Basketball Archives - Page 3 of 7

Memorable season comes to an end for Lady Hawks

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

On Friday, March 4, the Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks (23-2) played a loser-out game in the State tournament held at Spokane Arena. Their opponent was the Warriors from Almira-Coulee-Hartline.

In the 1^st quarter, Adiya Jones came out very aggressive and scored on three of her first four shots. Tied at 6-6, the Warriors started double teaming Adiya as much as possible, which put the clamps on the Lady Hawks offense. The Warriors finished the quarter on a 12-2 run to take an 18-8 lead over Tulalip.

In the 2^nd quarter, the Lady Hawks went on a 10-4 run sparked by Aliya Jones connecting on a 3-pointer and a long two, then Adiya added a couple free-throws and a 3-pointer of her own. Trailing by only 4 points, 18-22, the Lady Hawks put enough pressure on the Warriors that they called a timeout. Following the timeout, the Warriors again adjusted their defense to pick up Aliya at half-court and pressured her to give up the ball. The Warriors adjustment worked as the Lady Hawks were unable to get their offense going to close the half and were trailing 22-30 at the intermission.

The Warriors ability to disrupt the Lady Hawks offense by forcing turnovers, corralling seemingly every rebound, and using their own size and athleticism to score on the Tulalip defense proved to be too much to overcome. The Lady Hawks lost the game 43-64, ending their season.

Adiya finished her last high school game again filling the box score with 27 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 6 blocks. Even more impressive, Adiya scored or assisted on 37 of the teams 43 points. Aliya added 9 points, Keryn 5 points, and Desirae 2 points.

This season was a tremendous success for the Lady Hawks. After a season to forget last year, in which the team went 2-18, the program added the talents of Aliya, Keryn and all-state selection Adiya. With a renewed vigor the Lady Hawks power housed through their regular season schedule going undefeated and winning by a whopping 30 points per game. They won their league, finished 2^nd at Tri-Districts, and were one of only eight teams to play for the State title.

Senior players Adiya Jones, Michelle Iukes, Desirae Williams, Kaenishia Herrera, and Geri Iukes will be graduating this spring.

Shown below, Adiya Jones and Keryn Parks were recipients of the Hardwood Classic sportsmanship award for their play at State.

Contact Michael Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Lady Hawks stunned in State quarterfinals

by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks (23-1) were one of only eight teams in the entire state to have the opportunity to play in the 2016 WIAA 1B State Girls basketball tournament. The state tournament took place March 3 – March 5 at Spokane Arena.

After finishing their regular season undefeated and easily winning their district playoffs, the Lady Hawks saw their quality of opponent get better and better with every game. First it was in the Tri-District tournament where they played one good team after another before suffering their first loss of the season in the championship round. Then at Regionals they trailed early on before stepping up the defense and securing their bid to State with a win.

Now at State, the Lady Hawks found themselves among eight of the best teams in Washington. At this level every team had the stifling defense and explosive offense that the Lady Hawks showcased all season.

Their quarterfinal opponent was the #2 ranked Knights from Sunnyside Christian. The Knights lost in the State championship game last season and were undefeated to this point. By far this would be the highest quality opponent the Lady Hawks had faced all year.

In the 1^st quarter, the Lady Hawks were slow getting their offense going and trailed 0-8 minutes in. The Knights featured three girls 5’10 or taller, so they were sure to keep two of them around Adiya at all times. Adiya struggled with her shot against the stifling defense put on by the Knights, shooting 2-8 in the opening quarter. The score was 5-16 when the Lady Hawks got some good ball movement going that resulted in consecutive 3-point buckets by Keryn, Michelle, and Keryn again. At the end of the 1^st quarter they were very much in the game, trailing 14-20.

Both teams struggled to score any points early in the 2^nd quarter as both defenses tightened up, contesting all shots. The score was still 14-20 midway through the 2^nd until Adiya sank two free-throws. Seeing the ball go in the net got Adiya going and she added five more points for her team before being called for her 3^rd foul and forced to sit. With Adiya on the bench, the Lady Hawks were unable to get any more offense going and trailed 21-30 at halftime.

