By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
In a quarterfinals matchup between the three-seed and the four-seed, Eastside Catholic, who remained undefeated throughout the postseason, found themselves up against the reigning 3A state champions, Auburn High School. The Crusaders had been on a roll, winning their league and district titles before beating Mountlake Terrace 54-52 to secure a first-round bye in this year’s state tournament.
Entering the season as champions, Auburn’s run to defend their title started out with a 63-59 loss at home to O’Dea, which put them in the loser-out game against Arlington, which they would win 52-41 to advance to their quarterfinal matchup against the Crusaders.
The opening quarter was a back-and-forth scoring match between both Eastside Catholic and Auburn. The Crusaders started out on fire from three-point range as Ishe Kanhukamwe made two, and Kayden Greene contributed from long distance as well.
For the Trojans, Jaylen Petty scored his team’s first five points before Semaj Brown made a mid-range jump shot, and Tyrell Nichols threw a no-look alley-oop to Luvens Valcin before making a three-pointer.
Ending the first quarter tied up at 12, Auburn seemed to have gained a slight edge as Brown couldn’t be stopped in the paint. He managed to make a mid-range jump shot and finish around the rim.
Despite momentum seeming to favor the reigning champions, Eastside Catholic kept things close thanks to Alex Elston’s ability to finish at the rim and Greene knocking down a three-pointer.
Both teams struggled in the second quarter, shooting under 35% from the field and three-point range, but even with such low percentages and scoring, Auburn managed to have a 21-20 lead at halftime.
Auburn began pulling away from the Crusaders in the third quarter. Lateibreon Chandler became an unsung hero for his team, hitting two critical three-pointers, and Nichols’ one-handed dunk and adjusting mid-air for a bank shot brought Trojan fans to their feet. In addition, Valcin was dominant on the boards, giving himself and teammates some second chance opportunities.
Giving themselves a 37-30 lead heading into the fourth, Eastside Catholic’s Jacob Cofie’s buzzer-beating jump shot gave the Crusaders a much-needed momentum swing.
The Crusaders’ Kayden Lamebull-Ingram was doing it all, from drawing charges with his on-ball pressure, going coast-to-coast for layups, or benefiting off second chance opportunities. As Auburn watched their seven-point lead disappear to 41-40 after a Kanhukamwe fade-away jump shot went through the net.
The final 2 minutes and 11 seconds would be an emotional rollercoaster. Auburn’s Valcin would read the passing lane to get a steal, which led to Chandler finishing in transition, and from then on, it would be a free-throw contest.
Eastside Catholic managed to stay in the game due to Auburn’s poor free-throw shooting, and down 45-42 with 14.1 seconds left, the Crusaders would have one more chance to tie. They passed the ball around before hoisting up an airball, which Auburn secured on the rebound as time expired.
Winners of two straight games, the Trojans advance to the semifinals, where they’ll await the winner between Garfield and Shorecrest.
Pictorial Highlights of Eastside Catholic vs Auburn 2023 WIAA 3A Quarterfinals
