SPOKANE — Drexler Doherty sank 18 points, including six points in the final moments, to spark the Neah Bay boys basketball team to the Class 1B state semifinals Thursday night.
The Red Devils shocked red-hot Rosalia 49-41 in the quarterfinals at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena.
This will be Neah Bay’s first trip to the state semifinals since 1986.
The Spartans’ Nathan Richards tied the game at 39-all with 1:51 left, but Doherty quickly put the Red Devils back on top with a turn-around jumper to make it 41-39, and Neah Bay never trailed after that.
Eli Monette, who also was hot late in the game and helped keep the Red Devils ahead in the second half, scored to make it 43-39 with 30 seconds left.
A little later, Jimmy Jimmicum grabbed a rebound for Neah Bay and passed the ball to Doherty, who scored the final two points to nail down the eight-point victory.
The Red Devils are a victory away from the state championship game as they take on powerhouse Colton in the semifinals tonight at 9 p.m. in Spokane.
The Wildcats ripped Columbia Adventist 83-55 in the semifinals to earn the berth opposite the Red Devils.
Tonight’s winner plays in the championship game Saturday at 5 p.m. against the Almire/Coulee-Hartline-Sunnyside Christian winner.
Neah Bay is the only team from Western Washington from either the boys or girls 1B tournaments to make the semifinals.
The Red Devils overcame a poor shooting night, 28.6 percent from the field and 63.6 percent from the line, to hold off the Spartans, who shot even worse from the field, 27.9 percent.
Doherty led the Red Devils with 18 points while Jimmicum netted 12 and Monette had eight.
Richards had game highs of 21 points and 14 rebounds for Rosalia.
Doherty led the Red Devils with eight rebounds.
The Spartans took the early lead at 12-9 at the end of the first quarter but the Red Devils stayed with them in the second period (11-11) to trail 23-20 in the defensive-minded game.
But Neah Bay, led by Monette, surged in the third quarter (14-8) to lead 34-31 going into the final stanza.
Neah Bay 49, Rosalia 41
Neah Bay 9 11 14 15 — 49
Rosalia 12 11 8 10 — 41
Individual Scoring
Neah Bay (49)
Jimmicum 12, Manuel 6, Doherty 18, Monette 8, Greene 5.
Rosalia (41)
Eberle 7, Lloucks 2, Hodges 3, Hereford 2, Brown 6, Richards 21.