In the 2^nd half, some quick whistles against the Lady Hawks led to many Knight free-throws, and unfortunately Adiya fouled out with 2:05 remaining in the 3^rd quarter with her team trailing 24-41.

Things continued to get worse as Lady Hawk turnovers and fouls made it impossible to mount any kind of a comeback. When the final game-buzzer sounded the Lady Hawks lost 31-65.

As a team, the Lady Hawks shot 10-43. Adiya finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds, Keryn added 9 points, Aliya and Michelle both had 3 points.

It’s always easy to complain about officiating, and yes the free-throw shooting was lopsided in the Knights favor, but it was also easy to see that Sunnyside Christian was the better team. With their speed and size they made it extremely difficult for Adiya to get in her usual offensive groove near the rim, evident by her settling for outside shots and shooting a season high four 3-point attempts. Also, the Lady Hawks were sloppy with the ball, to the tune of a season high 30 turnovers, which a team like the Knights was able to turn into easy transition buckets. At this point in the season it’s all about execution and taking care of the ball.

Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Adiya leads Lady Hawks past Seattle Lutheran, 48-37

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks (21-0) went undefeated during their regular season, won out to claim the District 1-1B title, and were looking to keep their dominant run in tact as they played the Seattle Lutheran Saints (13-7) in the Tri-District Tournament semi-finals. The game was played on Tuesday, February 16 at Mount Vernon Christian High School.

It was obvious from the early going that the Saints had no answer for senior standout Adiya Jones, as she routinely got to her spots, hit shot after shot, all the while collecting rebounds. Adiya started the game red hot; connecting on 7 of 8 shot attempts and chipped in three free-throws. At halftime she had 18 points and more importantly the Lady Hawks held a 9 point lead, 28-19.

In the 2^nd half, Adiya picked up a technical for commenting on a sketchy foul call. The resulting technical meant she would have to sit a stretch. With Adiya on the bench, the Lady Hawks did their best to score buckets and grab rebounds. Keryn Parks and Cyena Fryberg were rewarded with their hustle play, as both finished the game with 9 rebounds apiece.

The Saints managed to carve away at the Lady Hawks lead and towards the end of the 3^rd quarter they only led by 5 points, 33-28. Enter Adiya back in the ball game. From that point on the Lady Hawks finished the game strong by holding the Saints to only 9 points the remainder of the way. In the end, the Lady Hawks won by 11 points, 48-37. Adiya led all scorers and had a very impressive stat line: 32 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, 6 steals and 4 blocks.

Up next for the Lady Hawks is the Tri-District championship game where they will face off against the Mount Vernon Christian Hurricanes. The Hurricanes almost handed the Lady Hawks their first defeat the last time they played back in the District playoffs. In that game the Lady Hawks managed to escape with a 39-38 victory thanks to a last minute bucket by Aliya Jones.

Look for all the details of the Tri-District championship game and Regional coverage in the next issue of the syəcəb.

Lopsided 2nd quarter dooms the Hawks in 48-68 loss

by Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

On Saturday, February 13, the Tulalip Heritage Hawks (14-9) traveled to Seattle Lutheran High School to play their opening game of the Tri-District Tournament. Their opponent was the Shorewood Christian Lions (16-3). It would be a matchup of #2s, as the Hawks finished #2 in the Northwest 1B league and the Lions finished #2 in the SeaTac 1B league.

The Hawks were hoping to build off their play-in victory over the Muckleshoot Kings just days before.

In the 1^st quarter, the two teams traded baskets repeatedly with Robert Miles doing his best to match the scoring output of the Lions’ best player, Jovi Fevaleaki. At the end of the quarter the Hawks were very much in it, trailing by only 1 point 14-15.

