TACOMA — The defending state champion and No. 1-ranked Neah Bay girls basketball team got off to a slow start against Curlew, only scoring four points in the first quarter, but once the Red Devils got going in the second quarter, they seized control of the game for a 44-23 victory in the 1B state regionals Friday.
With the victory, the Neah Bay girls get a first-round bye at the state 1B tournament at the Spokane Arena and move straight to the state quarterfinals Thursday against the winner of Mossyrock and Wilbur-Creston-Keller.
In Friday’s regionals played at Tacoma Community College, Neah Bay held just a 4-2 lead after the first quarter, but blew the game open with an 18-6 second quarter. The Red Devils held a commanding 32-12 lead after three quarters.
Ryanna Moss led Neah Bay (20-2) with 13 points and seven rebounds. She hit three 3-pointers and scored eight of her points in the fourth quarter. Amber Swan had 10 points and nine rebounds. Ezrah Ray and Qwaapeys Greene each scored six points.
Curlew (20-4) came in to Friday’s game ranked No. 4 in the state.
Mossyrock is the No. 7 seed and WCK is the No. 10 seed. Mossyrock is a familiar opponent as Neah Bay played the Vikings twice last year, including in the 1B championship game that Neah Bay won 56-54.
Neah Bay 44, Curlew 23
NB 4 18 10 12 — 44
Curlew 2 6 4 11 — 23
Neah Bay (44) — R. Moss 13, Swan 10, Ray 6, Q. Greene 6, Martin 4, C. Moss 3, A. Halttunen 2.
Boys Basketball
DeSales 65, Neah Bay 60
KENNEWICK — The Neah Bay boys basketball team nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback victory against DeSales on Saturday, as a potential game-tying shot went just long in the final seconds.
DeSales made a couple of late free throws to beat Neah Bay 65-60 in a 1B regional game played at Kamiakin High School. The game was for seeding only and Neah Bay still goes on to the Spokane Arena to play in the state 1B tournament.
The Fighting Irish had a seemingly safe 59-47 lead with just four minutes left in the game, but the Red Devils rallied. It began with a long Makyah Chambers 3-pointer, followed by a Daniel Cummins bucket to quickly make it 59-52.
Chambers hit another 3-pointer with 46 seconds left to make it 61-57 and Jodell Wimberly hit a trey with 14 seconds left as the Red Devils had the deficit down to 63-60.
DeSales missed a pair of free throws and Wimberly got off a shot with 3.3 seconds left from beyond the arc, but it went long off the backboard.
Tyler Swan led the Red Devils with 23 points as he hit four 3-pointers. Chambers hit three from distance and finished with 15 points.
The Red Devils (17-5) had a chance for a first-round bye if they could have beat DeSales, but now have to play a loser-out game at the Spokane Arena on Wednesday. Neah Bay, a No. 5 seed, will play No. 12 Oakesdale (16-7) at 12:15 p.m.
DeSales 65, Neah Bay 60
NB 16 7 17 20 — 60
DeSales 21 15 12 17 — 65
Neah Bay (60) — Swan 23, Chambers 15, Cummins 7, M. Greene 6, Wimberly 5, Woodruff 4.
