Bellevue bruises way to win over Mount Si
January 17, 2009
By Ryan Piersol
Mount Si didn’t get the upset it was hoping for.
Still, feeling more comfortable against all that size and athleticism isn’t too bad a consolation prize.
Using a big first period and a balanced effort, third-ranked Bellevue defeated the Wildcats 77-59 in a boys basketball game Jan. 17 at Mount Si. The loss dropped the Wildcats to 6-4 overall on the season, but also served as a bit of an educational experience.
Now, having faced the favorite for the KingCo 3A/2A title, Mount Si finds itself a little more prepared for the home stretch of the season.
“We learned a lot from this game,” junior post Lucas Zupan said. “We’re probably going to see them a couple more times, and I think we’ll definitely do better in the future.”
Point guard Aaron Bright led the Wolverines with 25 points, while post Alex Schrempf battled off early foul trouble and finished with 23.
Tanner Riley also was in foul trouble much of the second half and led Mount Si with 15 points, while Nelson added 14.
Going in, the Wildcats were quite aware of their need to aggressively chase rebounds. Still, facing a Bellevue starting lineup that includes players listed at 6-7, 6-7 and 6-5, Mount Si didn’t seem ready for the Wolverines’ physical nature.
In grabbing a 22-15 lead at the end of the first quarter, Bellevue gave itself lots of second chances.
“You hope to be able to box them out a little bit,” Wildcats head coach Jeff D’Ambrosio said. “They established themselves at the beginning of the game that they were going to go to the boards and they continued to do that. They rebound the ball very well.”
The Wolverines managed to stretch their lead to 27-18 early in the second, before a 7-3 run got Mount Si back within 30-25. Schrempf poured in five straight points to spark a 9-0 run that made it 39-25 and it was 41-31 at halftime.
It was a 46-33 game with 5:39 to go in the third quarter when Tanner Riley was whistled for a third foul on a charging call, then hit with a fourth personal on a technical foul. With its leading scorer on the bench, Mount Si got back-to-back buckets from Tyson Riley to stay close for a while. By the end of the third, though, it was 58-43.
“They’re long, they’re athletic and they can shoot it. They’re very good,” D’Ambrosio said of Bellevue. “The things we had worked on, our dribble penetration and our transition defense, were good. And the effort was there. They’re just a tough team.
“We learned some things tonight. I have a feeling we’ll do better (the next time).”
The loss followed a league win against Interlake on Jan. 14. A strong defensive effort in that one led to a 65-35 victory for the Wildcats.
Mount Si led Interlake 20-7 at the end of the first period and went into halftime having given up only 13 points.
Tanner Riley had 19 for the Wildcats, while Dallas Smith added 15 and Nelson finished with nine. It was the third league victory of the season for Mount Si.
Mount Si girls win one, lose one
A first-half scoring outburst led the way to a league loss for the Mount Si girls Jan. 17, as they fell to Bellevue 67-50.
The Wolverines scored 18 points in the first period and another 23 in the second to grab command at 41-28 at halftime. Bellevue then ended the third period on a 9-0 run to go ahead 55-33 and cruised to the win.
Catie Richards led the Wildcats with 11 points, boosted by eight from Stevie Riley and six from both Jori Braun and Kassidy Maddux.
Earlier in the week, Mount Si picked up its second league win with a 67-49 defeat of Interlake. The Wildcats had a big second period in that one, stretching a two-point lead into a 34-23 halftime advantage.
Richards scored 22 points to again lead the way, while Aubrey Larion added 10 for Mount Si. Interlake was led by 27 points from junior Sarah Anderegg.
Reach editor Ryan Piersol at editor@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434.
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Mike Jones and Derek Townsend would dunk all over these boys.