By RayJaun Stelly, The Seattle Medium
The Garfield Bulldogs came into this year’s state tournament as the number two seed, and under Head Coach Brandon Roy, they look to get back to championship prominence. Garfield earned a first-round bye in this year’s state tournament, securing an 83-51 win against Timberline behind Jaylin Stewart’s 19 points and eight rebounds, and Jamari Jackson-Kinz’s 18 points off the bench.
Shorecrest, the 16th seed in the tournament, came into the game winning three straight games. The Highlanders beat Stadium High School 48-45 before pulling off back-to-back upset victories against Gig Harbor and Rainier Beach, which landed them a place in the quarterfinals against Garfield.
From the opening tip-off, both teams kept fans engaged with their non-stop scoring. Garfield’s Stewart scored four straight points by finishing through contact and euro-stepping past defenders, Legend Smiley scored eight first-quarter points, Jackson-Kinz found a weak spot in the Shorecrest zone for a floater, and Sherrell McCullum Jr.’s offensive rebound resulted in a putback layup.
The Highlanders had a response as Keaine Silimon scored from the mid-range area, Parker Baumann completed a three-point play and floater following an offensive rebound, and Anthony Najera poured in 10 points. Neither team could be stopped, which is why after eight minutes of play, the game was tied at 19 going into the second quarter.
In a tied game, momentum can shift in either direction. However, Garfield took control of it by starting with their team defense. The Bulldogs strategically forced Shorecrest to take difficult shots and blocked their shots on drives, thereby limiting them to only one shot per possession. Garfield’s defense was so effective that it held the Highlanders to just five points in the second quarter while Shorecrest shot a low 32% from the field.
Clicking on defense, the Bulldogs went on a 17-0 scoring run. Myles Damon and Jackson-Kinz were key within the run, Damon scored six straight points, while Jackson-Kinz made back-to-back three-pointers.
Shooting 50% from both the field and three-point range helped give Garfield a 38-24 lead going into halftime, and up 14, the Bulldogs kept building off their momentum starting with Emmett Marquardt. Marquardt scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half, grabbed seven rebounds, and blocked two shots, which helped improve their lead to 57-40 ending the third quarter.
During the quarter, Garfield shot exceptionally well from the field, as they hit 50% of their shots from both the field and three-point range, which enabled them to take a commanding 38-24 lead going into halftime. The Bulldogs continued to build on this momentum behind the efforts of Emmett Marquardt. In the second half, Marquardt scored 10 of his 14 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and blocked two shots and contributed to the Bulldogs’ dominant play. By the end of the third quarter, Garfield had extended their lead to 57-40.
On the other side, Shorecrest’s Baumann would keep his teammates and fans engaged as he scored 19 of his 26 points in the second half from all over the floor, which included an 8-0 personal run.
Even though it appeared as if the Highlanders were making a comeback, time was just not on their side. Stewart’s push in transition to find Smiley for a layup followed by Marquardt’s euro-step finish sealed the deal as Garfield would go on to win 71-60 as time expired.
The Bulldogs’ double-digits victory advances them to the semifinal round, where they are set to face Auburn, a team that they lost to in last year’s tournament. The upcoming game is scheduled for 9 PM, and the winner will earn the opportunity to compete for yet another championship.
Pictorial Highlights of Garfield vs Shorecrest
Staff Photos/Aaron Allen
