaw lays one in to get Redmond on the board and Lamar Harrison matches a bucket for Garfield. Neither team is looking like it's settled in yet. There have been a few errant passes and turnovers and some missed baskets. It's tied 4-4 with 4 minutes left in the first period with Garfield at the line. Bennett Ashbaugh has picked up two fouls for Redmond already. The Bulldogs convert one free throw to take the lead.

Posted by Spike at 08:42 PM

Girls final: Redmond 53, Garfield 52

Garfield inbounds the ball and makes a 2-pointer when they need 3. A little head shaking going on around here and a great finish to one of the top girls matchups this year.

Posted by Spike at 08:17 PM

Girls game update

Garfield trails 47-41 with 1:30 left in the fourth period. Redmond calls timeout. Malia O'Neal hits a quick layin off the turnover and hits a 3-pointer on the next trip down to bring the deficit to 3 points. Garfield fouled Redmond and they convert. O'Neal hits another layin on the next trip down and they foul Redmond with 29 seconds left. They make 1. O'Neal drains another 3 to come within 1 point. Garfield calls a timeout. They trail 51-50 with 19 seconds left to play. Redmond has the ball.

Posted by Spike at 08:08 PM

Tied up going into the 4th

Malia O'Neal gets the pass going down court with 8 seconds left in the third. She fakes a drive to the hoop, pulls back behind the 3-point line and drains the net to force a 34-34 tie as the final second ticks off the clock. The Garfield band plays a riff and now the girls go at it with 8 minutes on the clock.

Posted by Spike at 07:54 PM

Comeback city: Garfield girls come back

Down by 13 points, the Garfield Bulldogs girls team is on the comeback trail, closing the gap to 24-21 with 4:30 remaining in the third period. Erika Edwards makes a 3-pointer, is fouled and makes the free throw to give the Mustangs a 7-point lead with 4 minutes left.

Posted by Spike at 07:44 PM

Garfield vs. Redmond: an inside look

A lot of things could happen tonight when the 10th-ranked Redmond Mustangs tip off at Garfield High School against the Bulldogs. On paper, Redmond looks to be the clear favorite with a 6-2 overall record and three returning starters (Christian Yeager, Cameron Moffatt, Stephen Ishmael) that are averaging double-digit scoring. Moffatt and Yeager, a pair of 6-foot-2 guards, can dish to Ishmael, who is the team's 6-8 big man inside and stretch opponents' defenses. Right now Yeager is the hot hand with an 18.9 scoring average, followed by Ishmael's 18.4. Garfield will need to come out tonight and play ball control, try to force some turnovers and slow down a Redmond offense that averages 62 points per game vs. the Bulldogs' 48. Garfield has homecourt advantage and will look to senior guard Omar Thompson to get things going. Thompson averaged 13.8 points per game last season and led the Bulldogs to the KingCo 4A Conference, Lake Division title as they split games with Redmond. This season he's off to a bit of a slower start with a 12.2 average as the Bulldogs (2-1, 3-3) try to get things on track with a young squad that lost three key scorers to graduation (Brandon Sanchez, Brian Schulkin, Brandon Sudduth). Lamar Harrison is the second-leading scorer for Garfield with a 7.7 average and they'll need his 6-foot-5 frame inside to help slow the Redmond scoring machine. Both teams have played three of the same opponents so far (Eastlake, Ballard, Shorewood) and the Mustangs have had an easier time of things. Both teams hold 2-1 conference records and are in a tie for second place behind undefeated Inglemoor, which is ranked No. 7 and handed Redmond a 70-65 loss on Dec. 12.

Posted by Spike at 04:49 PM

January 08, 2004

KingCo 4A battle wins vote

We'll be heading to Garfield High School this Friday night for the Redmond-Garfield boys game. At 6-2, Redmond is off to a fine start this season. Garfield has a record of 3-3. Join us for the Webcast beginning at 8 p.m.

Posted by bpayne at 05:45 PM