SPOKANE — First the worst, second and third the same, fourth the best of all the championship games.
The Neah Bay boys basketball team broke through and won the school’s first-ever basketball state championship by obliterating the Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors 73-48 in the Class 1B title game at Spokane Arena.
It was the Red Devils’ fourth appearance in the championship game in six years, but the previous three (in 2011, 2013 and 2015) ended with losses and runner-up finishes.
Neah Bay had become a fixture in the state title games, but, until Saturday, it had yet to become a champion.
“We were talking before the state tournament even began that we weren’t going to leave state with another second-place finish,” Red Devils junior guard Kenrick Doherty Jr. said.
“If we were going to the championship game, we were coming out winners.
“We went into the state with that mindset.”
Coming into the game, the Red Devils seemed like underdogs. Almira/Coulee-Hartline was undefeated and was ranked No. 1 in every Associated Press Class 1B poll this year. Adding to its bona fides, the school also won the football state title in November — a trophy that Neah Bay has become accustomed to winning.
But instead of the Warriors finishing off a wire-to-wire season, the Red Devils led start to finish Saturday, and only allowed Almira/Coulee-Hartline get within striking distance of the lead for a few moments.
In the opening minutes of the game, the Warriors couldn’t complete a pass against Neah Bay’s defense and Doherty couldn’t miss a shot.
He scooped in a layup and drilled two 3-pointers to score Neah Bay’s first 10 points, and the Red Devils kept getting their hands on Almira/Coulee-Hartline’s passes.
Doherty said that the experience playing in the title game last year made Saturday’s game less daunting.
The Warrior were undefeated, but the Red Devils were battle-tested.
“I really wasn’t nervous like I was last year,” he said.
“Knowing the atmosphere . . . I think it helped us a lot. I think that played a huge factor in this game.”
A few seconds after Doherty scored his 10th point, Jericho McGimpsey made the lead 12-3 by converting one of the Neah Bay’s 14 steals into a layup.
At the end of the first quarter, Neah Bay was ahead 19-17.
The Warriors made it interesting in the second quarter, and even cut their deficit to 25-24 at one point.
But Ryan Moss and Rwehabura Munyagi Jr. keyed a 17-0 scoring run in the third quarter that gave the Red Devils a 50-29 advantage.
Moss scored seven of his team-high 15 points during that stretch, and Munyagi scored six of his 12.
Almira/Coulee-Hartline was unable to get within 15 points of Neah Bay the remainder of the game.
Kenrick Doherty finished with 14 points, Anthony Bitegeko had 10 and McGimpsey scored nine for the Red Devils (22-3), who lost last year’s title game to Lummi Nation.
Munyagi also had seven steals, six assist and five rebounds, and Doherty contributed six rebounds and six assists.
Neah Bay shot 58.5 percent from the field (31 for 53) while holding Almira/Coulee-Hartline to 29.6 percent (16 for 54).
Dallas Isaak, who is the 1B Player of the Year by the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association, put up a game-high 18 points for the Warriors.
However, 10 of those points came in the fourth quarter when the only thing between Neah Bay and the golden ball trophy were the minutes and seconds remaining on the clock.
Payton Nielsen had 12 rebounds and scored six points for Almira/Coulee-Hartline (25-1), which committed 19 turnovers in the game.
“Sigh of relief,” Doherty said.
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Sports Editor Lee Horton can be reached at 360-417-3525 or at lhorton@peninsuladailynews.com.
