Who: Issaquah (17-6, 15-3, second seed 4A KingCo) VS. Bellarmine Prep (14-11, 7-5, third seed District 3/4)

When: Friday, Feb. 28, 8 p.m., Puyallup High School (105 7th St. Southwest)

How they got here: The Lions finished second in the 4A standings during the regular season, and won three of their four games in the 4A District 3/4 tournament.

A 59-48 first round win over Kentwood sent Bellarmine Prep to the quarterfinals, where they beat Union 46-45 before falling to Kentridge by 13 in the semi-finals. A 45-38 win over Stadium in the third place game set the date with Issaquah.

The Eagles were the second place finisher in the division during the regular season, and won two games in the conference tournament before falling to the Bulldogs in the title game to take KingCo’s second seed to the Regional round.

What’s at stake: A second seed in the 4A state quarterfinals in the Tacoma Dome, and the chance to continue the run to a Class 4A state championship

Players to watch: Bellarmine Prep – Will Wolf, SR, Forward; Issaquah coach Jason Griffith said the most impressive thing about the Lions is their desire to live up to, and not try and outplay, their roles in the offense. Wolf, who is a capable mid-range scorer and also does plenty of work on the glass, has the potential to make a big difference in an ugly game.

Issaquah – Jake Henke, SR, Forward; One of an experienced core of Eagles, Henke has averaged nearly a double-double on the year with 9.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. With the Lions’ defensive attention likely focused more on prolific scoring threats in Gibson and freshman Trevon Ary-Turner, Henke could provide a spark.

Things didn’t go according to plan for Issaquah in the 4A KingCo title game.

But that doesn’t mean the plan is changing.

The Eagles lost 83-65 to Garfield in the third meeting of the year between the two, sending them to a Feb. 28 game with Bellarmine Prep in the 4A Regional round and one game from the program’s first quarterfinal berth since 2002-03.

Head coach Jason Griffith said while his team had its sights set on bringing home a KingCo title, their mindset was unshaken by the loss.

“I think our guys are fine,” he said before their Wednesday practice, noting two solid days of workouts. “We’ve moved forward.”

The next challenge comes against a Bellarmine Prep team that has won three of its past four games.

Griffith said the Lions have shown a propensity for slowing the pace and operating their offense in the half court, which will test his own team’s ability to get out on the break and create easy opportunities with their defense.

“They will do everything they can to not beat themselves,” he said of Bellarmine Prep. “More than anything, we want to create the tempo of the game.”

Junior Ty Gibson and the rest of the Eagles’ backcourt will have its hands full with a dynamic group of Lions’ guards, including sophomore Malachi Flynn and senior Mar’kese Jackson.

Will Wolf, a 6-foot-4 senior power forward, provides a blue-collar aspect and Griffith said typifies a selfless squad.

A win sends the Eagles to the Tacoma Dome, and the realization of a goal set long before the season with a senior-laden squad.