However, things turned drastically for the Hawks in the 2^nd quarter. The offense completely disappeared for the Hawks. They repeatedly settled for long-range, contested jumpers and were unable to attack the rim. Add in their turnovers and it’s no wonder that the Lions opened the quarter with a 15-0 run. The Hawks didn’t score until late in the quarter when Willy Enick connected on a 3-pointer. Willy added in another basket to give his team their only 5 points of the 2^nd quarter. At halftime the Hawks trailed 19-36.

Following the halftime intermission things didn’t get any better for the Hawks. The offense continued to struggle with the size and athleticism of the Lions, while defensively they were unable to contain Jovi Fevaleaki who finished with a game high 27 points.

The Hawks lost the game 48-68, and would be put in a loser-out game vs. their league rivals the Orcas Christian Saints.

Hawks defense steps up big time in 43-37 win

Following the loss to Shorewood Christian, the Tulalip Heritage Hawks (14-10) found out their post-season hinged on a loser-out game vs. in league rivals, the Orcas Christian Saints (15-2). It wasn’t a matchup that appeared to be in the Hawks favor, as they had lost all three regular season matchups with the Saints. In fact, the Saints had won those three games by an average margin of 18 points per game. But in the playoffs anything can happen.

After the 1^st quarter the Hawks found themselves trailing 7-11 and struggling to find their offense. On the positive side, the Hawks were liking their defensive intensity, especially on Saints point guard Michael Harris. Harris, who had given the Hawks defensive fits all season long, was constantly hounded by Nashone Whitebear.

Things continued in the 2^nd quarter with the Hawks not converting their shots, but continuing to play strong defense and not letting Harris beat them. At halftime the Hawks trailed by only 4 points, 15-19. It was by far the lowest scoring 1^st half the Hawks had been a part of all season.

During the intermission, the Hawks realized the ball was sticking too much on offense and wanted to move the ball more in the 2^nd half; more passing to open up quality looks for their shooters. On defense, they just wanted to keep up the tempo and to continue making everything difficult for Harris while continuing to crash the boards.

In the 3^rd quarter, the Hawks finally got their offense going. They scored 15 points in the 3^rd, as much as they scored in both the 1^st and 2^nd quarters combined. The solid defense was still in effect and to this point they had held the Saints best player to only 3 points. Going into the final quarter the Hawks had taken a 30-29 lead.

The ball continued to move well for the Hawks and they found open looks for Josh Iukes who came up huge for his team in the clutch. Josh and Robert Miles both scored a game-high 15 points and it would be good enough in the low scoring game to take the victory. After losing their first three matchups with the Saints, they made the necessary adjustments and found the will to win in a 43-37 thriller for the Hawks. With the victory the Hawks season remained alive and they were guaranteed two more Tri-District games.

Tulalip Hawks get pummeled by Neah Bay, 45-106

Just when things were looking up for the Heritage Hawks (15-10), after a hard fought victory over the best team in our league, things came to a crashing halt at the hands of the Neah Bay Red Devils (16-3). The two teams played on Wednesday, February 17, at Evergreen Lutheran High School in a 3^rd round matchup of the Tri-District tournament.

The game started out as a competitive one, with the Hawks and Red Devils both executing their offense. Just under four minutes into the 1^st quarter the game was tied at 11-11. Then it all went south for the Hawks. The Red Devils finished the quarter on a 20-2 run to take a commanding 31-13 lead.

The Hawks did what they could offensively, scoring 17 points in the 2^nd quarter, but they just had no answer defensively for the Red Devils who were shooting lights out. At halftime the Hawks trailed 30-55.

Things only got worse in the 2^nd half for the Hawks, as Neah Bay continued to pile on the points with little fight from Tulalip. Getting outscored 6-27 in the 3^rd quarter and 9-24 in the 4^th quarter added up to a 45-106 loss for the Hawks. This game goes down as easily the worse loss for the Heritage Hawks basketball program in years.

Luckily, the Hawks get a shot at redemption with a huge upcoming game against Lummi Nation. With a win, the Hawks will play on at Regionals, but if they lose their season will be over.

