Issaquah rebounded from its semi final loss to Garfield to beat Todd Beamer 60-49 in the third place game, earning the program’s highest finish at state in more than a decade.
The Eagles used 18 points from junior guard Ty Gibson and 14 more from senior Jake Henke to get the win.
Semi final heartbreak for Issaquah against Garfield
All Issaquah wanted in its 4A state semi final with conference foe Garfield was a shot to win it at the end.
The Eagles got just that, but the final, pressured shot was off the mark at the buzzer, as Garfield won a thrilling 61-59 game in front of a packed house watching the boys court in the Tacoma Dome Friday.
Garfield sophomore guard Jashaun Agosto was fouled while attempting a three pointer with only seconds remaining, and hit two of three to provide the final margin in a game with 18 lead changes and 19 ties.
“We were close,” Issaquah coach Jason Griffith said. “I have a lot of respect for that ball club.”
Issaquah had its largest lead of the game at four points early in the fourth quarter, before the Bulldogs regined the advantage in the final three minutes.
A free throw from junior guard Ty Gibson tied things at 54, before Addison McIrvin evened things at 59 with a pair from the line with only 1:13 remaining.
Neither team took a lead larger than six throughout the game, but the Bulldogs used a 23-16 advantage at the foul line and a game high 19 points from senior transfer and Washington State University commit Tremaine Isabell to leave with the win.
“The kids played extremely hard,” Griffith said. “They didn’t back down at all.”
The Eagles had three leads in a see-saw first quarter before Garfield scored six straight to push its margin to six at the start of the second on a bucket from Agosto, and led by three at the half on an 8-0 run to close the half.
Watson led the way with 17 for Issaquah, while Gibson added 16 to go with nine rebounds, three assists and two steals.
“He’s a phenomenal shooter, he keeps composure, he rebounds and usually defends their best player,” Griffith said, noting his team mixed defenses in an effort to slow the Bulldogs.
Senior Cory Nevin added 10 of his own on 4-8 shooting in the loss, which sent the Eagles to Saturday’s third place game against Todd Beamer, a semi final loser against Richland.
