After starting off the KingCo tournament with a win over Juanita, the Mercer Island boys fell twice on their way to a district berth. The Islanders, who beat Juanita 50-33 last Tuesday, fell 56-47 over eventual second-place Mount Si, before taking fourth place in the tournament after a 53-36 loss to Sammamish.
“Our energy levy was not there against Sammamish,” said head coach Gavin Cree. “In the playoffs, the hungriest and most intense team always prevails. We fell short of that in both games.”
He said that, offensively, the team needs to take care of the ball, and the Islanders are fighting a void after losing both starting point guards.
The tournament began with a rough start for the Islanders, who struggled to find their offensive footing in the first half. In the third, Mercer Island attempted a surge, but it was not enough in their last two games to push them over the opponents.
“I still think with a little bit more focus and will, we can get it done,” said Cree.
The Islanders faced strong competition against Mount Si on Thursday afternoon. Mercer Island beat the team in their last meeting. The Wildcats were not going to let the Islanders past again, with senior standout Tanner Riley hitting three consecutive three-pointers for a 15-point fourth quarter.
The boys played Sammamish on Friday evening after this loss, a game that decided third- and fourth-place positions heading into districts. The Islanders weren’t able to keep the Totems away from the basket long enough to make up their point difference in the second half.
Following the tournament, junior Quinn Sterling was named to the All-KingCo team, along with senior teammate Kaj Sherman. Brian Miller was given an honorable mention.
The Islanders headed into the district tournament as the No. 4 seed, facing off against O’Dea in a loser-out game on Tuesday night.
“We should understand very clearly we can beat this team,” said Cree prior to Tuesday’s game. “O’Dea will be hungry. We have to match their intensity and focus.”
If Mercer Island wins, they will take on Rainier Beach, one of the top 3A teams in the state, on Thursday night, beginning at 8:15 p.m. at Bellevue College.