Hawks earn Tri-District spot with 77-68 win over Kings

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

After taking 3^rd place in the District 1-1B boys basketball tournament the Heritage Hawks hosted the Muckleshoot Kings at Francy J. Sheldon gymnasium on Thursday, February 11. On the line was a spot in the Tri-District tournament. Winner plays on, loser goes home wondering what could have been.

From the early going, observers could tell it was going to be a fast-paced, high scoring game. The Hawks took an early 14-2 lead only minutes into the opening quarter, but the Kings went on a 15-4 run to cut the Hawks lead to 2 points, 19-17. At the end of the 1^st quarter, the Hawks led 26-21.

In the 2^nd quarter, both teams played much better defense and slowed down the scoring. Seniors Willy Enick and Robert Miles were determined to not have this game be the final of their high school career. At half-time they combined to score 30 points as the Hawks maintained a slim 37-35 lead.

In the 3^rd quarter, Willy and Robert continued to play their two-man game, with Willy finding Rob in the post with a clear matchup advantage on multiple occasions. The Hawks were playing their game, their tempo, while all the while being aware of favorable matchups on the offensive end. At the end of the quarter the Hawks scored 19 points to the Kings 9 points, and led 56-44 with only one quarter to play.

The Hawks got multiple Kings players into foul trouble during the first three quarters and earned the free throw bonus early in the 4^th quarter. As a team the Hawks picked this critical game to have their best free throw shooting game on the season. In fact, the Hawks shot a very impressive 25-30 from the charity stripe as a team. Add in the total domination of their two senior captains, Rob with 32 points and Willy with 28 points, and it’s no surprise the Hawks put up a season high 77 points in their 77-68 victory. With the win, the Hawks season continues as they earned their spot in the Tri-District tournament.

Lady Hawks overcome foul trouble to win 67-52

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The undefeated 2016 District 1-1B champions Lady Hawks opened their Tri-District tournament with a home game on Saturday, February 13. Their opponent was the Mount Rainer Lutheran Hawks.

The Lady Hawks started the game in typical fashion, taking a decent lead only minutes in, but up 8-0 their star player Adiya Jones found herself with two quick fouls and had to sit the remainder of the quarter. With Adiya on the bench, the Lady Hawks struggled to find their offense, while Mt. Rainier fought their way back. At the end of the opening quarter the Lady Hawks only led by 2 points, 11-9.

When Mt. Rainier managed to tie the game at 11-11, coach Bubba Fryberg inserted Adiya back into the game. Adiya scored a couple quick baskets to give her team a 15-11 lead, but then picked up her 3^rd foul on a charging call. Again Adiya was forced to the bench and the Lady Hawks had to manage without her. It was Aliya Jones who took the reins on offense and picked up the team’s energy on both sides of the ball. At halftime the home team led 25-22.

Starting the 3^rd quarter, Adiya took out her frustration on the entire Mt. Rainer team by playing smart basketball and posting up the smaller Mt. Rainier players over and over again. Her post play made Mt. Rainer double and even triple team her, which opened up her teammates for high quality shots. Keryn hit two 3-pointers, while Aliya got into an offensive groove hitting 8 out of 10 shots. The Lady Hawks pushed their lead to 10 points, 52-42 at the end of the 3^rd quarter.

In the final quarter, the Lady Hawks used their team defense to hold Mt. Rainer to only 10 points, while their excellent ball movement continued to yield good offense. The victory was no longer in question and the Lady Hawks won 67-52. They were led by Adiya’s 23 points, 17 rebounds and 9 steals, but it was Aliya’s 20 points that proved to be the difference, as she kept the Lady Hawks afloat through Adiya’s foul trouble.

The now 21-0 Lady Hawks play Seattle Lutheran next in the quarter-finals of the Tri-District tournament.

Robert’s 35 points not enough in 57-67 loss

Tulalip Heritage Hawks vs. Mt. Vernon Christian Hurricanes in the second round game of the District 1B boys basketball tournament. Photo/Micheal Rios — Tulalip Heritage Hawks vs. Mt. Vernon Christian Hurricanes in the second round game of the District 1B boys basketball tournament.
Photo/Micheal Rios

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Hawks (13-8) traveled to Lummi High School on Saturday, February 6, to take on the Mt. Vernon Christian Hurricanes (10-11) in a second round game of the District 1B boys basketball tournament.

