TACOMA — Despite a strong first half, the Marysville-Pilchuck boys basketball lost its quarterfinal state tournament game to Eastside Catholic 42-35.
“I told the guys before the game that we belong here, and we went out and proved it,” coach Bary Gould said. “We didn’t win the contest but we definitely earned their respect I think.”
M-P’s Michael Painter led the Tommies with 15 points, and teammate Josh Bevan added 10.
“We knew they were going to come back, and we were hoping we could just sustain our runs and stop theirs,” Gould said. “I felt like that happened up until the late fourth quarter.”
M-P outscored the Crusaders 15-7 in the first quarter. M-P controlled the second quarter as well, scoring six and holding Eastside to four.
But the Crusaders came back in the third period, outscoring the Tommies 16-9.
“We talked before the game about basketball being a game of runs and momentum,” Gould said. “We certainly weren’t sitting on our ten-point lead.”
Eastside put the game away in the final period.
M-P now plays a consolation game against Bellevue March 6 at 2 p.m. Bellevue defeated Eastside 69-47 earlier in the season.
“Our message is that ‘Bellevue is better than Eastside Catholic,’” Gould said. “They shoot better, their guards are more aggressive, and they proved that.”
“It doesn’t matter the outcome of the game,” Gould said. “What matters is, ‘Did you give everything you had the whole entire time?’”