Unfortunately, it only took three minutes of game time to see the Hawks were in deep trouble. With 4:50 remaining in the 1^st quarter, seniors Willy Enick and Robert Miles collided at mid-court. Both players were attempting to pick off a long outlet pass and had their eyes on the ball, which led them running full speed into each other. Both players fell to the floor and the unintentional collision led to Willy suffering a laceration to his lip. Unable to get the bleeding under control, Willy was helped off the court, taken to get stitches, and unable to return to the game.

Without Willy, the bulk of the Hawks offense and playmaking went onto Rob’s shoulders. It took a while for Rob to find his offense, as he started the game shooting 1-7 from the field. In the final two minutes of the 1^st half he was able to score a quick 9 points, giving him 13 at halftime with his team trailing 24-31.

In the 2^nd half, the Hawks gave a good fight, but their lack of interior size and rebounding gave the Hurricanes many offensive rebounds and extra possessions. Rob continued to do what he could on offense, even putting on a one man show by scoring 22 points in the 2^nd half. Josh Iukes chipped in 7 points down the stretch, but it wasn’t enough to overcome all the point blank shots and layups the Hurricanes continued to get.

When the game ended, Rob led all scorers with a season best 35 points, but the Hawks would take the loss 57-67. The Hawks have a few games off before their play-in game to the Tri-District Tournament and the hope is Willy will be able to play in that game. The Hawks need all the playmaking they can get in order to advance and keep their season alive.

Contact Micheal Rios: mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Willy’s 34 points lead Hawks to blowout victory, 76-55

Tulalip Heritage Hawks take on Shoreline Christian Chargers in the 2016 District 1B boys basketball tournament. Photo/Micheal Rios — Tulalip Heritage Hawks take on Shoreline Christian Chargers in the 2016 District 1B boys basketball tournament.
Photo/Micheal Rios

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Heritage Hawks basketball team finished the regular season with a 12-8 overall record, 11-4 within the league. That was good enough for the Hawks to qualify as a #2 seed in the 2016 District 1B boys basketball tournament. Their opening round opponent was the Shoreline Christian Chargers. The game was played on Friday, February 5, at Shoreline High School.

In the 1^st quarter, both teams went bucket-for-bucket almost the entire quarter before the Hawks closed out on a small run that gave them a 21-17 lead.

The 2^nd quarter saw seniors Willy Enick and Robert Miles play a very effect two-man game, leading to high percentage shots for the Hawks. The Hawks played a near flawless 1^st half, only committing four turnovers, and took advantage of their quality shots to take a 40-30 halftime lead.

At halftime the Hawks coaching staff commended the boys on their overall effort and commitment to playing smart basketball. The only bit of constructive criticism was the team wasn’t boxing out and that if they focused on that the Hawks would take the game easily.

Starting the 3^rd quarter, the Hawks focused in on their team rebounding and boxing out. It made a huge difference as they were able to limit the amount of Charger possessions and push the tempo, the way the Hawks like it. Willy continued his impressive shooting, as he caught fire to the tune of making five shots in a row before finally missing on a long 3-point attempt. In the end, Willy led all scorers with 34 points and a season high 10 assists, while Robert had 17 points and 12 rebounds to secure a first round victory, 76-55.

Contact Micheal Rios: mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov

Lady Hawks finish regular season undefeated

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks basketball team was 16-0 with three regular season games remaining on our last check-in. Let’s recap those final three games.

On Tuesday, January 26, the girls traveled to Eastsound, WA to take on the Orcas Christian Saints. The Lady Hawks made quick work of the one-win Saints, winning 65-22.

Then on Friday, January 29, we welcomed the Grace Academy Eagles to our gym. It was a game the Lady Hawks had been preparing for, as the 2^nd place Grace Academy are the only team in the Northwest 1B league who have given us a competitive game all season. This game also had significant meaning for senior Adiya Jones, as there were several college scouts and coaches in attendance to watch her performance versus a competitive program.

In the 1^st quarter, the Lady Hawks came out primed for another blowout. They pounded the ball in the post and were able to convert on several shots at the rim, while making it very difficult for the Eagles to get quality shots up. At the end of the quarter the Lady Hawks led 18-8. But then the game tightened up. The Eagles went on an 8-0 to start the 2^nd quarter, cutting the Lady Hawks lead to only 2 points, 18-16. Coach Bubba Fryberg called a timeout to get his team refocused on the game plan. From that point, the game turned into a typical Lady Hawks beat down.

A 15-4 run to close the 2^nd quarter gave the Lady Hawks a 33-20 halftime lead. The entire 2^nd half saw the Lady Hawks turn loose on offense and go to a whole new level defensively. It seemed liked nearly every Grace Academy pass was either stolen or deflected, to the point the Eagles looked completely out of sorts on offense. The Lady Hawks led 55-26 going into the 4^th quarter. What was once only a 2 point game midway through the 2^nd quarter turned into a 71-30 blowout victory for the 1^st place Lady Hawks.

Adiya Jones, fully aware of the college scouts and coaches in the building, upped her game and had a game for the ages. She had a career high 18 steals, which is very impressive in its own right, but it gets even better. Adiya finished with her first ever quadruple-double stat line of 22 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists, and 18 steals. For those who follow the NBA, there have been only five players in league history to ever achieve the super rare quadruple-double, the latest one being achieved by David Robinson back in 1994.

After the blowout victory over Grace Academy, the Lady Hawks were 18-0 and only had one final regular season game remaining. On Monday, February 1, the Lady Hawks hosted the Highland Christian Knights. This game doubled as Senior Night for senior players Kaenishia Herrera, Adiya Jones, Michelle Iukes, and Desirae Williams. Cheered on by their families and friends, the Lady Hawks went on to win 52-23 and finish the regular season undefeated at 19-0.

Next up for the Lady Hawks is the District 1B basketball tournament, where they will be going in as the #1 overall seed.

Lady Hawks still undefeated, rise to #3 in AP’s state rankings

Lady Hawks vs. Lobos. Photo/Micheal Rios — Lady Hawks vs. Lobos.
Photo/Micheal Rios

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Here are the facts. The Tulalip Heritage Lady Hawks sit atop the Northwest 1B league with a 16-0 record (12-0 within their league). The Lady Hawks score an average of 60.2 points per game, while holding their opponents to an average of 30.7 points per game. They win their games by an average margin of 29.5 or basically 30 points per game. The starters usually don’t play into the 4^th quarter of games because there is no reason to when the victory is all but assured. The Lady Hawks are dominant.

Because of their dominance this season, they’ve been climbing up the Associated Press’s Girls State Basketball Poll. In the latest edition of the weekly poll, the Lady Hawks are ranked #3 in the state for all 1B programs.

Over their last handful of games, opposing defenses have completely sold out to try and take senior stand out Adiya Jones out of games. In some instances, teams have doubled and even tripled teamed her off the ball. For those who don’t know, this means teams are choosing to leave one or two other Lady Hawks wide open so they can minimize Adiya’s scoring. This strategy employed by opposing teams has only helped to speed up the development of Adiya’s teammates. In particular, Aliya Jones and Keryn Parks have benefited from the open driving lanes and uncontested jumpers. As they continue to grow and develop, the Lady Hawks are able to get more and more creative with their offensive sets.

At their current rate, it’s a foregone conclusion the Lady Hawks will win their final three regular season games and go into the 1B District tournament as the #1 overall seed. Only one time this whole season have the Tulalip girls even been giving a competitive game (a 5 point victory at Neah Bay back on December 21). It’s likely they won’t see another competitive game until the Tri-District tournament. So what are the girls to do until then? Continue to practice to get better and remain dominant.

Contact Micheal Rios, mrios@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov